Power outages
In Africa, particularly in Nigeria, a lack of power supply affects people's lives and the economy as a whole. This is mainly due to a lack of power generation capacity from under-investment in power plants, a large population growth, and a higher per capita power consumption, mainly driven by air conditioning (1200 W for an average appliance).
Aijay, a young Nigerian woman
needs several jobs to survive. Without access to power and to the internet, she has no chance to continue her education. Due to the lack of electric power, there is no economic growth, no jobs, no education, and thus no future for young people.
Air conditioners are power guzzlers.
An air conditioner uses as much power as 120 LED lamps or 30 floor fans. In many homes, refrigerators consume 80% of the electricity without their owners being aware of it. Insulation against the heat is hardly considered.
Inadequate power supply
Electricity is often not paid and highly subsidized power is wasted by the rich. To avoid financial losses, utilities are forced to switch off the grid.
The "FairBox" provides a simple solution to these problems
The FairBox allows monitoring and control of the power supply. It can also be connected to photovoltaic-systems which replace expensive fuel and thus promote the transition to a renewable power supply. The more solar power the lower the electricity cost, and the better the stability of the grid.
Stabilizing the grid
High-power appliances (such as air conditioners) switched on simultaneously will cause grid outages. FairBox protects the power grid by disabling large loads and assuring power for basic needs.
Conscious consumer behavior
The FairBox displays power consumption and cost, even for individual appliances, and educates consumers to save energy.
Fair and transparent tariffs
Progressive tariffs and time-of-use tariffs encourage energy saving. Billing via smartphone has many advantages.
Sustainability
FairGrid stabilizes the electricity grids, provides the technical requirements and financial incentives for grid connected PV systems, and also ensures safe, simple and cost-effective billing. Thus, FairGrid promotes the energy transition in Africa.