Agriculture
January 29, 2024
WOWSOLAR HUB 6400
Read SolutionImplemented by
Amped Innovation PBC
Updated on January 15, 2024
·Created on November 29, 2018
WOWsolar 100 is a solar home system with integrated Pay-as-you-go functionality.
WOWsolar 100 is a solar home system with integrated Pay-as-you-go functionality designed by Amped Innovation in partnership with Driven Innovation and Angaza. This product provides home lighting through an energy system composed of a solar panel, a combined control unit with battery and 3 – 4 LED lamps. A portable radio is also included with the system. Users can upgrade their system by adding solar panels, battery packs, lamps and even a TV to climb the energy ladder. This system is part of Amped Innovation’s WOWsolar Family product which is a verified product of the Lighting Global Quality Standards.
Target SDGs
SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
Target Users (Target Impact Group)
Household
Distributors / Implementing Organizations
This product is distributed by the manufacturer, Amped Innovation, PBC., and online/in store through retailers including BrightLife and Natfort Energy.
Competitive Landscape
Direct competitors include Mobisol Solar Home System and Rural Spark Energy Kit.
Manufacturing/Building Method
The system is mass produced. Each part of the system is manufactured individually. The main component which contains the software-enabled Pay-As-You-Go interface has a housing that consists of two injection molded parts. At the bottom inside the housing all the internal components are loaded and secured from the back. Additionally, the main housing provides features to allow access to external connectors and to support the internal components. For the status LED's, a custom light pipe is manufactured. Both the housing of the main component and the housing of the external lights lens use high gloss surfaces. This external lights create a diffused light through a domed lens which is attached to its top housing with two screws and four pins.
Intellectural Property Type
Trademark
User Provision Model
Users can obtain the product through a pay-as-you-go financing structure from the manufacturer Amped Innovation or from retailers such as BrightLife and Natfort Energy.
Distributions to Date Status
Amped Innovation completed initial field trials of their WOWsolar Family product in the summer of 2016 with distribution partners in East and West Africa. As a result the company secured Memorandums of Understanding for 170,000 units in 2017. Amped Innovation has been tasked to deliver over 1.6 million solar power centers during the next five years through partnerships with NGO's and social ventures serving smallholder farmers. As of 2019, Amped Innovation's solar products have reached over 50,000 households.
Description of power outputs
2 DC outlets and 2 USB
Description of light points
3 – 4 LEDs
Total lighting service (lumen-hours per solar-day)
2100 lumen-hours per solar-day
Peak power rating (Wp)
10 Wp
Battery capacity (kWh; mAh)
0.02 kWh; 1500 mAh
Nominal battery voltage (V)
12.8 V
Battery type
Lithium iron phosphate
User replaceable battery (yes/no)
No
Remote system diagnostics (yes/no)
No
Payment structure
Pay-as-you-go
Mobile service required (yes/no)
Yes
Design Specifications
Specifications (from the product box), Lighting Global also collected specifications for the WOWsolar family and more detail for the WOWsolar 60 (which uses the same compenents).
Technical Support
Support provided by manufacturer.
Replacement Components
Solar panels can be replaced separately.
Lifecycle
The complete lifecycle is unknown, but the product has a two year warranty on the kit and its components.
Manufacturer Specified Performance Parameters
Performance targets:
Vetted Performance Status
Lightning Global verified the following quality standards categories:
Safety
If pressure is applied on the photovoltaic panel by sitting or stepping on it, the device might break and cause bodily injury or electrical shock. Precaution must be taken regarding electrical contacts or wiring, the person handling them must use adequate safety gear. To avoid electrical shock, the photovoltaic panel must be earth grounded. A minor risk of burns exists due to the heating of the photovoltaic panel's surface by the sun.
Complementary Technical Systems
The system is upgradeable; additional solar panels, battery packs and appliances (including a fan, hair trimmer and extra lamps) may be connected to the system.
Academic Research and References
2017, Welfare impacts of an entry-level solar home system in Uganda. Journal of Development Effectiveness, 9(2), pp. 277-294.
Esper, H., London, T. and Kanchwala, Y., 2013, Access to clean lighting and its impact on children: An exploration of solaraid’s sunnymoney. Child Impact Case Study No. 4, William Davidson Institute, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
IDinsight, 2015, d.light Solar Home System Impact Evaluation. IDinsight Report.
Institute of Developing Economies, 2015, Impacts of Solar Lanterns in Geographically Challenged Locations: Experimental Evidence from Bangladesh.
International Rescue Committee, 2014, “Lighting the way: The role of handheld solar lamps in improving women’s and girl’s perceptions of safety in two camps for internally displaced people in Haiti.
Lemaire, X., 2018, Solar home systems and solar lanterns in rural areas of the Global South: What impact? WIREs Energy Environ, 7(5), e301.
These pieces of research are not specifically about the WOWsolar 100, but highlight the value solar home systems can provide in resource constrained environments.
Amped Innovation | Solar Appliance Manufacturer. n.d. Amped Innovation.
Contact | Amped Innovation. n.d. Amped Innovation.
BrightLife – Affordable and Upgradeable Solar Home Systems (SHS). n.d. BrightLife.
Wow Solar 100 Solar Home System. n.d. Natfort Energy.
Our Process. n.d. Driven Innovation.
Amped Innovation Closes Series a Funding of More than $3 Million – NextBillion. n.d. nextbillion.net.
WOW100Data Sheet _ 20220302_V8.Pdf. n.d. Google Docs.
VeraSol Product Database. n.d. data.verasol.org.
Amped Innovation. n.d. Ryan McSwain Design.
VeraSol. 2023. Standardized Specifications Book: WOWSolar Family. verasol.org. VeraSol.
Lighting Global. 2018. Solar Home System Kit Quality Standards, Version 2.5. Lighting Global.
IEC TS 62257-9-5:2018 | IEC Webstore. n.d. webstore.iec.ch.
ISO – International Organization for Standardization. 2014. ISO 9001:2008. ISO. November 5, 2014.
Sun Connect News. 2019. Global LEAP SWP Buyers Guide. Sun Connect News.
Compliance with regulations
Complies with IEC 62257-9-5 and holds ISO 9001:2008 factory certification.
Evaluation methods
Lighting Global cites Quality Test Method (QTM) in IEC 62257-9-5 and the Lighting Global Quality Assurance Protocol for Solar Home Systems as evaluation criteria for the WOWsolar Family products.
Other Information
WOWsolar 100 is part of Amped Innovation's WOWsolar Family product. Other products such as the WOWsolar 60 are available and all can be upgraded with the addition of solar panels and battery packs. Amped Innovation successfully acquired more than 3.3 million USD in venture funding from ENGIE Rassembleurs d’Energies, Schneider Electric Ventures and FINCA Ventures in 2019. They have partnered with organisations including: Driven Innovation, Angaza, the Autodesk Foundation, Magneto Commerce, Ryan McSwain Design and Solaris Offgrid.
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