R C Gold 

School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK  

Supervisor: Dr C E Oram 

Background 

In Uganda, 15% of the population

have access to electricity. Only 7 of

the rural population have access to

electricity.   The introduction of

electricity into a remote rural village

like Bihondo is life changing for the

residents. The project, which began in

2009, has provided electricity to 3

different sites around the Rwenzori

Mountains in Western Uganda .

Bihondo is the biggest and fastest

growing scheme.

Self Sufficiency

The project’s ultimate aim is to let the

local committee maintain, expand and

invest in the scheme completely

independently, and also pass on their

knowledge and experience to other

rural communities. After increasing the

power output of the Bihondo scheme,

the 2015 team carried out several

steps to ensure that the local

committee has the resources and

knowhow to be able to operate the

scheme more autonomously.

Communicating with the

Bihondo residents

 

1) Ensure the residents UNDERSTAND our

explanations and plans.

2) RECORDED MEETINGS with as many local

committee members as possible.

3) Encourage committee to CONSULT 

RESIDENTS before proposals are

accepted.

4) PHONE CALLS 

5) LOCAL TECHNICALLY COMPETENT CONTACTS 

Godfathers  

Reparations are common in a

system of this scale, and the

ELECTRICAL POLES OFTEN NEED TO BE 

REPLACED  due to WEATHER and

TERMITE DAMAGE.

Previous teams have researched

better solutions, and concluded

that STEEL-REINFORCED CONCRETE 

GODFATHERS (foundations for the

wooden poles) as pictured on the

right are the best relatively LOW-

COST DURABLE solution.

In our business plan, we agreed with the

committee that they cast and construct 1

GODFATHER EACH MONTH.

This was a SIGNIFICANT part of the new

business plan in terms of self-sufficiency,

as it conflicts with the general MIND-SET 

among the local community which

generally plans for the SHORT-TERM and fixes

things as they fail, due to LIMITED RESOURCES.

Map

Using GPS technology, we have digitally mapped out Bihondo’s grid network,

which is useful for both future Warwick teams and for the local committee.

Measure distances

across grid to calculate

power losses and cost

of wires. The aim is to

upgrade from steel to

less resistive

aluminium wires.

Keep record of

connected buildings

and their usage

habits, thereby

ensuring bills are paid

correctly.

Monitor growth of grid

network and keep

track of reparations

and wire material

upgrades.

Load Limiters 

2015 team spent time RESEARCHING into the behaviour of POSITIVE THERMAL COEFFICIENT DEVICES or LOAD 

LIMITERS

 

, and went on to INSTALL 

the appropriate number in users’ homes. 

These small devices have intrinsic trip currents, meaning that the current passing through the

device causes the device to heat up to a point where it WILL NOT CONDUCT 

electricity until it cools down again.

This PREVENTS users from connecting their own HIGH POWER DEVICES SUCH A TVS,

which have been known to cause POWER CUTS and adversely affect other

users’ power supplies. 

The response of the residents to this solution was POSITIVE, particularly as

they had already been paying monthly fees per light bulb and yet others

were plugging in ‘unregistered’ devices for free. 

Upgrade packages including load limiters

We decided to sell upgrade packages ON BEHALF OF THE COMMITTEE 

including efficient 3W AND 5W LEDBULBS along WITH LOAD LIMITERS to

residents who wanted to receive power. MONTHLY BILLS WILL CONTINUE 

TO BE REINVESTED INTO REPARATIONS AND EXPANSION.

We encouraged the local committee to KEEP RECORD of the location,

number of bulbs, name and payment history of consumers, in

order to PROMOTE ORGANISATION AND CONSISTENCY going into the FUTURE,

where we expect the COMMITTEE WILL ACT INDEPENDENTLY.