It was in 2010 when the idea of an “empowered” ball was
first documented. Four Harvard graduates conceptualized a soccer ball infused
with a pendulum-like mechanism that would rotate to power a generator, which
would then charge a battery inside the ball. This essentially meant that after
30 minutes of playing with the ball, it would already be capable of powering an
LED light bulb for several hours, and that a two-hour game would allow the ball
to charge a cell phone.
It is easy to infer that the ball was primarily created
with the aim of solving one of the world’s most daunting challenges: Billions
around the world do not have regular, reliable access to electricity. One of
the proponents, who come from an African descent, would often recount in
interviews the energy challenges she would face when she would visit her
grandmother’s home in Nigeria. The thought that many children in the world’s
most underdeveloped communities still suffer from playing under a single
lamppost or from studying beside a dangerous kerosene lamp drove the exponents to
take the technology further. With a two-fold objective of giving school
children a means of recreation and a small-scale reliable supply of
electricity, the “empowered” ball was distributed in schools and to depressed rural
communities around the world.
From the foregoing, one thing is clear – the invention of
the electric ball is an effort towards rural electrification. While it may be
obvious that thousands, maybe millions of electric soccer balls are needed (not
to mention around hundreds of thousands of hours playing) to supply energy to
the entire population of the world without access to electricity, the traction
that the invention is gaining from investors and supporters around the world
represents a start towards the desired direction.
The
transformation of rural electrification
Electrification of rural communities has traditionally been
based on electricity supply from a central grid, mainly owing to the “economies
of scale” achieved with large-scale power plants. Recent technological advances
in alternative power sources, however, have made it sensible to consider
decentralized sources of energy, like photovoltaic systems, wind turbines,
biomass and fuel cells. Innovation in alternative sources of electricity is
further driven by local and international agreements reinforcing a reduction in
emissions, and a ramp-up in the efficiency of production and use of energy.
Research studies show that at present, more than ever, the
electrification of rural and remote communities in emerging countries will be
based on decentralized power facilities. But, as the demand for electricity grows as the population increases and as lifestyles evolve, rural
electrification activities should be designed and implemented within a precise
policy framework. Industry players find merit in using excess power generated
by rural industrial enterprises to support public electricity sully, and in
considering small-scale independent power producers fully fledged suppliers of
electricity. Energy industry authorities advocate a stringent cooperation
between utility providers and rural customers, as well as the adoption of a
well-defined marketing and technical function.
The fact that rural electricity supply is more expensive
relative to urban energy supply is often seen as a disadvantage by utility
providers. But, in light of the truth that billions of people are struggling
with the lack of access to dependable power, energy thought leaders say that
the predicament should be seen a challenge more than a bane. With the available
technological options and the growing support of transformative investors, industry
key players do not see a reason why rural electrification efforts should not be
carried forward.
*Watch
out for Part 2 of this article, where we will aim to take a close look at
critical success factors of rural electrification*
Media Contact:
Robert Bagatsing (Harvard SMM)
Marketing Manager
T: +971 4 8808006
M: +971 56 1749505
Skype:
Robert.Bagatsing
BBM: 25D309ED
Twitter:
@RobertBagatsing
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