UK’s next generation utility, BBOXX, has unveiled pay-as-you-go (PAYG) solar systems in towns and cities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The company collaborated with manufacturer of components for solar energy systems, Victron Energy, on this venture.
A joint press statement indicated that this collaboration aims to also serve the energy needs of urban areas of the DRC, providing SMEs such as grocery stores, restaurants and micro-processors, with productive power solutions of up to 5.0kW.
Mansoor Hamayun, chief executive officer of BBOXX, said: “We are already making an impact in rural DRC with our smart solar systems, providing an on-grid experience in an off-grid setting. There is still a significant need for reliable energy in urban areas and we believe that this collaboration will help deliver a sustainable solution for consumers and businesses alike in towns and cities in the DRC.”
The energy company has so far launched operations in Goma, eastern DRC – a region with a population of over 1.5 million, and where blackouts commonly exceed five hours daily.
These solar energy solutions will eliminate the time wasted by businesses on solving disruption to energy supply due to frequent power cuts, thereby improving productivity and giving businesses reliable power necessary to scale up.
It also increases access to affordable and clean energy, reducing reliance on diesel generators. Read more…
PAYG model
The collaboration will see large solar solutions deployed on BBOXX’s PAYG model, utilising Victron energy components.
Significantly, these systems will be linked to BBOXX’s Pulse platform.
Matthijs Vade, managing director of Victron Energy said: “The combination of our MPPT solar chargers and pure sine inverters generates enough to power productive loads such as refrigeration or agricultural machinery. It also addresses the demand from the urban and peri-urban households with higher energy needs but unreliable grid supply.
“As an innovative technology manufacturer we have developed technical features particularly beneficial for pay-as-you-go systems – including remote monitoring access, smart battery management and overload protections – which link up effectively with BBOXX software solutions.”
