Introduction
The rapidly evolving world that we live in requires minds that can innovate and come up with creative solutions to the problems that we face. Businesses in particular are at a time where fast innovation is a key ingredient to survival and growth. The problems faced by modern societies also seek innovative solutions that are cost effective, life changing and efficient. Innovation is defined as the creation of a new product that is set to change the way individuals in business, schools, government and other social structures do things.
Innovation
For this project, I came up with an innovation that could potentially change the lives of individuals in many parts of the world, more so in developing nations. Electricity as a source of energy is one of the most basic needs of individuals. It is a source of light, warmth and energy that can be used to cook and numerous other jobs around the house. However, this important source of energy is however not accessible to over a billion homes around the world. These homes are still reliant on traditional sources of energy such as firewood, petroleum based substitutes and sunlight (Cheshire, 2007).
According to Glover (2002), Africa accounts for more than half of the energy poverty, with more than 550 million homes living in the dark. In response to this problem, I have devised a small solar powered lamp that can cater to the lighting needs of poor families in Africa. The lamp is a next level innovation that uses amorphous silicon cells to absorb sunlight and convert it into solar energy. Amorphous silicon cell technology is a step ahead of the traditional single crystal and multi crystal silicon cells that were used to power homes. Amorphous silicon cell technology was developed due to the need to create cost effective solutions. The solar panels are easy to install and maintain since the silicon cells are deposited on a sheet of stainless steel (Benduhn, 2009).
The solar powered lamp, christened ‘Mwangaza Fiti’ lamp which is Swahili for ‘Better Light’, is an innovation that will change the lives of a lot of people in rural parts of Africa. Mwangaza Fiti lamp depends on amorphous silicon cell technology which is cheap, hardy and durable to cater for the lighting needs of millions of individuals. The innovation in this case is not the amorphous silicon cell, but rather the design of the lamp. The lantern has a small six inch by six inch solar panel attached with a rod to a power convertor and battery that stores energy. The lamp then makes use of a small five LED bulb that will adequately cater for the lighting needs of families in rural areas.
Needs met by the Innovation
The need for Mwangaza Fiti lamps was inspired by a story I heard on the news relating to the energy poverty in Africa. According to the story, nearly half a billion people in Africa live without electricity. In a continent of such great potential, only twenty two percent of the population is connected to the national grid that serves the power needs. This is against a background of information regarding the excellent positioning of the continent along the equator, which assures residents of excellent sunlight throughout the day. Africa has been lagging behind in terms of development due to its poor access to resources and technologies such as electricity. Solar powered lanterns are a great idea for providing energy in the continent.
Kerosene lamps are the primary mode of lighting in many parts of rural Africa. The World Health organization is concerned that this is a retrogressive method that exposes millions of families to health problems (Cheshire, 2007). Kerosene is a highly flammable component of crude oil that produces a low intensity, smoky flame. Kerosene lamps have been attributed to more than two hundred thousand fatalities annually, with women and children from poor households making up the bulk of the victims. According to a study conducted at the Berkeley Laboratory in University of California, a single kerosene lamp burning for an average of four hours per day produces over two hundred pounds of carbon dioxide annually (Benduhn, 2009). This results in heavy air pollution that may lead to respiratory ailments such as asthma and bronchitis. Indoor air pollution and the low intensity light from kerosene lanterns have also been blamed for eye problems and a myriad of other problems.
Impact of the Innovation
The Mwangaza Fiti lamp is a sustainable, cost effective solution to the mentioned problems. An initial feasibility study revealed that African countries receive an average of five to seven hours of peak sunshine every day with average daily insolation of 4-6kWh/m2 (Morgan, 2008). This refers to the number of hours per day when solar irradiance averages 1,000 W/m2. Of this energy, only a meager ten percent can be captured by the traditional crystalline solar panels. However, the new technology, amorphous silicon cells, can capture up to thirty percent of the daily insolation, thus resulting in a faster charging process under dire conditions of even lower sunlight (Morgan, 2008). The Mwangaza Fiti lamp is ideally made for the African challenges and is hardy, portable and cost effective.
A fundamental question in the development of The Mwangaza Fiti lamp is whether African families living in poor conditions of dire need would be able to afford the small amounts required for the lamp. A survey indicates that the small amounts paid for kerosene and other alternative forms of lighting cumulatively exceed the cost of a solar powered lantern in two months. However, the difficult task is explaining this logic to illiterate, uneducated residents who have little or no savings. The cost of producing a single lamp averages twenty five dollars but this could be a hefty payment for families that live below the dollar per day poverty line. The secret to the success of this program is pegged on the ability of residents to purchase lanterns in bulk. The cost of lanterns is progressively lower for bulk purchases, with twenty or more lamps costing fifteen dollars.
Implementation of the Project
The implementation of this project is heavily reliant on the goodwill of residents, donors, governments and other microenvironment organizations. Information regarding the benefits and opportunities provided by using Mwangaza Fiti lamps is to be disseminated through a variety of channels such as local media, church organizations, non-governmental forums, schools and other relevant platforms. Schools make for an important part of the dissemination channel due to their intimate position in the African societies. They are perceived as a source of information and edification not only regarding matters education, but also about societal issues. School heads in particular are expected to play a major role in convincing the parents of school going children to purchase Mwangaza Fiti lanterns. School grounds and churches are expected to be used as forums for discussion regarding the life changing benefits of adopting solar power as opposed to the traditional sources of energy.
Rotating saving and credit associations (ROSCAS) are also expected to play a major role in dissemination of Mwangaza Fiti lamps. In my feasibility study, I learnt that many parts of rural Africa do not have access to formal banking and financial institutions (Solway, 2008). This impedes the chances for poor individuals in society to save or accumulate funds, thus contributing to the high subsistence environment experienced in Africa. However, ROSCAS provide an important saving and credit platform that would allow residents to purchase solar powered lanterns in bulk. An additional importance of ROSCAS to the informal financial environment experienced in Africa is its ability to provide guarantees for deferred payment plans. Non-governmental organizations and faith based organizations also play a major role in providing information to residents and subsidizing the cost of lamps for local communities.
Effectiveness of the project
The effectiveness of this program is to be measured using a cross sectional analysis of the population variables before and after implementation of the program. The set objectives are to provide an alternative means of lighting for poor families that will in turn improve the opportunities for school children and reduce the ailments associated with retrogressive forms of energy. Thus, one way to measure the effectiveness is to evaluate the performance of school children after receiving Mwangaza Fiti lanterns and the impact on health of the community.
One of the main problems that is to be addressed through provision of Mwangaza Fiti lanterns is the number of children who cannot access educational materials due to lack of lighting. In most families in rural Africa, edification grinds to a halt with the onset of night. This means that some students fail to do their homework and educational assignments, which may lead to poor performance in school. The effectiveness and impact of Mwangaza Fiti lanterns will be measured by studying the changes in student performance after introduction of lanterns in their homes.
The other evaluation variable is the impact of Mwangaza Fiti lanterns on health, specifically respiratory health and eye ailments. It has been established that the regular use of kerosene lamps, as is the case in most parts of rural Africa, is a major source of unseen fatalities due to lamp accidents, respiratory ailments such as asthma, colds and bronchitis as well as eye problems. The effectiveness of Mwangaza Fiti lanterns will be measured by evaluating the changes experienced in the health of individuals after introduction of the lamps. It is expected that the number of respiratory diseases will reduce drastically due to introduction of smokeless alternatives of energy. Other variables that may be used include; the improvement in standards of lives of residents who adopt the new technology, permeation of information through electrical means such as radios, television and internet, and the overall happiness of families that use the device.
Reflections
The Mwangaza Fiti innovation process has opened my mind to a couple of thoughts. First, I realized the extreme importance of involving the targeted users of an invention in its development. The product had to be designed to specifically fit the needs of rural African communities. To achieve this, a survey had to be conducted evaluating the environment, the perceptions of society on alternative energy sources and the available institutions that would readily support the mission.
I also learnt that project implementation is a hefty, time consuming and expensive process that may be a drag on initial performance. To successfully conduct a project that will change the lives of a community, a lot of resources in terms of time, training, user support, monitoring, coaching and post implementation evaluation must be provided.
References
Ardley, N. (1991). The Science Book of Electricity. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
Brubaker, K. & Meisel, P. (2003). Energy Makes Things Happen. New York: HarperCollins
Benduhn, T. (2009). Energy for Today: Ethanol and Other New Fuels. Pleasantville, NY: Weekly Reader Pub
Bishop, A. (2009). Energy Conservation (Saving Our World). Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark
Cheshire, G. (2007). Energy and Matter. North Mankato, Minn.: Smart Apple Media
Glover, D. (2002). Batteries, Bulbs, and Wires. New York: Kingfisher
Morgan, S. (2008). Energy. Chicago, IL: Heinemann Library
Solway, A. (2008). Exploring Energy (Exploring Physical Science). New York: Rosen Central
