This groovy smart-card is the new, breakthrough way to sell power in poorer markets. They've adopted the cell phone "pay as you go" model. You simply load up the balance on your card at any of numerous pay points around town, then insert your card into your meter to receive credit. There are many smart protections and customer service options built into the card and meter. It's a pretty slick system really. Once it's installed...This has further whet my appetite for innovative, enabling info tech aimed at the Burro market opportunity. We'll be evaluating optimal Stage 2 tech requirements as soon as we start to see viable demand for the core offering.
2 comments:
Do you really need electricity to charge batteries? A bicycle with a generator would also work.
Congratulations on getting going!
Sure. I'm also told that enough monkeys can write Shakespeare :-).
At capacity, we think a typical Burro depot servicing a major town and surrounding rural area will be using nearly 1000 kWH per month. Not industrial-sized amounts to be sure, but...
One pedal-power souce suggests that a well-conditioned adult can output 100 watts for as long as they could handle a strenuous bike ride. Call it ten hours now that Lance has come out of retirement. This gives us about one kilowatt hour per person per work day.
If we could find about 40 Armstrongs (80 legs strong), then we'd be getting into the ballpark of meeting our needs with pedal power.
Don't get me wrong, these systems have a role to play, but they'll never out-perform the Akosombo dam for cost-effective production of electricity for a commercial operation. I remain convinced that, near-term, we can get more power to the people more efficiently than setting up generating capability in every hamlet.
Ahh, Electric Company of Ghana is looking better by the day...
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