WOWsolar 100

Product Description

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.

Distributors / Implementing Organizations

This product is distributed by the manufacturer, Amped Innovation, PBC., and online/in store through retailers including BrightLife and Natfort Energy.

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

Patent Protected

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)

Remote system diagnostics (yes/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).

1 - 10W Solar Panel
1 - Control unit with 20 Wh (1500 mAh, 12.8 V) lithium iron phosphate battery, 3 solar panel power inlets and 4 outlets (2 USB, 2 DC)
1 - Radio (Portable, 3 Wh battery)
3 - 140 lumens round LED Lamps (50 lumens in dim brightness setting)

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:

Daytime Power: 3 full phone charges and 8 hours of radio functionality.
Nighttime Power: 15 hours of 50 lumens per lamp or 6 hours of 140 lumens per lamp.

Vetted Performance Status

Lightning Global verified the following quality standards categories:

Truth in advertising.
Lumen maintenance.
Battery composition, protection and durability.
Physical ingress protection.
Water ingress protection.
Soldering and electronics workmanship.
Mechanical durability.
Minimum warranty terms.
Performance reporting.

The Global LEAP Awards tested the product in 2019, placing it as one of their finalists. They tested maximum head, hydraulic energy, total volume of water moved and hours of operation.

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

Chen, A. Z., Fischer, J., Fraker, A., Shah, N.B., Shirrell, S., Stein, D., 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.

Compliance with regulations

Complies with IEC 62257-9-5 and holds ISO 9001:2008 factory certification.

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.