The CBRES concept was established by the SIBAT Network back in 1994, and had been sustained up to the present, joined by other NGOs in the country. SIBAT had taken lead in developing its method and content on the ground, and was able to establish community-based systems — wind microhydro, solar and wind technologies – in rural off-grid communities.
CBRES are small, decentralized energy supply systems that are established through multi-stakeholder efforts with the major participation of organized communities in projects development. The local organizations own, manage and sustain the systems, which do not only provide lighting to households, but also provide the energy for food and crop processing and livelihood needs for rural households. The CBRES communities are organized through their people’s organizations (POs), who collectively harness their local resources, cooperating to implement the technology, and actively operating and managing the system to support their primary needs. A local NGO acts as local facilitator during and after the project’s establishment. The local government unit (LGU), as the local authority mobilizes additional support to the project and to the project through local administration.
SIBAT’s expertise on CBRES is wide in range – from technical designing, advisory and supervision to organizational and management advisory in post-installation phases.
The establishment of the CREATech as CBRES resource center for advisory, information, demonstration and training will consolidate these capabilities and allow these to be better accessed by potential proponents of CBRES projects.