Date: December 2022
Location: Trincomalee District, Sri Lanka
Overview
To bridge the digital divide in the Eastern Province, MPF partnered with three under-resourced rural schools in Trincomalee to deliver turnkey, solar-powered e-learning hubs. Each hub combines off-grid power, computing hardware, satellite connectivity, and teacher training—creating sustainable, 24×7 digital classrooms.
The Challenge
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Unreliable grid power: Frequent outages (up to 8 hours/day) meant computer labs were often dark.
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No broadband infrastructure: Schools relied on slow, spotty mobile data or had no internet at all.
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Digital skills gap: Teachers had minimal experience integrating technology into lessons.
Our Approach
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Renewable Energy System Design
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Engineered a 10 kW rooftop solar PV array with a 48 kWh battery bank per site.
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Sized for 6 hours of continuous lab use even on cloudy days.
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Hardware & Connectivity
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Supplied 30 rugged, energy-efficient laptops and low-power LED projectors per hub.
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Installed VSAT terminals for reliable 24×7 internet, with a managed bandwidth-shaping service.
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Capacity Building & Support
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Ran intensive, two-week “Digital Teaching” workshops for 45 educators across the three schools.
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Established a remote-monitoring dashboard so MPF engineers can pre-emptively troubleshoot PV or network issues.
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Implementation Highlights
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6-week turnkey deployment, from civil works to final commissioning.
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Local technician training: Each school appointed two “green-tech stewards” to handle routine maintenance.
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Custom offline content library: Preloaded curricula, Khan Academy modules, and local language tutorials.
Results
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1,200+ students now enjoy daily, uninterrupted computer lab access.
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98% system uptime in the first six months.
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Teacher confidence in using digital tools jumped 90% (pre/post workshop survey).
“Even during power cuts, our classes continue—students now explore the world through technology.”
— Principal, Trincomalee Central College