Kenya - Business creation project

Describe your project or startup in a few words

Low-cost, eco-friendly solar appliance, fabricated using refurbished, and recyclable locally available materials,without highly sophisticated expensive manufacturing technology, to reduce production cost and waste.

01.01 Describe your project in more detail

Financial barriers to Solar Water Heater adoption are more common. In Kenya, it's less expensive for homeowners to install standard electric or gas water heater than to purchase solar heating systems. Low conventional fuel costs can also perpetuate the low demand for solar water technology. Often government subsidize the use of electricity and fossil fuels while simultaneously levying high tariffs against imported renewable energy equipment, further marginalizing the technology. Limited capacity in the local private sector to manufacture, distribute, install, and maintain high quality Solar Water Heater systems, coupled with a dependence on expensive imported systems, virtually ensures that Solar Water Heater technology costs remain high in Kenya. Even for a household with modest financial resources, OkoaHustler can be a wise investment. With an average daily solar insolation of 4-6KW/m², Kenya is a good candidate for optimizing use of solar water heater in meeting her energy needs.

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

With limited access to consumer financing for Solar Water Heater, up-front payments have been a common mechanism for Solar Water Heater sales in Kenya. However, a typical household budget, and lack of accumulated savings among the majority of households in Kenya severely restrict large capital expenditures. Therefore, the requirement for up-front cash payments limits the Solar Water Heater to the wealthiest households or commercial enterprises.

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

OkoaHutlstler Solar Water Heater will offer substantial employment opportunities to local semi-skilled , both in manufacturing and installation. Using OkoaHustler Solar Water Heater can minimize exposure to some waterborne microbes, which can cause skin allergies and rushes. Recycling raw materials mitigates the risks associated with supply, such as up-front payments and import dependency. Recycling products would also slow down the use of natural resources, reduce landscape and habitat disruption. Installation of OkoaHutlstler, will also link us to clients who might need plumbing services.

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

The potential markets for OkoaHustler Solar Water Heater includes households that have both previously used conventional water heating systems and those that have not had any access to water heating services at all. The second category represents a substantial percentage of institutions such as schools and hospitals in rural areas and low-income homes in some urban and peri-urban communities where the latent demand for hot water services is large.

01.05 When did you start working on your project?

2024-01-25

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

2

01.07 Among the other partners, how many are female?

1

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

1). Beatrice Akinyi Odhiambo Environmental practitioner, Bsc. Environmental Science, Egerton University Mobile phone number: +254706638790 2). Steven Otieno Ogutu Electrical engineer, Bsc. Electrical and electronic engineering, Egerton University Mobile phone number: +254798899258

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

https://www.facebook.com/Greeningthehorizon

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

7 - Strongly Agree

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification

Indeed, a range of new jobs can emerge from OkoaHustler manufacturing and assembly, system installation, and engineering to accounting and administration, management, retail sales, and technical services. These job opportunities can be effective and sustainable mode for poverty reduction.

02.02.01 My project contributes to the Zero hunger goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification

Local economic benefits include substantial savings of conventional fuel costs. This money can be channel to feeding program.

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

7 - Strongly Agree

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification

Where OkoaHustler Solar Water Heater displaces fuelwood within homes, the health of individuals and the entire household benefits. In many tribes in Kenya, females are typically responsible for stoking fire and tending whatever is being heated. Consequently, they and those in their vicinity suffer inordinately from chronic respiratory diseases associated with smoke inhalation. Another important health-related benefit's of OkoaHustler is greater availability of hot water for household sanitary needs. Many common waterborne diseases can be prevented with proper washing, and hot water provides an additional level of disinfection over cold or room temperature water.

02.04.01 My project contributes to the Quality education goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification

Awareness of the benefits of solar water heating systems is increasing and adoption of researched technology is expanding in developed and developing countries. For example, at Don Bosco Technical Institute through PropelA dual apprenticeship program, offers solar water heater training course. Students are trained on installation, repair and maintenance of solar water heater.

02.05.01 My project contributes to the Gender equality goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification

At OkoaHustler initiative, both women and men enjoys the same jop opportunities, rights and obligation in all sphere of life for good economic development.

02.06.01 My project contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification

Recycling of materials helps to reduce landscape and habitat disruption and help limit biodervisity loss.

02.07.01 My project contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification

When solar system displace fossil fuels, they reduce ambient air pollution including oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, and often sulfur dioxide, volatile organic compounds. The extent of actual emission reduction depends on the fuel source that would be used in the absence of the solar heating system.

02.08.01 My project contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

7 - Strongly Agree

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification

OkoaHutlstler Solar Water Heater contributes to economic development in a number of ways. For example, without the need for highly capital-intensive manufacturing equipment. As such, substantial new job opportunities in manufacturing, retail sales, and business administration, as well as system design, installation, and maintenance can result from greater adoption of renewable energy.

02.09.01 My project contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

7 - Strongly Agree

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification

Recycling raw materials mitigates the risks associated with supply, such as price volatility, availability, and import dependency. A shift to more reliable products that can be re-used, would reduce the amount of waste. The world population is growing and with it the demand for raw materials. However the supply of crucial raw material is limited.

02.10.01 My project contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

3

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification

02.11.01 My project contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

5

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification

Through Plant Africa, an environmental conservation organization, we have invested in the program to develop OkoaHustler market in various regions and communities in Kenya. The promise of new markets for locally-made solar water heating technology and ancillary business is a primary driving force for this initiative.

02.12.01 My project contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification

Creating more efficient and sustainable products from the start would help to reduce energy and resources consumption, as it is estimated that more than 80% of a products environmental impact is determined during the design phase.

02.13.01 My project contributes to the Climate action goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification

OkoaHutlstler Solar Water Heater is particularly promising, it is one of the simplest and least expensive way to harness renewable energy and can be comparatively cost-effective for reducing greenhouse gases emissions. With financial and other types of support via carbon trading mechanism, solar water heating technology could be a valuable component of climate change mitigation.

02.14.01 My project contributes to the Life below water goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification

By using solar energy, considerable amount of greenhouse polluting gases are avoided. For instant, nitrogen deposition from atmospheric emissions that triggers algal blooms that are harmful to marine life are reduced.

02.15.01 My project contributes to the Life on land goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification

Recycling products would slow down the use of natural resources, reduce landscape and habitat disruption and help limit biodervisity loss.

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

6

02.16.02 Peace justice and strong institutions - Justification

02.17.01 My project contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification

In partnership with PropelA-dual apprenticeship program and Don Bosco Technical Institute to train and produce knowledgeable skilled, innovative and responsible man power in technical and business discipline to meet the change needs of industry and society.

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

1 - Strongly Disagree

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

7 - Strongly Agree

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

7 - Strongly Agree

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.

7 - Strongly Agree

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

7 - Strongly Agree

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

7 - Strongly Agree

05.08 Justification

A variety of conventional manufactured water heating systems are available on the world markets, with local preferences and equipment varying by country and region. This includes systems that heat water in tanks using a variety of energy sources such as electricity, piped and bottled gas, and other fuels, and systems that heat water on demand principally using electricity or gas.

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

State-of-the-art renewable energy technologies companies, that develops highly sophisticated, and expensive solar water heating systems. OkoaHustler is cheap, affordable and eco-friendly since it's fabricated from refurbished,recyclable and locally available raw materials to reduce production cost and to minimize impact of greenhouse gases on environment.

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

At Plant Africa-an environmental conservation organization, we encourage female coligue to facilitate tree planting in the community in order to curb global warming.