Nigeria - Business creation project

Describe your project or startup in a few words

Greena Energies project makes affordable and portable solar power stations for small-scale businesses, homes, and classrooms in Nigeria using recycled electronic waste materials, thereby cutting the cost of energy consumed by SMEs by 50%.

01.01 Describe your project in more detail

Greena Energies makes portable solar inverters for small-scale businesses using recycled laptop batteries and other electronic waste. We have created three products: Orkwu, Padi, and Padi-max. The projects intends to crash the cost of energy and compete favourable with similar inverter makers. We accept specific qauntified electronics waste as payment Orkwu is an uninterrupted light source for small-scale businesses and homes. It has 10 units of 5W LED lamps with a battery capacity of 230 Whr with 8hours of autonomy. Padi provides AC power at 220V, and 500W for low-rated appliances like TVs, Laptops, Lights, and fans. It has a battery capacity of 750Whr and weighs under 6 kg, which makes it easy to carry around. This is sufficient for learners, freelancers, and small shopping places. Padi-max is simply a bigger version of Padi. It provides AC power at 220V, and 1500W for medium-range appliances like tabletop refrigerators, pressing irons, etc., and has a battery capacity of 2100Whr.

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

Greena Energies solves the energy deficiency and high cost problem for SMEs by creating flexible and affordable energy alternatives from recycled electronic waste. To solve this problem, we focused on harnessing electronic waste materials, reusing the waste materials in our design. The initial cost and immobility of inverters deter a good number of SME's rural/underserved regions from subscribing to the technology. We believe that not all Africans have access to roof space to place solar panels so we clung to portability and easy mobility so that users can carry our product to location A for charging, and take it back to location B for usage. T Disposed electronics that cause damage to our environment: One major problem foreign producers have left us with is a huge bulk of electronic waste to cater for. Our project harnesses this unrecycled electronic waste ravaging our landfills to provide cheaper alternatives. This way, we provide low cost energy system and clean environment.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your project intends to provide (at least 3).

Affordability: Our products would sell at half the price of that of foreign producers with the same capacity. Battery replacement after battery life depletion: After a usage period of 1 year, users can ship their products to us and get their batteries replaced at half the purchase price. Faster charging: One of the challenges that re-occurred during our market research was the complaint of long charging times, which almost made it useless. To address this problem, we have made sure that our products will be charged within 3 hours. Portability: Our products, when compared to other local products with a close price range, stand out due to their professional finishing and lightweight. Mobility: We understand that some African business hubs and home settings are too congested to allow users to place solar panels on their roofs so we put mobility in mind when designing our products so that users can carry them to location A to charge and bring them back to location B for use.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your project is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

Rural commuters who don’t have access to electricity at all: Orkwu for lights in homes and small-scale businesses Padi for medium-scale businesses and low energy consuming homes (say a tech bro with one laptop, fan, and lights). Padi-max for large energy consumers who want to be mobile). Semi-urban commuters who have an average of 3 – 6 hours of electricity daily: For this market, depending on their energy demands, they may not even need to have solar panels. When electricity is supplied, the power station charges rapidly (at a tested rate of 3 hours for full charge) which would carry them for approx. 7 to 15 hours. Campers, emergency units, and all who need short-term energy in remote, unpredictable environments.

01.05 When did you start working on your project?

2023-09-01

01.06 How many other partners are associated with your business venture?

2

01.07 Among the other partners, how many are female?

0

01.08 Please describe the profile of each of the other partners (skills, experience, etc.)

Obi Chidozie Anthonius is an electronic engineer. He holds an M.Sc. In information and telecom engineering. He is an entrepreneur with a local content focus. He has over 10 years of experience in electronic product development and marketing. He is an electronic maker.

01.09 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link here:

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/honesty-godwin_starting-out-as-a-hardware-developer-youll-activity-7193901050737635328-ES15?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

01.10 Which industry best describes your project?

a) Energy (equipment, services, sustainable energy and fuel)

02.01.01 My project contributes to the No poverty goal

5

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification

We are cutting energy cost and creating access to energy for rural commuters. By so doing, we are opening means for creative businesses to be initiated and thrive. Also, already running businesses would save more expenses from energy costs and be able to dispense the saved money into parts of the business or their personal life.

02.02.01 My project contributes to the Zero hunger goal

5

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification

By creating access to reliable energy, small-scale farmers can easily refrigerate their farm produce. Thereby reducing food spoilage, and increasing the availability of nutritious food. Power packs can be used to power food processing equipment, enabling the transformation of raw produce into nutritious food products, reducing waste, and increasing food availability.

02.03.01 My project contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

6

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification

In one of our physical interviews, we spoke with a local midwife who complained of the difficulty she faces in her job when there is no light. We were shocked to realize that some new borns at her place didn't make it because they didn't have sufficient light to detect and properly treat early signs of failure. With our product, such a scenario can be curbed starting from ambulances who need mobile energy to support their electronic appliances to small chemists who need light to administer treatments in rural settlements. Thereby leading to good health and wellbeing.

02.04.01 My project contributes to the Quality education goal

6

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification

Most schools in rural communities cannot adopt technology in their learning process, talk more about imparting high-demand tech skills to pupils due to lack of constant electricity supply. Also, students find it hard to do their homework or read at night due to poor lighting which when ignored leaves indelible damage to their eyes and general health. With our products, schools, and students can have energy at their disposal. This would boost their productivity

02.05.01 My project contributes to the Gender equality goal

6

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification

e

02.06.01 My project contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

6

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification

By taking up electronic waste, we make the water bed cleaner than it ought to have been if the waste weren't recylcled.

02.07.01 My project contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification

By providing clean energy and making it very affordable to the underserved population

02.08.01 My project contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

4

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification

02.09.01 My project contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

6

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification

To effectively produce our products locally, we have developed and will still develop more indigenous fabrication methods that we intent to enlighten and give access to other producers to boost the overall productivity in Africa

02.10.01 My project contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

4

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification

02.11.01 My project contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification

Our project makes cities safe and sustainable by taking away all electronic waste that is usually incinerated with the emission of substances that pollute the environment.

02.12.01 My project contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification

02.13.01 My project contributes to the Climate action goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification

02.14.01 My project contributes to the Life below water goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification

Keeps water bed clean by taking away electronic waste.

02.15.01 My project contributes to the Life on land goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification

helps tkeep environment clean by recycling the waste

02.16.01 My project contributes to the Peace justice and strong institutions goal

2

02.16.02 Peace justice and strong institutions - Justification

02.17.01 My project contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification

05.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

6

05.02 The product/service we envision creating represents an entirely new type of product/service.

1 - Strongly Disagree

05.03 The product/service we envision creating could be described as a new technology.

1 - Strongly Disagree

05.04 The product/service we envision creating is an improvement on an existing product or service.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.05 The product/service we envision creating could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

5

05.06 The product/service we envision creating responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

5

05.07 The product/service we envision creating is a new version of an old product/service.

1 - Strongly Disagree

05.08 Justification

Uniqueness: The first energy solution you can pay for using quantified specific electronic waste like laptop batteries. The niche we serve is currently underserved in Nigeria. Innovativeness: The low cost, portability, and mobility of the product make the difference.

05.09 Who are your main potential competitors and what makes you stand out from them?

Eco-flow: Blueletti:

10.06 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?

Yes. I have trained about 10 female engineering students in basic electronics, embedded systems, and robotics.