August 22, 2014
SAN JUAN COLLEGE
SOLAR PROJECT
Overview:
1. This report outlines
the details of a solar
photovoltaic (PV)
system that was
designed and
installed in June 2014
at Gangkar
Monastery, in a
remote area of Ganzi
Tibetan Autonomous
Prefecture, in Sichuan,
China. The PV system
provides lighting and
power for small
electrical loads to
support the monks,
guests, and local
community members
who visit or live at the
monastery.
SJC + TVP: PROJECT REPORT
Details:
Gongkar Monastery Solar Installation: a
Collaboration Between San Juan College,
Tibetan Village Project, and Conscious Journeys
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2. Time Frame: Plans for the project began in 2012.
Detailed planning, design, and fundraising took place
from January through May of 2014. San Juan
College students and professors traveled to Sichuan
between May 28th and June 11, 2014 to install and
test the solar equipment, and to train the resident
monks on how to use and care for the equipment.
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August 22, 2014
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3. Background Details
3.1: Location: Gongkar Monastery is located in the
mountains east of Yoloshi Village, Gongkar
Township, Kangding County, in the Ganzi Tibetan
Autonomous Prefecture of
Sichuan Province, China.
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12.1 (expanded from
below) Tibetan Village
Project and
Conscious Journeys:
Tibetan Village Project (TVP) is a
non-profit, non-political
organization dedicated to
promoting sustainable
development while preserving
the rich cultural heritage of Tibet.
The organization was founded in
2001 by Tamdin Wangdu to fund
a medical clinic in after he lost his
father in the village. Several years
later, TVP has expanded its
program in other villages to
support more clinics, schools and
community projects.
3.2. Travel Details: Gongkar Monastery is in a
remote and rugged mountain valley with no road
access; the nearest sizeable village is Yoloshi, in the
Yilong Chu Valley. Yoloshi is about 600 km from
Chengdu (the capital and largest city of Sichuan
Province). It takes two full days to drive from
Chengdu to Yoloshi, with an overnight stop in
Kangding. It is a further 30 km from Yoloshi to the
small community of Tsemi, which is the nearest
trailhead to Gongkar Monastery. The road between
Yoloshi and Tsemi takes about 2 hours of driving
time, due to the need to cross a very steep 4600 m
(15,000') pass on a dirt road. It takes a further 2
Conscious Journeys is a unique
volun-tourism program of the
Tibetan Village Project (TVP) and
we offer a balanced blend of
mindful-tourism and
volunteerism excursions to Tibet.
Led by Tamdin Wangdu, a native
Tibetan and the founder of TVP,
our socially responsible team
strives to maintain programs with
positive outcomes for travelers
and local communities through a
balanced blend of mindfultourism and volunteerism.
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August 22, 2014
hours to walk or ride on horseback from Tsemi to the monastery. Gongkar Monastery
is located at 3800 m (12,400'), near the foot of Minyak Gongkar (aka Gongga Shan),
a sacred mountain with an elevation of 7,500 m.
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3.3 Population: The monastery houses 20 monks, who split up their time between
Gongkar and another monastery, which is located in Migure Village near Yoloshi.
About five monks live full-time at Gongkar, with the other monks traveling up for
ceremonies at various times of the year. Additional monks from the Karma Kagyu
lineage also travel to Gongkar for periods of special study and ceremonies. The
monastery provides for the social and spiritual needs of several communities in the
region, with a total population of about 400-500 people.
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4. Education: About 95% of school age children in the region are enrolled in schools,
but the majority of adults are illiterate. The monastery provides help to local residents
who need assistance with any documents in Chinese and Tibetan languages.
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5. Livelihood: The local population primarily consists of nomads who raise yaks for
dairy products and wool, and subsistence farmers whose main crop is barley.
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6. Other Income: Collection of caterpillar fungus (Cordyceps) has become a key part
of the local economy. Residents collect and sell about 10,000 RMB ($1500 USD) of
fungus on average per
household per year. The
monks at Gangkar also
collect room and board fees
from trekkers and tourists
who travel to the monastery
for sightseeing during the
summer season. Having a
stable source of electric
lighting helps the monks with
this important source of
annual income.
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7. Monastery Hydropower:
In 2012, a Chinese donor
spent 30,000 RMB to install
a small hydropower station
in the glacial runoff valley
below Gongkar monastery.
However, the hydro turbine
water intake is often clogged
by debris -- this causes
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frequent interruptions of power, especially during periods of heavy summer rain. The
turbine also freezes and stops running during cold winter weather. The ~1 km path
from the monastery down to the turbine site is very difficult to walk, due to steep
mountain terrain and unstable glacier rock. During most months of the year, it is very
dangerous and difficult to clean and maintain the hydro turbine, and there is a
constant risk that the turbine will be destroyed by a flood or rockfall.
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8. Solar Project Objectives: The monks expressed a desire to have a more reliable
source of electricity for light that would be easy to care for. The monastery gets about
4-5 hours of sunlight on daily basis and has an ideal site for a solar photovoltaic (PV)
array, directly adjacent to the monastery prayer hall. In late 2012, Tibetan Village
Project identified the monastery as a desirable location for a solar installation service
project. In addition to providing a reliable, year-round source of light to residents and
guests of Gongkar Monastery, the solar project demonstrates that PV technology is a
reliable option for clean energy for families that have no access to a reliable source of
electricity. Some homes in the region already have small standalone solar lighting
systems, which is a trend that we would like to see grow in popularity.
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9. Monastery Lighting and Electric Needs: The main prayer hall (dukhang) has an
area of about 130 m2 and it is used for daily prayer and special ceremonies. Three 9watt LED light bulbs were installed to provide light to read the sacred texts and
prayers, The protector chapel (gönkhang) is about 40 m2; it is used for morning and
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evening prayers to the protective deities of the
monastery. Two 5-watt LED bulbs were installed for
lighting. One 9-watt LED bulb was installed in each of
the monks' bedrooms and guest rooms, which
average about 10-12 m2 in area. A total of 26
residence rooms were equipped with lighting. In
addition, the monastery kitchen, a food storage room,
a work room, the entry way to the prayer hall, and the
solar equipment room were each equipped with a
single LED light. The light in the solar equipment room is a special 24 volt DC model,
so that there will be light available for troubleshooting even if AC power has been lost
for any reason. In total 35 lights and light sockets were installed, along with 32 wall
switches. The total lighting load is slightly under 300 watts, though it is unlikely that all
lights will be turned on at any given time. The system is designed to allow each light
to be lit for an average of three hours per day, with the expectation that some lights
will be on for longer periods, and some lights will be used less often.
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The solar power system also includes four AC power outlets that are intended to be
used as a low-power charging station to recharge flashlight batteries, a small laptop
computer, and other small electronic loads such as phones, cameras, etc. The
maximum power draw of these small loads is expected to be 100-150 W, with a
typical energy draw of about 200 watt-hours per day. These outlets are located in a
secure location so that guests don't plug
in larger loads that would compromise
the available supply of energy.
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10. Solar Equipment Details: The
energy source for the lighting system
consists of four solar PV modules,
producing a total rated output of 980
watts of power. The PV output is used to
charge a sealed lead-acid battery bank
rated at 24 volts DC and 240 amp-hours
of energy storage. This is enough
energy to provide for two days of
average needs, to provide lighting even
during periods of very overcast weather. In addition to the solar modules and
batteries, the project equipment also includes two DC wiring enclosures with a total of
eight circuit breakers; two 230 volt AC inverters, rated at 350 watts each; an AC
wiring enclosure; a battery charge controller with PV maximum power point tracking,
a digital display for the charge controller; and a battery status monitor to show the
state of charge for the battery bank. The charge controller also incorporates a lowvoltage disconnect feature, to automatically turn off the AC loads when the battery
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bank drops to a low state of charge -- this protects the batteries and helps to extend
their usable lifespan, which is expected to be about five years. Other components of
the system should have a lifespan of at least 10-20 years.
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The LED lights used in each of the rooms are about nine times more efficient than
incandescent lights, and twice as efficient as fluorescent lights. The color temperature
of the chosen LED lights is equivalent to a warm-white to natural-white color with a
360-degree beam, for natural rendition of colors, even illumination, and no eye strain.
Each of the 9-watt LED lights produces 800 lumens, equivalent to a 75-80 watt
incandescent bulb. Each LED light is expected to have a useable life of at least ten
years. Nine spare LED lights were provided to the monks to replace any lights that
may break or fail.
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For detailed technical specifications, model numbers, and design calculations for the
solar components, please contact Mike Sullivan at [email protected].
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11. Project Expenses:
Project Expeneses
Guide Fee and Administration
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$1,050.00
Lodging
$203.00
Meals
$250.00
Transportation
$1,120.00
Solar Project Materials
$4,547.54
TOTAL
$7171
Total project expenses added up to $7,171, while fundraising efforts totaled around
$6,400. This means the project is left with
a balance of $771, which TVP covered.
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12. Project Partners: see section 12.1
on page 2.
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12.2 San Juan College: Ten students
and two professors from San Juan
College participated in the design and
installation of the solar lighting project.
The project was set up as a hands-on
training class in solar energy and a
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humanities class to learn about Tibetan culture and Tibetan Buddhism. The students
who enrolled in this course came from all age groups from 20's to 60's, with a variety
of backgrounds and interests.
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12.3: Participant Biographies. See attached file: “Meet the Participants!”
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13. Solar Training, Maintenance, and Repairs: On the final day of the project
installation, one monk (Kushog Wangchuk) and the monastery abbot (Lama Jema)
received a detailed training on how to operate and maintain the solar equipment. The
main focus of the training was how to determine the battery state of charge by using
the battery monitor, and on the need to conserve energy, especially when the battery
state of charge is below 60%. It was agreed that all rooms in the monastery would be
posted with a sign next to the light switch to ask people to turn off the lights whenever
they are not needed. The training also covered maintenance of the PV modules, to
ensure that they are not shaded by prayer flags, vegetation, snow/ice, or any other
sources of shade. We also went over the purpose of the circuit breakers, and how to
shut down the equipment in case of an emergency. Finally, we discussed the
procedure for safely disconnecting the batteries, and how to replace an inverter in the
event of an inverter problem.
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In the event of any problems with the PV equipment that the monks are not able to
correct on their own, they were instructed to contact the staff of Tibetan Village
Project, who can request support from San Juan College or a professional solar
repair technician.
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As mentioned earlier, most of the components of the solar lighting system should
have at least a 10-20 year usable life. The only exception is the battery bank, with an
expected lifespan of about five years. As the batteries age, they will gradually lose
capacity for energy storage, which will eventually cause an AC power outage
whenever high electric demand coincides with cloudy weather, when the energy
supply is lower than usual. When these power outages become a problem, the
batteries must be replaced and the old batteries should be recycled. At that time, it
would also be a good idea to re-assess the electric and lighting demands of the
monastery to confirm that the solar equipment is still properly sized to meet the
lighting needs and patterns of use, which may change over time. At current prices, a
new set of batteries will cost 3000 RMB (under $500), not including the cost of
shipping them from Chengdu to Tsemi and bringing them up to the monastery on
horseback. If possible, it is recommended to keep 4000 RMB in a fund for future
battery replacement, and encourage a long-term plan of setting aside at least 1000
RMB per year as a savings fund for future battery needs and for general
maintenance and repairs for the solar equipment and building wiring.
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Additionally, two spare inverters will be ordered and delivered to Gangkar, to have on
hand in case one or both of the existing inverters breaks down for any reason. The
installation team left an assortment of electrical tools and supplies at the monastery
to help in maintaining and repairing any problems with the solar equipment or
building wiring.
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14. Expected Outcome of the Project: The primary outcome of the project is to
supply a reliable source of light and energy to the residents and visitors of the
monastery. This will benefit the
monks, the community of
approximately 400-500 people that
the monastery supports, and the
hundreds of overnight guests that
visit the monastery each year. In
addition to providing light, it is
expected that the monks will be able
to save money and resources by
reducing the need for flashlight
batteries, kerosene lamps, candles,
etc. Reducing or eliminating the
need for candles and kerosene
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lighting will also greatly reduce the risk of a catastrophic fire in the wooden monastery
building, and minimize the respiratory hazards associated with candles and kerosene
smoke. Eliminating complete reliance on the hydropower system will also reduce the
risk of injury from having to frequently maintain and clean the hydro turbine.
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A secondary goal of the project is to demonstrate the safety, reliability, and ease of
use of solar lighting and solar energy technology, both to the local community and to
visitors at the monastery. This will help to promote the acceptance and demand for
solar energy among the local population and help to improve their quality of life.
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15. Acknowledgments: Special thanks go to the staff members and supporters of
Conscious Journeys and Tibetan Village Project, for their hard work in helping make
this project a success. Thanks also go out to San Juan College, and the students and
professors who dedicated their time, energy, skills, and money to improve the lives of
monks and local residents in this remote corner of the world. Additional thanks go out
to the many people who donated funds to help purchase the solar equipment and
electrical supplies. Your generosity is appreciated by many, and will help to make a
better world for all of us.
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