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e.g. “plastic pollution” to solutions… e.g. 3D Printer for recycled plastic waste…
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The 411: Successfully Funded (but still accepting $$$) - Putting E-Waste to Good Use
Found on: https://startsomegood.com/PowerWells
PowerWells
About This Project
The Problem
Access to electricity is well established within the framework of human rights, including broad consensus from states as to the desirability of eliminating energy poverty for all, but particularly for the rural poor. A reliable source of electricity provides economic and educational opportunities that over a billion people around the world are currently deprived of. Thousands of remote communities across Papua New Guinea, Papua, West Papua, the rest of Indonesia and Pacific Island countries don’t have a reliable source of electricity. It is common for these people to travel many hours to charge mobile phones and spend large portions of their incomes on kerosene, small batteries and candles.
Our Contribution to Addressing the Problem
Our approach to the problem was to design a small, off-grid energy supply system capable of delivering a basic, reliable power source. We created PowerWells – self-contained systems of solar energy production and battery storage. By using electronic-waste (e-waste) and ex-commercial solar panels, we can deliver a product much cheaper than alternatives while helping to reduce the amount of hazardous materials going into landfill.
These PowerWells will be deployed to remote communities, where they will be centrally located for residents to charge their small electronic devices, charge torches and power a light that’s big enough to light up a communal space.
Benefits
The main focus of PowerWells is to extend the productive hours of the day for increased educational and economic activity.
We will rely on people living in the countries where PowerWells will be deployed, to source local materials and construct the PowerWells. This will provide local employment opportunities and teach people the skills to make use of e-waste, starting with how to construct PowerWells (including accessories) and in the future will extend to making products such as 3D Printers.
E-waste is an increasingly large, global problem with impacts including mercury and other heavy metals getting into water and food supplies. Increases in e-waste are directly linked to the unprecedented expansion of the global middle class, who are typically heavy users of consumer electronics. It is important to keep e-waste out of landfill and there are many benefits to reusing and recycling e-waste. PowerWells has the potential to keep many tons of e-waste out of landfill.
PowerWell Capacity
Each PowerWell will be able to charge a mix of 50 small electronic devices and torches each day, then light up a medium-sized communal space for five hours each night.
PowerWells Story So Far and Into the Future
PowerWells originated over the weekend of 17-19 November
2017 as part of the Logan Social Enterprise Startup Weekend. We won the Get
Started category of the event and set an ambitious goal of delivering a
PowerWell to a remote Indonesian community within 14 days after the Startup
Weekend. Nine days later we we're on the way to Jakarta! We met a local,
Johannes, who lives in a remote village eight hours (including a two-hour walk)
out of central Jakarta that doesn't have electricity. Thirteen days after the
Startup Weekend, we had our first PowerWell installed in Johannes' village,
where it continues to provide power and lighting for the community!
2017 as part of the Logan Social Enterprise Startup Weekend. We won the Get
Started category of the event and set an ambitious goal of delivering a
PowerWell to a remote Indonesian community within 14 days after the Startup
Weekend. Nine days later we we're on the way to Jakarta! We met a local,
Johannes, who lives in a remote village eight hours (including a two-hour walk)
out of central Jakarta that doesn't have electricity. Thirteen days after the
Startup Weekend, we had our first PowerWell installed in Johannes' village,
where it continues to provide power and lighting for the community!
We have found local suppliers for the components in Indonesia and are working to find suppliers in Papua New Guinea and Pacific Island countries. There are thousands of villages that would benefit from having a PowerWell and we need funding to be able to deliver this much needed, basic, reliable electricity source.
Use Of Funds
$12,000 TIPPING POINT GOAL
All funds raised will go directly to sourcing and building PowerWells. All administration costs will be covered through alternate funding sources.
The full cost of a PowerWell unit is $120. Being $20 for accessories, $40 for the battery packs and $60 for the solar panel.
The full cost of a PowerWell unit is $120. Being $20 for accessories, $40 for the battery packs and $60 for the solar panel.
We have identified that funding for 100 units is the threshold to kick this project off.
*The full cost of a PowerWell is $120. In the event that uneven amounts of parts are funded, we will proportion out the funds to deliver complete PowerWell units.
**If for any reason, we are unable to deliver the funded PowerWell units, all money will be returned in full to the purchaser
$36,000 STRETCH GOAL
All additional funds will go directly to supplying more PowerWells to communities that need them. None of this money will be used for administration costs.
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