Institute For The Future

Lightweight Energy Solutions

With global warming becoming one of the biggest problems facing humankind, energy  is becoming a hot button issue. To tackle global warming, the Obama administration has set aside billions of dollars for renewable energy solutions in the stimulus package. In the Silicon Valley, before the recession hit, venture capitalists were lining up to finance renewable energy start-ups. But even as the West places its bet on new age and capital intensive energy solutions like wind and solar farms, there are some interesting energy solutions that are being deployed in the global south that we should pay attention to.

Some of the solutions are cheap, lightweight and can be easily deployed even in US and Europe.

The energy solutions are efficient and cheap because they have been developed in a climate of scarcity. As noted economists C K Prahlad has argued that today’s developing nations operate in an “innovation sandbox” due to a climate of scarcity. As a result, they are more likely to find innovative, cheap and lightweight solutions to problems like energy that confront us today.

A good example that comes to my mind is the SELCO solar home lightning system that has been deployed in villages in India and Sri Lanka. It is a solar lightning system for remote villages that are not covered by the grid. SELCO has installed close to 100,000 lightning systems across India alone. Since most of the customers were too poor to pay upfront for the solar lightning system, the company did a tie-up with a microfinance bank to provide loans to the poor. Now they have the option for paying the cost over several years. This is a great example of how we can serve those who are at the bottom of the pyramid. There is a need to take into account the needs of the four billion people who are at the bottom of the pyramid to come up with a long term and sustainable solution to our energy needs. Any solution without them will be just another stop gap arrangement that will not be sustainable in the long term.

Alternate energy cars that are being developed in India and China have a lot of potential in solving energy and pollution problems facing urban areas in developing nations. Indian manufacturer, Reva, has developed a battery electric vehicle for low speed and congested urban conditions. The car is 100% recyclable. Both the body and the battery can be recycled. The car can also be outfitted with solar charges on the roof to recharge the battery.

The Chinese government is making a protracted effort to emerge as world leader in electric cars. Instead of competing in the global auto market, the Chinese are betting on electric cars with tax credits and government subsidies.

A Chinese company, 001 group, recently launched solar powered cars that can travel 93 miles per 30 hours of solar charging. The car costs about $5,500.