25/05/2021
Loumbila is a small peri-urban municipality of Burkina Faso located about twenty kilometers from the capital Ouagadougou; an area with a strong agricultural vocation thanks to the abundant availability of water due to barrages, the dams that allow a constant supply.
Right here Mani Tese supports the Union of Producers of Loumbila NANGLOBZANGA in a path of promotion of agroecology that also includes training activities on the techniques of processing and preservation of horticultural products.
In this context, thanks to the project “Agroecology, full ahead” co-financed by the Regione Veneto, we are building a photovoltaic system that will give a great boost to the processing center, allowing the automation of processes through the use of machinery that will be powered by solar energy and no longer by diesel.
Initially, the project envisaged that the technical partner Equa (Quality energy for man and the environment), an Italian excellence specialized in the design and construction of photovoltaic systems, went to the site to take care of the installation of the system directly. Unfortunately, the pandemic made the mission impossible and, given the situation, the local staff and technicians of Equa took action to remotely co-design the plant.
A careful analysis of the loads that the system will be able to support (a small office with computer, printer, projector, general lighting of the center, wifi connection) was then carried out but above all the loads of the transformation machinery were checked (one tomato and fruit mincing machine and a refrigerator for storage).
In addiction, in the center there is already a well powered by a solar pump. Before building a new system, we wanted to understand if the old system could be integrated into the new installation. To do this, it was necessary to evaluate the energy produced by the current solar panels, that consumed by the pump, the needs and water consumption of the center (animals, gardens, etc.) and the power of the well pump.
In short, a demanding job that will however be very important for the development of the processing center and will give a great help to the Union of producers of Loumbila NANGLOBZANGA in the production of delicious tomato sauces and organic fruit jams!
