Friday August 15, 2014
Well, it can’t all go smoothly. Today as we were prepping to do a test raise on the first wind turbine tower, we noticed that the concrete base did not set as quickly as hoped. After a lot of thought and discussion, we decided that the best course of action was to remove and re-pour the concrete and let it cure for one to two weeks. PowerGen agrees that this is the best course of action, even though it means that they will have to make an additional trip from Nairobi later.
Despite this setback, we are continuing to work on other aspects of the project. Kristine and Jenna, along with their interpreter, completed the 20 face-to-face interviews with community members. The energy kiosk is now completely wired, and ready to start charging BBOXXs once AC power is available. All 12 solar panels are installed and wired to the control room. The large stationary batteries are being connected, and the various inputs to the data logger are being soldered together.
As some activities come to an end, we are finding more free time on our hands. Reading and playing card games are popular choices. Most of the nights have been cloudy, so we haven’t had an opportunity to stargaze, which we hear is incredible around here. On occasion we head to “downtown” Muhuru Bay, also known as Custom (we are close to Tanzania, and there is a customs office nearby). Custom is a 20 minute drive from Kristy’s Cape Academy, and is where the nearest source of grid electricity is found. There is not much to do in Custom other than shop and if lucky, have a cool Coke or Fanta. People watching (and being watched by people) is always interesting.
