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Strengthening community-based renewable energy systems

Sibol ng Agham at Teknolohiya (SIBAT)

Honoree

Representative Name: Estrella Catarata

Year: 2023

Country:

Philippines

Topics:

Capacity-BuildingCommunity Education

Region:

Asia-Pacific

About

Empowering remote Indigenous People’s communities in controlling their energy production, SIBAT rehabilitated 15 Micro-Hydro Power (MHP) systems, providing uninterrupted renewable electricity for households, public schools, and Filipino barangay facilities. To ensure sustainable operations and maintenance, SIBAT trained local operators, of which a majority are women who gained a new social status. Each community decided how to build, sustain, and manage their power system, which they now own. All collected energy tariffs are set by the community and earmarked for future repairs and rehabilitation.

Climate impact

  • Provision of decentralized, renewable, clean power for off-grid Indigenous People’s communities.
  • Empowered Indigenous People’s communities to preserve and protect their watershed areas.
  • Improved access to sustainable energy for over 9,000 people.

Gender impact

  • Involved indigenous women in the entire process, from design to decision-making and operation of the MHP systems.
  • Reduces women’s domestic workload with increased access to electricity.

Scalability/replicability

  • Open-source technology is community-led and owned.
  • Operating and managing MHP systems ensured capacity building.
  • Communities actively participate in the feasibility and environmental impact assessments of the project.
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