Novel energy solutions for sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan African countries are facing a double energy challenge: providing access to electricity for hundreds of millions of their citizens and doing this in a green and just manner.
Swansea University collaborated with MOPO to assess the demand, opportunities and challenges for MOPO's new product: a Pay-Per-Use 1KWh battery, building on the success of their 50Wh batteries. Both battery types are charged at MOPO hubs via solar PV and are rented out to customers for up to 24 hours.
Based on our research in Liberia and Sierra Leone, we established that demand for this new product is high. In particular, small businesses, such as tailoring, hairdressing and mobile phone charging shops or cold drinks sellers, expressed their interest in the product. Interestingly, demand was particularly pronounced in areas where there was already an electricity grid in place. Here businesses have invested in electric equipment but due to daily blackouts, the easy-to-rent batteries are essential for small enterprises’ income generating activities.
This work was supported through an Innovate UK Energy Catalyst grant.
For more information contact the principal investigator Prof Krijn Peters K.Peters@swansea.ac.uk