1st step: Observation. CMG resources are easy here...

I am in the middle of the first step of the microgrid process - on site observation.  This may sound easy, but it is one of the most difficult steps.  I am tainted by years of assumption and blindness in everyday observation.  They say that one would not recognized oneself walking down the street - so how would I recognize an obvious source of energy?  I have my list of renewable technologies that we can harness for power -right now -  but they are limited by western thinking and systems.  I am also tainted by volumes of information and discussions about the energy demand side on this project (something I tried to avoid and vocally resisted):  what the project needs are, people's favorite pet renewable energies, opinions, vendor sales pitches, etc.  This has colored by bias, and in future projects I will keep that to a minimum.  Resource observations need to be made with a pure mind and pure heart.

View of walkpath to project site - Mondan Village
(Picture note:  These are all on-site pictures, 1mg... click on pic to enlarge)

I have practice in meditation and sitting, and that has come in handy for pure observation.  On the 4th day of my site observations, I started noticing WAY more.  I was more relaxed and comfortable from the culture shock, had made friends with local workers and crew leader (Dodi), and was enjoying the smiles and greetings of the local Balinese.  On my long walks, I started noticing more fish ponds, gravity opportunities, local practices, transition zones, nature's multi-use processes, etc.  I had to put aside much of my engineering brain and 'western' assumptions and open myself up to the energy flows and ebbs of natural systems on the site.  They were amazingly plentiful.
I wonder how many natural energy systems I am oblivious to at WinSol3.

Subak Canal
(Picture note:  These are all on-site pictures, 1mg... click on pic to enlarge)

The concept that you can power a community from the resources provided locally (within a 5 km circle),  is much easier in Bali than in the USA and Europe.  Here, there are whole plethora of choices, in unspoiled landscapes.  There is true abundance here!  From coconut and rice husks for biomass, to cow and chicken manure for biogas, to 12 hours of same angled solar radiation exactly the same on each of 365 days/year, and endless subak canal (river) flows for microhydro - we have almost TOO many choices.

[Part of me wonders what this bodes for the future of this community?  Where there are abundant resources and a desire for others to live, there will soon be development and exploitation.  But that's a story for a whole other time.]

The only downsides on the resource side I've come across is the wetness, moisture and amazing wildlife. 
     Geothermal is not as usable here given the climate and ground conditions -
       however there should be a way to extract some dry coolness from underground  
       earth tubes.
    Wind power is minimal, even the big storms will not provide much.  Perhaps as
        wind technology scales down and gets more ingenious with cowlings and large
        volume area harvestings, it may be useful here.  I would dread seeing a
        multi-bladed monstrosity in the middle of these beautiful rice fields.

Construction materials are AMPLE here - from endless bamboo to local cinderblocks and bricks to local traditional Balinese artisan builders - there is a lot to choose from and at very low cost. I understand that a typical Balinese worker makes around $2/day - and it is hard manual labor.


On the downside - and it is a big one - there is absolutely no ethos for downstream appropriate energy usage.  Just like the prevalent plastic garbage strewn everywhere, including the middle of rolling rice fields; leaving lights on 24/7 everywhere is prevalent.  Electric water heaters are prevalent, although most houses have water 'towers' which could be easily retrofitted for solar hot water. Yet no one uses solar hot water.  In one test, a simple batch SHW heater with a small black barrel inside, produced 150 liters of free hot water each day.  And then, as I am profusely sweating after an easy walk in the rice fields, and jump into the cold shower... why would any NEED hot water here?

  The yellow tank is the gravity fed water tank (no UV inhibitors in it!!), the unit on the left is a solar distiller, the one on the right is a batch hot water heater.

The reason for this lack of appropriate energy usage is age-old behavior driven by a clash of cultures.  Electricity has only been around for ~30 years, plastic for ~15 years.  Western influence....ahh such a long reach it has.