Charging depots situated at strategic locations in developing countries that lack stable electricity where citizens can charge their devices for a fee.
Electricity is vital to how we live these days, given it powers our phones, laptops, TVs, cooking appliances, and many others. However, 768 million people still have no electricity access as at 2021, according to Statista. 78% of these reside in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The proposed city-wide solar charging depots will help alleviate this problem by providing a means for people in these places to charge portable devices, like their phones, laptops, powerbanks, and rechargeable lamps.
Speaking from experience, some locations have more access than others. This venture will target those who have less access. Here is how it will work:
Build solar-powered charging depots at strategic locations city-wide
Users should pay a subscription fee for access, either hourly or monthly
Users pick up their device(s) a couple of hours later after it must have charged
I propose the use of mailbox like compartments. You charge your devices inside, lock it, and drop the key at the front desk before exiting the depot. When you come back for the device, you will be identified after which you will be provided the key to your "mailbox" to retrieve your devices.
The alternative is that people can stay with their devices while they charge, but I think that will prove ineffective cost-wise.
By the way, these depots don't all have to be solar-powered. They, however, have to use renewable energy sources.
I am a remote worker living in a Nigerian city, yet has to get by on about seven hours of electricity per week on average. Granted, that isn't the case across board, but it is a big problem nonetheless. Most of the time, I make do with a personal power generator that uses fossil fuel. However, there has been scarcity for over a month now and those who are lucky enough to get fuel do so at exorbitant prices.
Meanwhile, a personal solar power generator is too expensive for the average person to be an option. Besides, it is still not cost effective enough to displace the fossil fuel alternatives; hence, this idea.
What do you think? How would you approach this problem?
Oguntola Tobi Feb 23, 2022
