It's Electric!

Archimedes may or may not have harnessed the power of the sun to repel a Roman naval assault in 212 B.C., but the utility of solar power certainly has been well known since ancient times. The Romans used solar power to heat their famous baths and later Byzantine emperor Justinian included “sun rights” for particular buildings in the empire’s legal code. The modern harnessing of solar power began in 1839 when French scientist, Edmond Becquerel discovered a photovoltaic effect in an electrolytic cell. The electricity generation of the cell increased when exposed to light. Thankfully, the exploration into solar generated electricity did not end there. 

This week at our KHA learning experience day we examined the four sources of electricity used in Kibuye as well as other alternative energy sources. To start the day, Caleb led the kids through a tour of Kibuye’s “power plant.” Recently installed solar panels are the first and best option for electricity. You can read a detailed account about the solar project and the ITEC team in Caleb’s blog post from this past September (https://mccropders.blogspot.com/2018/09/solar-power-at-kibuye.html). Next, we looked at the inverters, multicluster, and the second best source of electricity: batteries. The excess electricity generated by the solar panels regularly charges the batteries. Finally, we looked at the last two sources, grid power and a diesel generator. Through the combination of these four sources, Caleb’s work, and ITEC’s technical support the hospital and residential area are supplied with near constant power. 

Upon our return to the school, the students put this power to use by researching other alternative energy sources online. Working in small groups, the students imagined that they were the marketing team for an energy company making a sales pitch to the city council of the new city of Kibuye. Their task was to develop a proposal that included the advantages to using a certain type of energy.  They communicated to the “city council” an understanding of how their type of energy works, as well as both pros and cons to their type of energy. The different types of power proposed included geothermal, biogas, and hydro-electric.

 

The tour of Kibuye’s power plant, researching alternative energy sources, and a reading of The Boy Who Harnessed the Windcombined to ignite the imaginations of our students to the benefits of uncommon solutions. Whether they harness the wind like William Kamkwamba or the power of the sun like Archimedes, we are excited to see how God will use the unconventional in their lives for His glory.