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Follow on Google News | Fenix International Announces Affordable Energy System to Power Digital Devices in Frontier MarketsFenix International, a producer of renewable energy solutions, has announced the launch of the ReadySet energy system, a power solution designed to run devices that improve the quality of life for the 1.6 billion people living without electricity.
By: Fenix International Fenix has signed up three initial customers for pilot deployments in East and West Africa. Its customers are among the world’s largest mobile telecommunications service providers with millions of subscribers in frontier markets. These companies will sell the ReadySet to local entrepreneurs to charge mobile phones, a $2 billion revenue opportunity for the mobile industry according to GSMA, the mobile phone industry association, which estimated the increase in airtime sales enabled by access to electricity for the world’s 500 million off-grid mobile users. The ReadySet is a micro power generation and distribution platform that charges from virtually any energy source including solar, micro-wind, micro-hydro and human power. The ReadySet consists of a rechargeable battery protected by proprietary charge-control electronics and a user-friendly interface for attaching devices. The Fenix Velo (100W peak bicycle generator) and Fenix Solar (15W solar panel) as well as a DC power adapter for grid/mains power give users a variety of options for charging the ReadySet system. “The ReadySet allows users to increase their income by selling energy services and replacing dangerous, unhealthy and expensive forms of energy such as kerosene and disposable batteries,” Mike Lin, Fenix Founder and CEO, said. “The ReadySet also provides a platform to expand into rural areas for private sector companies in industries ranging from telecom to consumer electronics to media, while also reducing carbon emissions from fossil fuels that contribute to climate change.” The ReadySet is optimized for charging mobile phones; just five to ten minutes of pedaling the Fenix Velo produces enough electricity to charge one phone. It can also power energy efficient lights (e.g. LEDs and CFLs), water purifiers, and even run LCD televisions and netbooks. The ReadySet can recharge ten mobile phones or power 20 hours of light (2.5 watts) on a full charge. When empty, it takes around one hour to recharge the ReadySet with the Fenix Velo bicycle charger, and around six hours of full sunlight with the Fenix Solar. The battery in the ReadySet lasts 2-3 years, at which point the battery will be recycled and replaced by an authorized service center. The ReadySet battery with either the Fenix Velo or Fenix Solar charging option is initially available at $150 plus shipping for volume orders. Fenix’s products are currently available to distributors in frontier markets, and the company expects to enter the United States market for emergency preparedness, camping, and other off-grid applications in 2011. -- About Energy in Frontier Markets -- According to “The Next Four Billion” report (WRI/IFC), the four billion people at the BoP spend $433 billion per year on energy (BoP, or “base of the pyramid,” defined as less than $3,000 per capita income adjusted for purchasing power parity, or less than $10/day). Globally, 36% of BoP households live without electricity, and this figure is much higher in many Sub-Saharan African markets targeted by Fenix. For off-grid households, the energy landscape is dominated by biomass fuels such as wood and charcoal for cooking, candles and kerosene for lighting, and batteries ranging from alkaline dry-cells to automotive batteries for powering flashlights, lanterns, mobile phones, radios and televisions. All of these fuels have negative attributes such as extremely high cost per watt or per lumen of light, combined with respiratory health impacts (biomass fuels and kerosene) and end-of-life waste stream issues (disposable batteries). In recent years, a number of products have entered frontier markets to address the lack of clean energy options available to consumers. These include small solar lanterns and larger solar home systems to provide electricity for lighting and other applications without requiring the purchase of fuel or batteries. Most products on the market today work with only one charging source (usually solar), and they tend to be either low cost and low power, or high cost and high power. Fenix developed the ReadySet to fill this need: a flexible, affordable energy system that generates enough power for an energy entrepreneur to earn substantial income. The ReadySet gives users the flexibility to harness their available energy resources. For example, in Uganda, around 90% of the population lives off grid. While there is often plentiful sunlight, solar energy is less effective during the rainy season and unproductive at night. In these situations, Fenix empowers the large percentage of households that own a bicycle to generate electricity on-demand. Even the 10% of the population with grid electricity can benefit from the ReadySet by plugging into the mains to provide backup power during blackouts. It is estimated by the GSMA that there are more than 500 million off the grid mobile phone subscribers. This number is growing at double-digit rates in frontier markets, which suggests that the demand for Fenix’s product is strong within the telecommunications industry. Furthermore, the ReadySet can replace or greatly reduce some of the dirtiest forms of energy used in the absence of grid power – such as the ubiquitous kerosene lamps and dry-cell batteries – providing significant positive social and environmental impact. # # # About Fenix International: End
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