A small enterprise in Nicaragua is supported by the nonprofit E+Co to install solar panels on homes, schools, and health centers.
Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Americas. In rural areas, Tecnosol improves life by providing improved lighting, access to clean water, and jobs. Tecnosol has created 55 jobs for the community.
Half of the funds go to Tecnosol to install solar panels, half goes to E+Carbon, an affiliate of the nonprofit E+Co to provide technical assistance to Tecnosol and other small renewable energy enterprises.
Light from the solar systems replaces kerosene lanterns that emit a lot of carbon for the small amount of light they provide. The offsets are independently verified and monitored by the Environmental Resources Trust (ERT). The offsets are retired in ERT’s GHG Registry.
E+Co is a not‐for‐profit US 501(c)(3) organization that invests in clean energy enterprises in developing countries with a mission to empower local small and medium enterprises that supply clean and affordable energy to households, businesses and communities in developing countries.
Tecnosol is one such local enterprise. Located in Nicaragua, Tecnosol has installed close to 20,000 solar photovoltaic electrical systems since its inception in 1998, mostly in rural homes. With the help of E+Co Tecnosol has now been able to open branch offices all over Nicaragua, and is employing at least 12 local workers. Tecnosol’s work to bring solar power to rural households throughout rural Nicaragua has lead to real and verifiable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from traditional lighting sources, such as kerosene lanterns.
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Initiation of project activity:
Tecnosol began installing PV systems in Nicaragua in 1998. ERT has verified emission reductions related to installation activities from July 2004 to December 2007.
Expected operational lifetime of this project: at least 10 years for each installation. However, the initial crediting period will be five years, to reflect the fact that some systems will not be maintained and will no longer be used when the battery fails (which commonly happens after five years) and is not replaced. When evidence is available showing that a system is being maintained, probably in the form of a battery replacement, it will be eligible for an additional crediting period of five years.
Monitoring methodology and plan:
The monitoring plan addresses how the data inputs required by the baseline model will be monitored. Tecnosol maintains records of systems which have been installed and the sizes of those systems. However, not every system that has been installed is necessarily still in operation. Batteries have a much shorter life expectancy than the solar panels, charging circuitry, and in some cases the light bulbs that make up an installation, and light bulbs and other components may simply break.
For these reasons, this protocol will assume an initial lifespan of five years per system. After that, ERT will require evidence of maintenance (i.e. purchase of new battery or light bulbs) or direct evidence that the system is still in operation. Evidence of a new battery purchase will qualify the system for an additional five years of credit, since this is generally the most expensive system component that must be regularly replaced, and it is unlikely that a new battery would be purchased if the system were no longer in operation.
On a periodic basis, Environmental Resources Trust (ERT) will conduct on site inspections of a statistically significant portion of claimed installations to verify the operational status of the systems. ERT will apply an adjustment factor to reduce subsequent crediting to reflect the observed percentage of operational systems.
Third party verification:
The role of a third party reviewer is in part determined by the reporting program or registry for which the information is intended. Entities seeking to utilize market mechanisms must meet the highest standards for verification. For the purpose of selling emission reductions in the voluntary market, third party verification activities must be sufficient to determine that emission reductions are real, surplus, and quantified within acceptable accuracy levels.
ERT conducted an initial site visit in February 2007 to gather data on installations and verify that the PV systems are installed and operational. Periodic follow‐up visits by a third party will be scheduled to assess the ongoing status of the project. Between site visits, off‐site desk reviews will be performed on an annual basis to determine the status of the project and the magnitude of emission reductions to be credited from that year. Annual verification statements will be issued as data is reviewed and verified.
The emission reductions achieved by Tecnosol will be retired in E+Co’s account in ERT’s GHG Registry in accordance with the terms of ERT’s Registry Users Agreement.
