BBOXX, has launched large pay-as-you-go (PAYG) solar systems in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). BBOXX is a provider of affordable, clean energy to off-grid communities.
This is through a technical collaboration with Victron Energy, manufacturer of components for solar energy systems. BBOXX will deliver reliable, clean and affordable power to businesses, aiming to enhance productivity and powering growth
In 2016, 14 per cent of citizens in the DRC had access to any form of reliable electricity. This is a significant barrier to economic development. BBOXX is operating in rural areas of the DRC to drive electrification.
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According to BBOXX, the collaboration with Victron aims to serve the energy needs of urban areas of the DRC. This is by providing SMEs such as grocery stores, restaurants and micro-processors, with productive power solutions of up to 5KW.
BBOXX operations
BBOXX has also launched operations in Goma, Eastern DRC, a region with a population of more than 1.5m. Here, blackouts commonly exceed five hours daily. These large solar energy solutions will eliminate the time wasted by businesses on solving disruption to energy supply due to these frequent power cuts. As a result this will improve productivity and give businesses reliable power necessary to scale up.
The collaboration will further see large solar solutions deployed on BBOXX’s PAYG model, utilizing Victron energy components. Significantly, these systems will have a link to BBOXX’s Pulse platform. This connects the customer to the product and also drives efficiency in business operations, for example by linking up to BBOXX’s customer service teams. It also provides remote monitoring and management of its solar systems, according to BBOXX.
This technical partnership aims to form part of BBOXX’s strategy to improve access to electricity for customers with a range of power needs, from small solar home systems of 50W in rural communities, to SMEs in urban areas.
Mansoor Hamayun, CEO of BBOXX, said that there is a significant need for reliable energy in urban areas. “We believe that this collaboration will help deliver a sustainable solution for consumers and businesses alike in towns and cities in the DRC.”