Designed for customers who are at the beginning of the energy ladder, the new bPower20 product has been created to power rural households and micro-businesses. Bboxx's research identified a gap in the market to better serve the significant proportion of the population in the developing world with lower energy requirements, but who still demand a superior customer experience and the provision of reliable, high quality electricity. The product will be rolled out initially in key markets Rwanda, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Togo, with further markets lined up for 2021.
The bPower20 is a high-performance energy solution, designed for a great customer experience at a low lifetime cost. The affordable product comes with a 20W solar panel and daily usage of up to 51 Wh (watt hours). The new lithium battery technology has higher energy density with the capability to store more energy. It is optimised to last longer, increasing the service life up to six years.
It has an interactive screen enabling customers to communicate seamlessly with Bboxx's teams through Bboxx Pulse(r) - Bboxx's comprehensive management platform. Leveraging IoT (Internet of Things) technology, this ensures efficient remote management and monitoring of globally distributed Solar Home Systems (SHSs). As with Bboxx's other SHSs, the bPower20 is available on a pay-as-you-go basis via mobile money. The launch also showcases new eco-friendly packaging, made from recycled paper and widely recyclable.
This latest affordable product will help Bboxx sustainably reach a wider segment of the global market, where demand for essential energy has been strong throughout the global pandemic. The benefits of clean energy go beyond energy itself as shown by Bboxx contributing to UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 - affordable and clean energy for all - but also 10 other UN SDGs. Notably, the company's SHSs have supported over 87,000 people to undertake more economic activities, positively impacted over 337,000 school-aged children, and off-set more than 460,000 metric tons of CO2e.
2020 marks a milestone year for Bboxx as it celebrates its 10th year in business, having transformed over one million lives through access to energy. The company also recently announced the launch of its new global brand as it invests in the next phase of its growth journey, and Bboxx's new brand is integrated into the bPower20 product.
Christopher Baker-Brian, co-founder and MD of Product Division at Bboxx, commented, "At Bboxx we have always been driven by our mission to end energy poverty globally. Using a decade of experience and learning, we have now developed an even more affordable, reliable, sustainable, and higher performing product. The launch of the bPower20 will play a vital role in helping to achieve this mission by improving the lives of millions of customers in the future.”
