Hope Integrated Academy Secondary School Ketume
This was our first project in 2009 and first trip to Uganda. With two mentors and six students we assembled 15 rooftop solar panels at 180 watts each, two charge controllers, 10 200 amp hour sealed lead acid deep discharge batteries and one 6 kW inverter to supply the computer rooms, lights, and office equipment for the school.
We also began a partnership with the Uganda Rural Fund as our NGO for our work at the school. We lived at the school for the two weeks and had a real experience of what life in rural southern Uganda.
As the facility grew it was evident that more solar storage was needed because of the significant number of outages and the increase in the number of students. We returned to Hope in 2014 to add a second system with 9 – 200 watt solar panels, one charge controller and one 2.5 kVA inverter and installed it in the staff building storage room.
The system for the school and the added system for the staff provided enough support to allow the school to continue to grow and still meet the required power during the outages as well as reducing the Uganda Power bill for the school.
Design and Build the Solar Welding System
The final project was to design a solar welder that could be used at the school to construct windows, doors, and other metal work. The concept was to use the welder as a cost reduction for future construction of buildings and to begin a technical welding class for the Secondary School for students that did not want to proceed to a higher educational level. The school located a local welder that could teach the class and the welding transformer was purchased. The pics below are the solar panel installation, the solar welder supply and the local welder preparing for teaching the students.
To supply the welder a set of 10 200 amp hour batteries were used with the 6 kW inverter from the school system. A new matching 2.5 kW inverter was used to replace the schools system with a new set of four 200 amp hour batteries that could supply the schools needs. These two systems were installed in 2016.
The Nazareth Orphanage
Initial Solar Storage System in 2011
Our team had a new challenge in 2011 to install 9 solar panels on the peak of a tall roof at the Nazareth orphanage. We did not have access to the roof from the back where the panels were being added so we had to build a roof ladder and walk the front roof and work on the top of the back side of the roof. Our careful planning of the fall protection system was essential to making this a safe project.
We had to protect the work area from the curious children to keep them safe while we were there working and this took coordination on the ground and a construction fence around the work areas. It all worked out and we had a safe install for the panels.
We then tied the solar storage system to charge controllers, inverters, and batteries. The resulting system was able to supply the orphanage during the times when the utility outages occurred and when used during the day would significantly reduce the cost of the purchased electricity.
Second System for Nazareth Orphanage in 2018
As the number of orphans grew to more than 40 the electrical needs of the Nazareth Orphanage also grew. A second system was added in 2018 and the batteries were replaced for the first system. This will make the battery life double and allow for more savings for the Orphanage electric bill and cover the additional load for new residents.
New Solar Panels 
Our Virginia Tech Team
The orphanage is now 100 % solar storage powered. The two systems are in an enclosed room safe from the curious hands of the young orphans. The installation, testing and training on the new system took less than two weeks and went very smoothly. The additional four 300 watt panels were installed on the second building for the girls dormitory.
St Joseph’s School in Villa Maria
Initial Installation in 2013
This was our third installation in Uganda. It was unique because there were no places for our team to stay except at the home of a friend of the URF located about a 1 mile hike from the school. Our hosts had no electricity but made up for it by taking us in and treating us like their family. It was a wonderful stay and we were able to get a true experience of life in rural Uganda.
Each work day we would hike the mile to the school with our backpacks and begin our work. Our project was to provide electricity for the girls study building during outages and to reduce the electricity costs for the school. We added 12 -200 watt solar panels, two charge controllers, two 1.5 kW inverters and 8 – 200 amp hour sealed lead acid batteries in a battery box outside the inverter room. The project was completed in two weeks.
Inverter and Charge Controllers 
Storage Batteries and Box
Second Installation in 2017
Our team returned for a second installation at St Joseph’s in 2017 to add a similar solar storage system to the boys study area. This completed the powering of all of the critical systems for the school. We returned once again to our friends house with no electricity and made our hikes to the school daily.
Install second group of solar panels 
Install inverters and charge controllers
The second installation went very well and was completed in approximately one week. We added 8 – 300 watt solar panels, two charge controllers, two 2.5 kW inverters and 8 – 200 amp hour GEL sealed batteries for the new study area and classrooms.
Planning for the School at St Michaels
In 2018 the team did an assessment trip to a new school, St Michaels which has no access to electric power. Since the team visited they have replaced an old wooden classroom building with a new concrete foundation building with brick walls.
First Classroom Bldg 
Building being replaced 
St Michaels School
We are putting together the plan to return to this school and add the first project on solar storage. The planning is underway using a combination of effort at Central Virginia Professional Chapter and the Virginia Tech Student Chapter. We hope to travel to Uganda in August of this year to continue our work.
New Water Project for Hope Primary School
Our professional Chapter is also working with Hope School to provide water catchment for the new primary school complex which is being completed this year. The Central Virginia Professional chapter will take the lead on this one and bring in the Virginia Tech Chapter to complete the work .
