Rural Spark Energy Kit

Distributors / Implementing Organizations

Rural Spark has distributed pilots in Bihar, India. The first kits have been distributed by Vayam Group, which is part of Basix Group India. Rural Spark will rely on different rural distribution companies to have the products distributed on a large-scale over several channels.^{interview with representative}

Manufacturing/Building Method

The kits are produced in India. Mass production launched in August 2016.^{interview with representative}

Intellectural Property Type

Open Source

User Provision Model

Distributions to Date Status

To date 150 kits have been distributed in the state of Bihar in India. Large scale commercialisation is planned for August 2016. ^{interview with representative}

Design Specifications

The system was designed to be robust, shock-proof, and dust/water resistant. A clear and simple interface indicating available energy, system status, and pre-paid balance is included. There are 16 USB ports and two 12 V DC ports. The modular battery packs can be used to power applications later when no energy is generated (e.g. on a cloudy day in case of solar) or the demand is higher. The battery weights 225 g and has the following dimensions: 89 x 89 x 40.5 mm. Lamp specifications:

• Bright LED light with 3 modes: Super bright (60 lumens), Average (25 lumens) and Energy save (5 lumens)
• Powered by a LiFePO4 battery
• Durable plastics ( Polycarbonate & ABS casing) and rubber-covered ports provide drop protection (up to 1m) and water resistance
• The lamp contains metal hook to hang the lamp, and a screw hole for wall mounting
• Lamp Dimension: 83 (h) 80 (w) x 36 (d) mm
• Lamp Weight: 117 g
• The lamp is designed to be charged by any standard (5 V) USB charger, including any common phone adapter. The USB - Micro USB cable is included in the box
• 3 LEDs indicating the battery level while using and charging.

Technical Support

24/7 support line by Rural Spark

Replacement Components

Replacement service is provided by the manufacturer.

Lifecycle

The product has an estimated lifetime of 7 years and a warranty of 2 years against any manufacturing defect.

Manufacturer Specified Performance Parameters

Lamp performance targets:

• Over 3.000 cycles possible, 3-5 time more cycles than standard batteries
• The lamp is built to last for more than 5 years.

Vetted Performance Status

None

Safety

No listed hazards.

Complementary Technical Systems

Battery cubes, lamps and solar panels can be expanded to adapt to the customers' needs. The Rural Spark kit can be used to power other electric appliances, for instance 2 hours of TV require 3 battery cubes, 2 hours of fan require 1 battery cube. USB ports and standard 12V outlets are the power connectors in the router, ensuring standard connectivity for most devices to be able to be powered.

Academic Research and References

Compliance with regulations

Unknown.

Other Information

Rural Spark offers a Service and Retail platform working together with the Rural Spark Energy Router and the existing infrastructure of rural distributors. This platform facilitates marketing campaigns, pre-paid payments, changes in subscriptions and other customer facing interactions through SMS and Phone and gives real-time insights to management. The lamp comes with one Micro USB Charge Cable and the User Manual & Warranty Card.