EmPowering electricity access in off-grid areas with a portable battery pack with Internet of Things connectivity

ended

Globally, about 1.2 billion households have no access to electrical energy. Despite the lacking access to electricity, many households placed in rural off-grid areas, in e.g. Africa, possess mobile technology, e.g. smartphones, and thus have access to the Global System for Mobile communication (GSM). PP-Power has developed an innovative and portable battery pack with Internet of Things connectivity targeting these many householders living without public electricity supply, but with access to GSM communication - Peoples Portable Power Pack (4P). Our solution is based on a state-of-the-art reusable lithium ion battery embedded with our proprietary electronics and cloud-based software to enable a Pay-As-You-Go payment model, as well as secure and remote battery monitoring and control, usage data collection, and software updates. The battery pack is charged from community owned solar PV installations, offering a unique combination of quality, affordability and scalability to meet the end-user’s gradually increasing electricity demand. These benefits are complemented by a unique flexibility in terms of business models and open connection of external equipment. Hence, our solution has the potential to give individuals in rural and small communities the opportunity of growth and education, as well as a healthier and more sustainable way of life than they have today. We have already tested our solution with local end-users proving the high value of our business concept. With the current project, we aim to accelerate the maturation of our solution for broader and faster introduction in the off-grid electricity market with an initial focus on Kenya and Tanzania as our launch markets. The project will contribute to place PP-Power in a competitive position within the market and assist Europe in the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.