Our Work In Thailand – How We Got Involved

In 2009 I (Roger) took an online class and a workshop in Solar Electric (photo voltaic) Design and Installation from Solar Energy International (SEI), www.solarenergy.org, a nonprofit educational organization based in Western Colorado.

SEI is has connections with international organizations promoting renewable energy and sustainability. Since I am always looking for projects for us (Donna and myself), I contacted several of these organizations to see if they could benefit from our help. Border Green Energy Team (www.bget.org) responded and we have been in contact with them since August of 2009 planning our visit in July 2010.

Border Green Energy (BGET) is based in Mae Sot, Thailand, about 3 miles from the border with Burma (Myanmar). BGET provides hands-on appropriate technology training and financial support to village innovators in ethnic minority areas on both sides of the Thai/Burma border.

BGET works in:

- Improving sustainability of Thai solar home systems through local technician trainings.
- Refugee camp renewable energy trainings.
- Community micro-hydro construction and O&M.
- Solar electricity construction and O&M trainings for medical clinics on the border. 

There are tens of thousands of refugees in Thailand. They are mainly people of the Karen ethnic group who have left Burma because of violence and persecution. July 20, 2010, we fly to Bangkok, stay there two nights, and then take a bus to Mae Sot. We have never been to Thailand before.

We are open to questions and comments on our blog, our work, how to volunteer, or anything else.