Solar in Thailand
Mercy International runs children’s homes in Petchabun, Khon Kaen, and Phrae, Thailand. They raise these children in a loving Christian environment and have a strong witness to the communities in which they serve. Our goal is to help them become more self-sufficient, so they are less dependant on donations. In March, 2020, we installed four solar systems on the farm at the Petchabum site.
For a project like this, where the main goal is to add solar, which is a technical installation project, we still like to make a point of getting to know and connect with the people involved in the organizaiton that we’re helping.
Case Study
Installation of Four Solar Powered Variable Frequency Drives
Situation Analysis:
The power line running from the main power distribution to the farm was too small to maintain voltage when running the motors needed to grind and mix food for the animals without significant voltage drop. This had the potential of damaging the motors and required running the equipment one at a time, slowing down the work. Also, there was need to provide power to pump water into the fish farm and for irrigation for crops.
Solution:
The solution chosen was to use four solar powered pumping/motor systems ysubg a Variable Frequency Drive with Solar input. We used two 3 HP VFD’s with 10 Sunfree 330W Solar panels each, one to run the feed mixer and one to run the feed grinder. They were hybrid systems, with grid power in addition to solar. The VFD had the added advantage of maintaining voltage, even when running off of grid power only, protecting the equipment motors.
For the water pumps, we used two 2 HP VFD’ with 8 solar panels. One was also grid connect, and the other was solar only, due to it’s remote location on the farm.
Result:
The installation provide more reliable power to the farm for mixing and griding feed, as well as keeping the fish pond full and providing irrigation water, at a much lower cost.
Connecting with People
Pictures from the Children's Home in Petchabum
We got to know several of the staff and some of the children while on site during this trip. Each had a unique story of how God brought them there, and how he was working in this place, to provide a light to the community. The school here has been opened up to the community, and has been well received by all. It was a real blessing to work with Mercy International.
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