By: Jojon Suria Nata

Now the SSI (Sanitra Sebangau Indah) basecamp, WWF-Indonesia in Central Kalimantan, which is located about 1 hour from the city of Palangka Raya, no longer rumbles with the sound of electric generators. At dusk, the camp guards usually turn on the generator for lighting, but now the tranquility and silence of the forest surrounding the basecamp location is more pronounced.

Six solar panels have been installed at the camp located at the SSI basecamp, Sungai Sebangau, Sebangau National Park. The installation of this equipment is very appropriate given the abundant availability of sunlight in Central Kalimantan. The solar installation was initiated by ENECO, which is the largest company in the Netherlands engaged in green energy. ENECO collected funds from several donors for the installation of 900 watts of electricity.

The installation process, which took three days from August 22, 2014, began with assembling the equipment to installing five light points throughout the basecamp building. This number is considered sufficient so that the remaining energy can be used to power water pumps, electronic equipment and LCD projectors considering that this place is also often used as a training and meeting place for the community in carrying out WWF Central Kalimantan programs.

In addition to the installation, the technicians who worked on the installation were brought directly from Jakarta and then also provided knowledge for the operators who lived in the SSI camp to overcome problems that might occur later. The short training was in the form of basic knowledge to maintain and care for solar power components, utilization and maintenance, so that the energy produced is maximized and energy reserves are maintained during the rainy season.

This electrical device is very minimal maintenance. The energy produced by the installed solar panels has also been converted into AC current, so that electronic devices that you want to use can be directly plugged in without having to install an inverter to convert DC current to AC current again. Thus, solar electricity is only a matter of using and maintaining the availability of energy.