BACAMALANG.COM – The community in the fishing village of Kondang Merak Beach faces unique challenges due to the lack of electricity supply. As a result, those living within the protected forest area have had to find their own ways to meet household electricity needs. These include using generators and exploring alternative options such as renewable energy, particularly solar power.
In reality, the power supply often does not match the load capacity required, leading to repeated damage to their electrical equipment and power sources. Even though repairs are frequently carried out, the issues remain unresolved, largely due to the poor quality of the electrical components that had already been purchased. This has left residents disheartened and distrustful of the benefits of renewable energy.
As a result, they rely daily on fuel-powered generators, which cost between IDR 40,000 to 100,000 per night depending on their needs. However, these generators can only support light electrical loads. For example, freezers used to store their fish catch cannot be operated locally, so residents often entrust the storage to relatives in nearby villages. They also have to purchase ice from other areas like Sendang Biru or search from one village shop to another.
“It all started from an innovative idea to meet the basic need of the Bina Karya Mina fishermen at Kondang Merak Beach for ice to preserve their fish catch. This led to a series of intensive discussions with close partners, including Mas Teguh Budiyanto and Om Hary from Rumah Mandiri Energi, Om Ipud Zuhri, Aral Subagyo, and others,” said Andik Syaifudin, Founder of Salam (Sahabat Alam Indonesia), on Friday (January 14, 2022).
“We discussed how to address the root of the problem, one of which is the limited availability of electricity that can support high-power equipment—especially freezers or fish cold storage units,” he added.
Solar power technology is considered both effective and efficient. The equipment used is also of good quality—not substandard. It is a renewable technology that serves as a practical example of environmentally friendly energy, offering real benefits for strengthening and developing community food security, especially in the field of capture fisheries.
“Eventually, after calculating the costs and energy needs, the project was made possible with support from our partners at the Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM), Universitas Dirgantara Marsekal Suryadarma – Jakarta. Everyone worked hand-in-hand—from preparing the location, assembling the system, to final installation—including the fishermen of Kondang Merak, Sahabat Alam Indonesia, and Rumah Mandiri Energi,” he explained.
Finally, the solar-powered freezer was successfully created.
“Awesome… and we could laugh together. The exhaustion from working overtime for days just vanished. Seeing the bags of ice from the trial run already queued up early in the morning was truly rewarding. The next challenge is to increase production capacity by boosting power,” he concluded. (had)
source: bacamalang.com
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