Technical Consultant at Takamoto Biogas
Terms of Reference
Objective: Improve the digester, piping and stove design and installation for Takamoto’s Biogas System.
Background: Despite attempts to bring modern energy to rural areas, widespread energy poverty persists in Kenya, where millions of people still use firewood and charcoal to cook every day.
These fuels are harmful to health, time consuming to collect and light, increasingly expensive to buy, and contribute to climate change and habitat destruction. Without access to cheap, reliable, clean and healthy energy millions of rural households remain trapped in poverty.
At Takamoto Biogas, we believe that everyone should have access to reliable, affordable and sustainable energy. We have developed a biogas model called Lease-to-Own Biogas where for a small installation fee and fixed monthly payments a farmer can own a biogas system.
The biogas is produced simply from the animal waste on their own farms. By providing financing, we allow more people to access clean energy and escape poverty than other renewable energy options.
Summary
Summary
To scale up this technology and business we require a reliable technology and efficient operations from a technical perspective.
This means reducing leaks, breaks, punctures, and other failures, improving installation practices and quality control while maintaining or reducing upfront costs and reducing repair costs.
The consultant will
- Analyze repair records kept by the operations team
- Determine the failure mechanisms
- Determine which failure mechanisms to focus on
- Develop solutions to these failure mechanisms
- Test the solutions with the installation team
- Write a brief report
This process will be repeated twice—in March and in September—to iteratively improve the biogas systems.
Qualifications
The consultant must have the following qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in Engineering
- Previous experience testing, designing and improving biogas systems
- Previous experience working and sourcing components in Kenya
- At least 5 years work experience in engineering or product design
Requirements
The consultant must meet the following requirements:
- Make him or herself available in Kenya to meet with the team on the ground, visit biogas systems and source components for 2 periods of 10 days each during the project.
- Sign a confidentiality agreement and transfer all intellectual property of the designs developed to Takamoto Biogas
- The designs and recommendations by the consultant must fit within the financial and technical requirements of Takamoto Biogas. These requirements will be discussed in detail before contracting.
Deliverables
Interim report by 1 April 2015 of recommendations for improvement of the design and installation including
- a list of parts (with supplier information) to change that will decrease breakage and decrease cost
- installation changes that will decrease breakage and decrease cost
Interim report by 1 September 2015 of recommendations for improvement of the design and installation including
- a list of parts (with supplier information) to change that will decrease breakage and decrease cost
- installation changes that will decrease breakage and decrease cost
Final report by 1 December 2015 of recommendations for improvement of the design and installation that will enable Takamoto Biogas to attain the desired financial and technical targets. This report should include estimated costs to achieve the targets.
Start and End: The project will start in March 2015 and extend until December 2015.
Budget: The consultancy budget will be Ksh 400,000 including taxes and disbursements.
Application
Please apply by January 31, 2015 through the form at takamotobiogas.com/join-us/careers
