The last episode of Jelajah Meratus told the story of how renewable energy illuminated Juhu Village, the highest in South Kalimantan.
Girls and Women in Renewable Energy Academy (GAWIREA) initiated the installation of a solar power plant (PLTS) there. They have the potential to combine it with the hydroelectric power plant (PLTMH) that previously operated in Juhu. If realized, it will be the first hybrid in South Kalimantan.
This type of system is not new in Indonesia. The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), they say, has developed a hybrid PLTS–PLTMH system to combine the characteristics of the two energy sources. When the water flow decreases during the dry season, solar energy can help support the electricity supply, and vice versa. For Juhu Village, this concept is important to meet the electricity needs of the community who live far from the power grid.
GAWIREA previously estimated that the Juhu PLTMH could generate about 16 kilowatts. In the simulation, the addition of their PLTS is estimated to be able to generate about 21.4 kilowatts. Combining both results in a potential power of about 38 kilowatts.
Juhu Village, Meratus Mountains, South Kalimantan (Kalsel), was lively and the residents applauded as the electricity was turned back on in their village. At the end of July, Andi Rosita Dewi, Founder & CEO of Girls and Women in Renewable Energy Academy (GAWIREA), turned on a 500-watt power station in RT1 and RT2 of the highest village in Kalsel.
However, the electricity went out again 5 minutes later. Ita, her nickname, intentionally did this because she was worried that some residents were still using generators. If both supplied electricity at the same time, the incoming voltage could clash, disrupt the electrical system in all houses, and pose a fire risk.
She only turned on the electricity in the Pinan House, where we were staying in Juhu Village. In one minute, the sockets on the electrical terminal became a target. Charging cables, mostly for cell phones and power banks, filled the device.
That night, the residents came to welcome us who arrived from outside the area. They were curious about what the team would do.
It turned out that the residents of the village, which is at an altitude of 520 meters above sea level, are familiar with various electronic devices that require electricity, while the available power supply is still very limited.
When they need electricity, generators are the mainstay. The cost of fuel in Juhu is much higher. Alliyudin, a village resident, said that the price of gasoline can reach IDR 35,000 per liter, including side oil mixture.
This phenomenon is similar to basic necessities. The residents bring all their goods from Hinas Kiri, the last point accessible by motor vehicles. From there, they carry their goods on foot for two days. Ordinary porters charge IDR 25,000 per kilogram per trip.
The high cost of bringing electricity forces some less fortunate residents to rely on damar tree resin for lighting. However, the light is limited, both in range and burning time.
Education on clean energy
Although not fully recovered after their stamina was depleted during the journey, Yuansen Tio, a student of Development Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business, along with his lecturer, Ayyub Muhajid, and Ita, hurried to Juhu State Elementary School the next morning. There, they provided education to the children from an early age about the importance of clean energy and maintaining nature so that it remains sustainable.
Ayyub explained the importance of clean energy which can provide a long life for the children. He said that clean energy provides development impact that maximizes resource efficiency and minimizes waste.
"This is called a circular economy that preserves nature."
This circular economy, he said, is to maintain and restore the natural system that is constantly eroded. This concept eliminates and minimizes waste production so that it can recycle products and systems from the beginning to avoid generating waste.
"This will have a big impact on the children who hold the torch of development."
When the event at school was over, in the afternoon, the team invited the residents of Juhu Village to jointly formulate their needs and hopes if electricity were truly available in the village. This meeting also became a space for the residents to discuss the management and utilization of clean energy according to community needs.
Interestingly, the participants were predominantly women, from young to old. They gathered at the customary school to express their opinions and determine the energy needs for daily life.
Ita said that the involvement of women is not just as participants. In managing clean energy in Juhu Village, like other GAWIREA programs in some areas, they urged women to play a role in determining the needs, use, and decision-making regarding energy. Meanwhile, men, based on mutual agreement, should only participate if there are certain tasks that women cannot do.
Initially, the plan was for two consultations, namely a joint consultation with all residents and the formation of women's groups. However, the limited time and sudden notice prevented all residents from gathering, which resulted in more women attending the meeting.
According to her, women became an important group because they are the ones who feel the burden of the absence of electricity in their daily lives the most. From preparing fire for cooking, collecting firewood, to managing family needs in the dark.
"Women are the most disadvantaged by the lack of electricity and are the most affected by their work. For example, they have to cook, light fires, collect firewood, and all sorts of things."
In the meeting, the team not only asked about electricity needs but also explored the experiences and concerns of women during life without adequate energy access. The residents compiled a "tree of hopes" to illustrate what they would like to do if renewable energy were available in Juhu.
There was also a "tree of concerns" which served as a space for them to express things that have been uncomfortable or worrying them. For example, the fear of going out of the house in the dark, the difficulty of preparing food in the early morning, and the hardship of caring for sick children at night.
After that, they compiled a "tree of priorities". From here, the women of Juhu determined what needs would be a priority if electricity were available.
"Their hope is that clean energy not only lights up the houses but truly reduces the burden of domestic work that they have been bearing."
The team also mapped the "life hours" of the women of Juhu. The results showed the length of time they spent on household chores every day.
They learned that the women of Juhu wake up at 3:00 or 4:00 AM. They wake up to prepare fires, have breakfast, eat, and all sorts of domestic matters.
"They also sleep latest, around 9 or 11 PM, after the children and family sleep. They still have to finish things after cooking or dinner."
Community Energy
Juhu Village once had a Micro-hydro Power Plant (PLTMH). Jina, one of the managers, said that the community previously relied on the electricity from the water flow for lighting. However, it no longer functions after several breakdowns due to floods.
The PLTMH development was self-initiated by involving the consensus of the youth of the customary community. This community energy ended in 2022-2023 and generated about 4,000 watts of electricity. Although small in capacity, the PLTMH electricity helped meet the basic needs of the residents in several RTs.
However, the strong water flow during repeated floods damaged the buildings and facilities of the PLTMH.
"The community awareness was also lacking to pay the maintenance fees; some paid, some did not. But all residents still received electricity," said Jina.
This condition made repair costs limited, and the community also needed the technical skills to handle equipment damage independently. This issue, they said, shows that energy development in customary areas is not just about installing power plants.
The system must also be in accordance with the local natural conditions, as well as the community's ability to operate, maintain, and repair it.
She hoped that the development of energy in Juhu in the future would not only be oriented towards infrastructure development but also strengthening the capacity of the residents as managers.
"If something breaks, the community here must be able to fix it themselves. So it is not just built, but there are people who can manage it."
The first hybrid in Kalsel?
Seeing the potential of the PLTMH that was previously built in Juhu, Ita plans to redesign the technical system of the power plant so that it can be combined with the Solar Power Plant (PLTS).
This concept, they say, will combine two renewable energy sources—water and sun—in one hybrid power plant system.
This type of system is not new in Indonesia. The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), they say, has developed a hybrid PLTS–PLTMH system to combine the characteristics of the two energy sources.
When the water flow decreases during the dry season, solar energy can help support the electricity supply, and vice versa. For Juhu Village, this concept is important to meet the electricity needs of the community who live far from the power grid.
GAWIREA previously estimated that the Juhu PLTMH could generate about 16 kilowatts. In the simulation, the addition of their PLTS is estimated to be able to generate about 21.4 kilowatts. Combining both results in a potential power of about 38 kilowatts.
If achieved, Ita says Juhu has the potential to be one of the first examples of PLTMH–PLTS off-grid development in Kalsel.
For her, the electricity issue in Juhu is not just about building a power plant. It concerns the basic right of the community to access energy.
"The hope is that Juhu Village will truly get its basic rights as human beings and citizens to access energy, because energy is a basic right."
The existence of a community that still struggles to get electricity access shows that energy development has not yet reached remote areas.
"There are communities in Meratus that still do not have electricity access. The state should be present. Because, as far as I know, Juhu under Mount Meratus is still part of Indonesia, still on the map." (End)
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