Kent Islander’s trip to Nepal brings power to remote area
Alexa Diakoulas has visited some 20 countries in her 26 years, but her latest trip could be the most memorable. She changed the lives of a village full of people in Nepal — and her own as well.
The Kent Island resident recently joined a team of fellow SolarCity employees in installing solar panels on a schoolhouse in a remote region of the Himalayan nation.
“It is incredible how a little power can have such a huge impact on people’s lives,” Diakoulas said.
She watched as the children of Koilahi, near the Indian border, saw their first computer light up moments after the power came on.
“With my hand over his, I helped a young boy use a computer for the very first time in his life,” said Diakoulas, adding that he was the first in his village to ever do so. “My heart was full.”
The trip was arranged by SolarCity’s Give Power Foundation, which has carried out about 1,500 similar projects in schools around the globe. The California-based Solar City installs and finances solar power systems for domestic residential and commerical users. For each megawatt of residential power the company installs, it funds another project. The foundation also accepts donations.
Diakoulas said the Give Power projects attracted her to work for SolarCity in 2014.
Getting to Nepal took 25 to 30 hours of flights — Dulles to Dubai, then Dubai to Katmandu, Nepal’s capital. From there a much smaller plane took her to Dhangadhi, the largest city near the village.
“Thenit wasabusride over dirt roads for about two to three hours to Koilahi.”
She and another volunteer stayed with a family in the village, which consists of 27 adobe homes.
“The women were incredible. In no time it was like we had four new mothers. We could not talk to each other but communicated through sign and body language.”
The 12 SolarCity volunteers were joined by others from partner organizations. Over a few days, they installed 21 solar panels generating 4.1 kilowatts, attached a battery array and wired the school.
The power now runs lights, fans and a computer. It also powers a small pump that will irrigate a vegetable garden behind the school.
The panels on the school roof — unlike those on most residential roofs in the U.S. — are on a rack mount that angles them toward the sun.
To store the energy, the system was wired to an array of about 18 large batteries hooked together. Most domestic systems are connected to the electrical grid so excess power can be sold to the local utility.
Koilahi was no stranger to solar power — most of its homes have tiny 25-watt panels powering two or three lights.
But the whole village turned out when the time came to hit the switch at the schoolhouse.
When the big moment came a ribbon — actually red “caution” tape strung across the school’s door — was cut and people piled in.
“We hit the switch, the lights and fan cameon, then the computer,” she said. “The crowd cheered.”
Then, kneeling in front of a table with 10 boys, with others gathered round, Diakoulas took one boy’s hand and guided it over the mouse.
“We couldn’t talk to each other, I showed him by feel. I held his hand. We opened Paint [the drawing program]. The kids’ faces lit up, their jaws dropped.”