The Bushlight India Project
	Model

The Bushlight India Model is a process for planning and establishing technically and financially sustainable, centralised renewable energy based village energy systems that are operated and managed by locally established institutional structures.

The model is premised on a service philosophy of supplying a predetermined, assured amount of energy to all consumers every day that is available round the clock, and providing people the information and tools to use this energy to complement and build their livelihoods as they need and choose on a day to day basis.

The Bushlight India Model is a comprehensive, structured, stage-wise implementation process, with the required activities, processes and outputs for each and every stage clearly documented and supported by a range of resources including facilitator guides, manuals, design tools, and contract templates among others.

It follows a logical process that begins with a selection process whereby villages are surveyed to see if a Bushlight India system is appropriate to their capacities, livelihoods and aspirations. If a village is assessed to be suitable, preliminary financial modelling is carried out to estimate the system size and the required service fee structure for the different available energy budgets, taking into account the degree of financial support being provided, people's minimum capacity to pay and the expected demand in the village.

Once a village is selected an in-depth, collaborative planning process is carried out with the people. This process is described in detail in the Bushlight India, Village Energy Planning (VEP) Facilitators Manual. The VEP process involves a series ofintroductory meetings with the whole village, followed by education and information sessions with smaller groups, after which the village is asked to decide whether they want to participate in such a project. If so, they are then asked to constitute a committee or cooperative to represent the village during the planning process. Energy budgeting is then carried out on an individual basis with every household, community and commercial establishment to be connected. A detailed village survey is also conducted and a village map prepared. The institutional management structure to be adopted to manage the system is also determined during these discussions.

Once Village Energy Planning is complete, the information collected is used to design a system with the capacity to meet the identified needs of the community. Various spreadsheet based design tools are used to do this which have been specifically developed for the project based on international best-practice. A comparative life cycle cost analysis is also carried out to assess whether a Bushlight India system presents the most cost-effective solution for supplying the village’s electrical energy needs. All systems include additional capacity to account for growth in demand - the extent being determined based on information collected during the VEP and considerations for capital as well as ongoing operation and maintenance costs.

The output of the design process is a System Design Report which is then reviewed with the village before being finalised. It is then incorporated into a Supply and Installation Tender. This Tender includes full contractual details, a scope of works and technical specifications for the supply and installation of a system.  The Tender is for release to suitable parties for bidding/quoting purposes.

Supply and Installation of a system will begin once a supply and installation contract has been signed. The required materials and installation work is detailed in the scope of works while the quality of all materials and work is specified in the technical specifications. The system is commissioned through a visual inspection process that checks all work and materials against that specified in the contract. The supplier/installer is then formally notified of any rectifcation work that needs to be done before a final certificate of completion is issued and outstanding money paid.

A contract for the delivery of scheduled annual and unscheduled maintenance services also needs to be signed at this time between the system owner (community, cooperative, support agency etc) and suitable technical agency (usually but not always the system supplier).

Once the system is commissioned, training is conducted with the identified local operators and Support Agency staff in the operation and maintenance of the system, and problem troubleshooting procedures. Image based user manuals and logbooks in local language have been developed for this purpose.

Management and financial training and support also needs to be provided to the local committee/cooperative responsible for managing the system.

When implemented as designed, the Bushlight India Model ensures systems are only installed in villages where they are the most appropriate technical and economic option; that consumers are provided with the necessary support, information and tools to use their energy to complement and build their livelihoods as they need and choose; and that systems incorporate fail-safe protection against damaging overuse, while also maintaining the quality, reliability and equity of supply to all consumers.