NAKHON SI THAMMARAT, 9 July 2014 – Nakhon Si Thammarat’s chief of the energy office Surachate Horadee this week presided over the opening ceremony of Kiriwong water turbine village at Baan Kiriwong tourist information center, Lanska district, Nakhon Si Thammarat. The water turbine was designed by King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi Chancellor, Ast. Prf. Dr. Sakkarin Phoonrat and the local people in Kiriwong village to generate a small amount of power as a source of renewable energy as well as to promote the more widespread generation of clean energy in the country.
After the opening ceremony, the team went to observe the operation of an electricity supply coming from water powered generating turbines, connected to the homes of local people. There are now thirteen water turbines set up in local houses with a capacity to generate enough power for general usage in a household such as cooking and TV viewing and for agricultural purposes in maintaining fruit gardens. The cost of a water turbine setup is 15,000 baht. Therefore, by using water turbines, residents can utilize the resources available in their community for renewable and eco-friendly energy generation and save on normal cost.
Mr. Surachate said that the office of energy has supported communities with the potential to generate renewable and clean forms of energy by themselves to save money. Not only water turbines are supported, as biogas and solar cell technology are also encouraged, in any community with a suitable environment.
