Solar Overview

Our solar solution consists of 3 parts:

1. Generation

Depending on the consumption, different sizes and numbers of solar panels are installed on a metal frame which is then connected to the roof of the buildings. The wire are combined and connected to the devices in the kiosk

2. Storage and Control

To prevent power shortages and access to electricity at night, big storage batteries are installed, that are charged during sunshine. To manage the power flow we use a charge controller that is connected between the solar panels and the storage battery as well as an inverter. The inverter enables the system to use all kind of low power devices in the kiosk.

3. Distribution

Small battery boxes are used to make the electricity "portable". Locals can then sign up to our renting scheme to use the boxes and exchange them for a small fee back at the kiosk once empty. The fee is calculated to make it affordable on one hand but also cover the costs for equipment maintenance and salaries. A shopkeeper is hired that maintains the electrical system, recharges the batteries and deals with customer affairs.

Solar

Minazi, Gakenke, Rwanda 2009

The first e.quinox solar Energy Kiosk was implemented in the Minazi sector of Rwanda in 2009. Overlooking the beautiful mountains of Rwanda, the Energy Kiosk is supplying electricity for 100 households in a remote region that will not receive a grid connection for many years to come.
The kiosk has 9 panels, with a peak power of 570W. Initially the kiosk operated purely on a pay-per-recharge system. With the introduction of a new generation of battery boxes in 2010 a separate business model based on a monthly charge was implemented in conjunction with the old system. The kiosk output was changed from DC to the more standard AC system, which, among other things, allows the kiosk to offer mobile phone charging. As the climate of Minazi is relatively wet, storage batteries were added for more technical charging stability. To further benefit the community, the roof of the building is used to collect free water for villagers.

Batima – Bugesera, Rwanda

The Energy Kiosk in Batima is e.quinox’s second solar-powered kiosk in rural Rwanda and has been in operation since September 2010. Batima is a village of about 500 houses a two-hour drive towards the Rwandan border with Burundi and 15km off the main road. There are no plans by the government to extend the gridline towards this area such that our Energy Kiosk will serve as the only source of electricity for some time to come. Most recently, following customer feedback, this project has seen an increase in the local involvement as well as the introduction of new battery boxes. The management of the Energy Kiosk was handed over to the local Sector officials in September 2011, allowing the population to directly benefit from the kiosk’s profits.

Kavure – Bugesera, Rwanda

With a distance of about 14 kilometers to our Energy Kiosk in Batima, this is our second project in the District of Bugesera in local Rwanda and our third solar-powered Energy Kiosk overall. Built in collaboration with the UN-habitat, the kiosk is set in a village of 50 households belonging to Rwandan genocide returnees from Tanzania. In total, our kiosk has the potential to supply 100 households with safe access to electricity and lighting, therefore also including Rutete, a refugee village built very nearby by the Red Cross. The Kavure project was initiated in late 2010 and implemented in September 2011 following a thorough development of the underlying technical and business solution.

On the technical side, six solar panels of a power of 120W each were installed on the roof of what was previously the village’s storage room for various materials. Three panels each charge two large storage batteries through a system of charge controllers and inverters.

From a business perspective, a pay-per-recharge model has been determined to be the most feasible solution, as the local community consists mostly of farmers who earn wages on a day-to-day basis. As the next mobile phone charging station is in Batima, a two-hour walk from Kavure, an additional mobile phone charging service has also been established in the kiosk. A customer survey was conducted before implementation and its results used to determine all fees as well as to establish a baseline for current energy usage.

Grid

Gihara – Kamonyi, Rwanda

In September 2010, e.quinox opened its first and so far only grid-powered kiosk in Gihara, District of Kamonyi. The main motivation behind this is that even though electricity is available nearby, most people are still not able to gain access to it due to the high initial cost of connecting the house to the grid as well as the relatively large recurring costs. Just like in Batima, this kiosk has recently seen an increase in the local involvement through a handover to the local cooperative. This move will highly improve direct customer care, a point raised by locals during a customer survey in September 2011.

The village itself is only a 40-hour drive away from Kigali, situated on the crest of a hill about 5km off the main road. Located near the village’s central square, the Energy Kiosk with a total of 70 battery boxes is easily accessible to about 500 households. Since the introduction of new, modified battery boxes this year, customer demand has been quickly picking up.

The business model revolves around pay-per-recharge, with customers also having the option to charge their mobile phones at the kiosk.

Stand-Alone

The stand-alone solution is an entirely new project endeavoured to be implemented in rural Rwanda by September 2012. Local businesses near our current Energy Kiosks are to be supplied with a small solar panel and battery box each, such that they do no longer have to walk to the kiosk to recharge their batteries. Different solar size panels are envisioned to give businesses the flexibility to meet their exact energy demands. In January 2012, a survey of potential customers is to establish their current energy usage as well as set the baseline for e.quinox’s refinement of the technical solution and business model. This project is funded through the Team Total Sky Grant, an award which e.quinox secured in early 2011.

Hydro Kiosk

For a while e.quinox has been hoping to branch into more types of renewable energy, and now plans are in place to implement a hydro-powered kiosk in September 2012 in collaboration with Dartmouth University. The team has received permission from the Ministry of Infrastructure to go ahead with the project on the Rugaragara River in the Nuruguru district. The river has an available power of 12.5kW, of which approximately 1kW will be utilised in order to provide batteries for 200 households.

The technical development of the hydro-power kiosk will be a main focus of e.quinox and Dartmouth University in the coming year, as locations and specifications must be fully defined. The construction will consist of an intake to divert the 10L/s from the river to a channel, which directs the flow to a settling tank and penstock. The kiosk will be located at the bottom the penstock, and to here the customers from nearby villages will be able to walk to pick up batteries.

Box Overview

The battery box provides an alternative method for distribution of electrical power. This approach allows for a centralized power production facility, thereby. The de-centralized consumption of power using the boxes reduces significantly the infrastructure cost associated with a conventional grid.

First Generation 2009

Our first battery box offered 12V DC to run appliances such as light bulbs, radios and mobile telephones. However, during our implementation phase in September 2009 we notices that interfacing some of the appliances proved to be very difficult. We noticed that 12 V DC with our specialized plug proved to not allow the degree of flexibility conventional grid offers. It is important to remember that the target market are people that earn least in the world and their expected load profile can be estimated to be 40Wpeak.

Second Generation 2010

To extend the variety of appliances that can be used with the box, an inverter was integrated. Having a standard 230V AC plug allowed our customers to use AC lighting as well as all other standard low power appliances. The second generation box was decreased in size and weight to increase handiness.

Third Generation 2011

Problems concerning the inverter and the AC lighting in the second generation lead to a third box that combines the advantages of the previous models and minimises the weaknesses. Returning to the DC lighting uses less energy and the inverter is switched on only if needed.

Tanzania Tujifunze

In corporation with the Tujifunze Project, a small team of e.quinox went to Tanzania to install an energy kiosk there.

Founded in Canada, the Tujifunze projects aim is to build a small nursery school in Mwanza, which lies on the southern coast of Lake victoria. Our energy kiosk should not only provide the classrooms and teacher's accommodation with electricity but ideally generate enough revenue to pay the shopkeeper and the two teachers.

New to this project were the electrical installations for lights and power power sockets around the site. Part of the team arrived in mid August to get started with the electrical wiring. Due to shipment problems, the container with our equipment arrived about one month after schedule. Hence we had to prepare the work as good as possible to finish on time. In the end the goods arrived four days before we left and we could already make great use of our battery box lights as adding some night shifts was inevitable.

For equinox this is the largest system with around one kilowatt of power output (8 x 120 W solar panels). This design should provide power for two classrooms, two offices, accommodation for three people as well as recharge the battery boxes for the energy kiosk. Though it cannot support any high power devices, such as a kettles, as the power inverters (that convert the energy stored in the batteries to supply the mains) have an output of 750W.

Opening the kiosk was a big success and there seems to be a huge need for lights in the area south of Lake Victoria. Within two days our shopkeeper Zackarias signed up about 50 customers.