A new way to power rural communities

02/10/17

“How is Nigeria combating climate change and rural poverty in a most ingenious way?”
Nigeria is a country in western Africa which is home to nearly one hundred million people without electricity. In addition, because of it’s geographic location, it will be disproportionately affected by climate change. Luckily, this country is not a complacent one, and has already begun fighting back. A company called Lumos based in the Netherlands has developed a “micro micro grid” for the Nigerian market in which a single 80W solar panel will be attached to a housing unit which provides energy to a suitcase size battery which will power a home. These units have an upfront cost of only $75.00, and the electricity can be paid for using simple mobile phone text. after four years of using a model, the users will no longer have to pay for ongoing electricity use! This technology has the potential to electrify millions of rural homes in a safe and sustainable manner.