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EcoCARE Pacific Trust - Alternative Energy

EcoCARE is facilitating and collaborating with individuals and organisations in the management and implementation of sustainable and alternative energy. Alternative energies are a vital ingredient to the development of Tonga and other Pacific Island nations. These technologies offer the opportunity for domestic industry to function economically and for educators and individuals to access the vast mine of information available on the internet through computerization. Identifying the appropriate technology to maximize local resources is an important component of sustainable resource management and by collaborating with academics from the UC College of Engineering and Engineers Without Borders (EWB), EcoCARE is not only involved in the implementation of these technologies and education regarding them it is also involved in maximizing the best use of these resources through its participation in the development of state of the art resource management software programs.

EWB

The project: EWB approached EcoCARE Pacific Trust to see if there is some way that the two organisations could participate in worth while projects for the people of Tonga. After some consideration the Minister of Education in Tonga and school principals it was decided that EcoCARE would facilitate the implementation of photovoltaic solar panels at two high schools in Tonga, Tonga College and Vava’u High School.

Benefits are many fold for the UC students, the schools and for the communities in Tonga

• EWB students are required to scope, report, implement, project manage and educate.
  • Introduction; as is the case with all EcoCARE projects participants are required to introduce the project to the appropriate Ministerial Department, the local communities and schools.
  • Implementation requires EWB to return with the PV panels and for these to be mounted and functioning before certification can take place.
  • Dissemination requires that EWB establish the technology as an educational resource that the school can use when teaching.
• The school benefits by having access to alternative energies that are reliable and sustainable. The cost benefit to the implementation of alternative energies in remote locations is a practical and logical solution to the requirement for power.
• Students are mentored by professional engineers and academics. In this case the UC EWB group are mentored by Prof. Pat Bodger of the UC, CoE.

Community benefits from this implementation by ensuring that schools can stay open and, through the dissemination process, the communities are exposed to the technology and the potential benefits of them throughout Tonga.

Resource Management Digital Tool

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we were able to identify the appropriate utilization of our natural resources at the touch of a mouse? Yes I think so too. With that in mind EcoCARE is working with UC researchers to make available such a tool for use in Tonga.

• Russell Taylor of UC/EcoCARE Pacific Trust and Dr. Tom Cochrane of the College of Engineering have developed a unique project for two 4th year Engineering students. The students have been charged with the task of developing a resource management tool that will enable evaluation by users of the most appropriate technologies for any location in Tonga according to the available resources found in that location.
  
• The tool is capable of providing up to date information regarding available resources for both the terrestrial and marine environments.

Project Development

EcoCARE is involved in the development of alternative energies projects with academics and researchers for the UC, College of Engineering. CoSc. and CoEng. Post-graduate projects are being developed that offer local Tongan students the opportunity to develop the necessary expertise to participate in the sustainable implementation of alternative energy technologies. Collaborative UC/CCC projects are being negotiated that enable other participants to offer their expertise in supervisory/mentoring capacity.

Possible College of Engineering projects:

• Biodiesel
• Biodigestion
• Forest management
  
• Hydrogen conversion
  
• Solar photovoltaic
  
• Solar thermal
  
• Storm mitigation
  
• Tidal generators
  
• Wave powered generators
  
• Waste management
  
• Wind powered generators

Project Summary