In mid-2012, EnDev Indonesia initiated a proof-of-concept project to assess whether productive use of energy (PUE1 the project comprised the provision of electrical appliances to selected village-based businesses (small enterprises) with access to electricity from a community-operated micro-hydro power (MHP) plant. The project comprised a total of 53 businesses in 9 villages in regions of Sumatra and Sulawesi, Republic of Indonesia. The project’s objective was to assess the following assumptions:
1. PUE will strengthen the sustainability of community-based MHPs by expanding the revenue potential (increased electricity sales) and improving overall MHP cost effectiveness (optimisation of capacity factor)
2. PUE appliances will improve production and income and reduce work load and overall expenditure of rural businesses
3. Numerous small-scale, off-the-shelf appliances spread across several businesses are more cost effective and less technically vulnerable than single specialised/customised large appliance.
The project was implemented from August to December 2012 by two different non-governmental organisations (NGO), ProWater and Operation Wallacea Trust (OWT), in Sumatra and Sulawesi respectively.
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