ENERGETICA´s automatic solar hand basin

The Bolivia´s poor rural populations do not have or have limited access to potable water.

Consequently, they cannot wash their hands to prevent contagion with the coronavirus.

ENERGETICA, a Non-Governmental Organization with more than 25 years of experience in Bolivia, has developed a hand basin, which allows poor rural populations to wash their hands correctly.

The hand basin, which uses electronic and solar energy technology, has been developed in response to  Bolivian rural poor population´s requirements: cultural characteristics (language and others), low-income and water-shortage.

The solution prevents coronavirus contagion´s people for thousands: in the pilot stage 890.000 people per day, in growth stage people´s number served would double.

The solution is feasible because:

• The product has an affordable price of $US 500 (Five hundred american dollars 0/100) that covers all costs
• It operates within ENERGETICA´s network of advisors and microfranchisees
• ENERGETICA enjoys the trust of Bolivia Rural Municipalities´ authorities

1. To prevent contagion with the coronavirus, which causes the COVID 19 infection, the population should wash their hands several times a day. However, in Bolivia and throughout the world,thousands of poor people, mainly rural´s ones, do not have access or have difficult access to potable water, consequently, they cannot wash their hands to prevent contagion with the coronavirus.
2. The few makeshift hand basins that Bolivian populations are using have major problems:
   1. They can increase the coronavirus´spread, because users:
      1. They have the first contact, with soap from the hand basin, with a dirty hand and probably infected
      2. Frequently, they wash only with water, without using soap
      3. Frequently, they wash improperly for insufficient time (up to 10 seconds)
   2. In some cases, they waste the little available water inefficiently (excessive water for 1 wash)
   3. They do not provide information, so that users wash their hands inproperly. This difficulty is accentuated in the populations that speak a native language (in Bolivia are Quechua, Aymara and others) and do not speak country´s official language (in Bolivia, Spanish)
   4. Precariously manufactured they deteriorate quickly and are not repaired and maintained

The electronically designed mobile automatic solar hand basin:

1. Allows efficient use of water: The Electronic Control System  (1) programs that one hand wash is carried out, in 40 seconds, with a supply of water of 400 ml (4)
2. It allows to install the hand basin anywhere:
   1. Its provision of electrical energy is made with a photovoltaic system: solar panels (9), a solar lithium battery (3)
   2. Its water storage system  is simple and cheap (7). Requires only 60 water´s liters. A single charge allows 150 washes
3. When the user approaches the hand basin, he receives an instruction from the loudspeaker (2) that tells him to get liquid soap from the dispenser by pressing a pedal (6). In this way, the user is obliged to use the liquid soap, without touching the dispenser (4), preventing contagion.
4. Loud speaker´s instructions (2) and washing instructions (9) order users how to wash correctly
5. The loud speaker (2) and the washing instructions (9) provide information in region´s native language
6. It is robust for his metallic iron structure (8)
7. The solution has a repair and maintenance technical service (11)

The Electronic System has the following design:

1. Customers
   1. Initially, poor families who do not have access or have limited access to potable water:
      1. Children and youth from poor rural schools
      2. Rural hospital users 
      3. Technicians from municipal government offices
      4. Traders and families in rural markets
   2. Other customers
      1. Urban school children and youth
      2. Urban hospital users
      3. Public institutions
      4. Companies
      5. Offices
      6. Popular markets
      7. Supermarkets
      8. Eventually, refugee camps

(Generally for places where people gather)

2. As usual in ENERGETICA´s work, the solution in its design and prototypes has been developed by asking and testing, with Bolivia´s Municipalities Rural authorities the characteristics that the hand basin should have: affordable price, instructions for correct hand washing to avoid contagion, efficient use of water, mobility (basin would be installed anywhere), information in the native language and robustness     

3. In concept and prototype´s stages, the "customers" have participated in the hand basin development´s process,  consequently, it responds to their needs. In the pilot stage, customers and ENERGETICAare identifying places where the hand basins should be installed

The proposal respond to the Health Security & Pandemics challenge:

1. It uses, in an innovative way, electronic, solar and microfranchise  technology to prevent the coronavirus´s pread within de population

2. It has a high impact´s potential because thousands of people would benefit by preserving their health

3. The solution is feasible because it has an affordable price and is implemented by an institution that has a lot of experience working in Bolivia´s rural areas

4. It has high scalability because the proposal can be implemented in rural areas, then in urban, in Bolivia, Latin America and the world.

• It is an innovative solution because it responds to poor rural populations´needs and solves the problems of makeshift hand basins, to which the population has access.
  • Water shortage: The hand basin do an efficient water´s use: 400 ml per wash
  • Lack of adequate information to properly washing hands: The hand basin´s loud speaker and graphic information panel provide native language´s information on the correct way to washing hands.
  • Makeshift hand basins do not provide soap to users: The ENERGETICA´s hand basins has a liquid soap dispenser and forces users to use it
  • The ENERGETICA´s hand basin prevents users from infecting the liquid soap dispenser, because it is manipulated by the foot, and not with the hands
• It is unique because
  • It is an application of electronic control technologies and sensors, photovoltaic water pumping systems for mobile hand basins that reduce the risk of contagion with the coronavirus
  • It is a portable solution, requiring no additional plumbing or power connections. The equipment is placed directly at the entrance of any establishment, the water drums are filled, and they are easily recharged as many times as necessary. With each load you can have between 130 to 150 hand washes
  • The product is part of the rural microfranchisee network developed by ENERGETICA, which is an innovative business model
  • Proposes a comprehensive business model for the pilot stage, which must be improved

• Arduino electronic control system and sensors:
  • Controls water´s amount used in each wash, making it an efficient use of this scarce resource
  • The pedal prevents users from touching the liquid soap dispenser, reducing contagion´s risk
  • Controls adequate information emission intervals for correct hand washing
  • Forces users to use liquid soap and wash their hands properly
• Photovoltaic pumping systems
  • Allows hand basin’s mobility by not depending on the power’s provision by electrical network
• Advisers’ team and microfranchisee’s network
  • Customers will buy from suppliers who deserve trust
  • Customers know that they will have equipment’s repair and maintenance service

• The product’s design initial has identified the needs and problems in hand washing to prevent contagion with the coronavirus
• Several product’s prototypes have been tested until reaching a satisfactory product with an affordable price
• On internet there are many portable hand basins that are suitable for other cultural contexts and are more expensive
• The advisors and microfranchisees’ business model has been implemented at ENERGETICA, with successes and failures, for 10 years
• On the internet there are microfranchise’s experiences developed in Bolivia and the World

ENERGETICA's theory of change of automatic solar hand basin has the following implementation scheme:

The end: Bolivia´s rural poor people prevent themselves from being infected with the coronavirus

Purpose: Bolivia´s rural poor people wash their hands correctly using the ENERGETICA´s hand basins. ENERGETICA has chosen to implement this objective because has knowledge and experience in this regard

STAGES CONCEPT AND PROTOTYPE

Result 1 (achieved): A concept of hand basin suitable to Bolivia´s the rural context has been elaborated

Activities:

1. Conduct a brainstorming workshop with ENERGETICA´s technicians

2. Consult the Bolivia´s Rural Municipalities Authorities

3. Review information on internet and other places

4. Review information on relevant technologies (electronic and solar)

5. Develop a hand basin concept

Result 2 (achieved): A hand basin has been developed that adequately responds to Bolivia´s rural needs and context

Activities:

1. Carry out the process of developing product prototypes and business models until developing the appropriate products
   1. Create a new prototype with the test results
   2. Test the prototype based on the hypotheses with ENERGETICA technicians and customers
   3. Identify hypotheses to test
   4. Build a prototype

STAGE PILOT

Result 3 (in process): The ENERGETICA´s hand basins have been sold in the immediate intervention región

Activities:

1. Contact Rural Municipalities authorities until the sale is made
2. Perform the hand basins´production in reasonable quantities
   1. Make supplies´ purchase
   2. Perform the hand basins´ production
   3. Perform quality control
   4. Solve any post-sale problems that may arise
3. Promote and publicize hand basins through mobiles and ENERGETICA´s website
   1. Develop advertising
   2. Test developed advertising
   3. Issue developed advertising

The process is developed by ENERGETICA that works more than 25 years in Bolivia. ENERGETICA has worked with more than 250 rural municipalities in the country, providing solar energy systems for schools, health posts and families, installing lighting systems, solar cooling systems, photovoltaic pumping systems and others. It is estimated that more than 35,000 families have benefited from ENERGETICA’s work.

ENERGETICA  has participated in the most important photovoltaic electrification projects executed in Bolivia (Inti Kanchay, GEF-PNUD, IDTR, GPOBA, Microfranchises for Clean Energy - IDB, CRIAR, among others) developing and implementing electrification models, field studies, testing of new technologies; executing facilities, and operations and maintenance actions. The photovoltaic system installations have been made for families and social establishments (health posts, schools and others).

It has field staff with extensive knowledge of photovoltaic systems and the situation in rural areas. (see http://www.energetica.org.bo)

The hand basins´ demand for Educational Units and Public Rural Hospitals, in  ENERGETICA´s immediate intervention area reaches 9,882 units

 In the pilot stage, 890,000 people could be served per day.

In a probable scenario, 4,900 hand basins could be sold (potential demand´s 50% of 9,800 units) The 80% are destined to Rural Public Schools and 20% complementary to Rural Public Hospitals of 1st and 2nd level.

The explanation of the service is presented in the table below

In the growth stage, people´s number served per day could be doubled.

The coronavirus pandemic is expected to be overcome within two years

Given uncertainty´s context emerging from the coronavirus pandemic, solution´s goals are set for next two years:

Goal 1: Stage pilot. Sell at least 4,900 hand basins

(Could sell up to 9,800)

Goal 2: Stage growth. Sell at least 6,000 hand basins

(Could sell up to 13,500)

Goal 3: Develop alternative financial models

Justification: The Bolivia´s Municipalities have suffered a drop in their income of 70%. However, to strengthen preservation assets´accountability , Municipalities has to pay a part hand basin´s. A reasonable model seems to be 70% donation or loan, and 30% cash payment.

Goal 4: Improve the product

Justification: The product has been developed with Arduino technology, it is known that a simpler product can be developed to produce with alternative technologies

Goal 5: Optimize production´s process

Justification: For greater production is necessary to simplify production´s process

Goal 6: Develop digital marketing

Justification: Due to the pandemic, digital marketing is essential

MIT SOLVE could help us to achieve these goals

1. Municipalities are unable to pay for hand basins due to their financial limitations
2. Difficulties of reaching the Municipalities by quarantine restrictions due to the risks of contagion with the coronavirus 
3. The hand basin´s production is not easy
4.  Limited productive capacity in the event of a greater demand

Given ENERGETICA´s experience, it is considered that there will be no problems working in Bolivia´s rural area

1. Alternative financial models are being developed to help Municipalities with their financial limitations (see Income and costs in What is your business model?)
2. Public transportation will be used or special transit permits will be requested for ENERGETICA trucks Support will be requested from ENERGETICA's supplier companies and friends, as was done in previous situations.
3. ENERGETIVA is developing a hand basin with more specific and simpler technology.
4. A hand basin with simpler technology will optimize production

SOLVE could help us in these challenges

Product development´s team

1 Civil engineer

1 Bachelor of Computer science 

1 Electrical engineer

1 Bachelor of Graphic Design 

1 Bachelor of Communication 

1 Electrical technician

Advisors´ team

2 Industrial engineer

2 Commercial engineer

1 Chemical engineer

1 Bachelor of Economics

Microfranchisees

20 rural microfranchisees

 ENERGETICA´s technicians, have a trustworthy and strong relationship with most Bolivian´s Municipalities, especially in the “Departmentos” of Cochabamba, Potosí, Oruro, Chuquisaca.

Technicians have more than 20 years work´s experience in rural áreas; on renewable energy issues.

ENERGETICA has an automotive park and equipment to move to remote rural areas.

• They have high knowledge, expertise and work experience in elaboration and implementation of solutions for  Bolivia rural population´s problems
• They have a high prestige among Bolivia´s potential rural customers. And they has also developed a high confidence with these.
• ENERGETICA has a high logistical capacity to move in Bolivia´s rural areas

Energizing Development-German Technical Cooperation (ENDEV-GIZ), Bolivia´s Autonomous Municipal Governments, Electricity and Power Company Cochabamba (ELFEC): Cooperation´s agreements for the development and execution of projects for universal access to energy with third-party photovoltaic systems generation, aimed at families in rural populations without access to energy.

Corporación Andina de Fomento (CAF), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Electricity and Power Company Cochabamba (ELFEC): Design, installation and maintenance of photovoltaic systems connected to the grid in their offices in Bolivia

Bolivia´s Ministry of Rural Development and Lands - CRIAR Program: Development and delivery of agricultural technologies (solar pumps, cereal mills, solar dryers) to improve the income Bolivia´s rural áreas families

For the pilot stage

Value proposition: Mobile automatic solar hand basin (product and service). See What is your solution?

Customer segments:

• Bolivia Rural Municipalities´ authorities and technicians
• Municipalities´ social infrastructure: Educational establishments, Health centers, Municipal offices, Markets and others

Customer Relationships:

• Transparency regarding the products and services´ technical and financial specifications

• Compliance with the commitments assumed
• Product and service´s exhibitions: To municipal authorities and union leaders
• Mobiles: Advertisements and videos
• Website: Promotion and advertising through ENERGETICA´s website

Channels:

Key activities:

• Promotion and publicity´s visits to Rural Municipalities´ authorities
• Continuous and periodic information´s supply through mobiles and ENERGETICA´s website

Key ressources:

• Trust between customers and ENERGETICA´s team, especially advisors
• ENERGETICA´s logistical capacity (5 vans, 5 technical maintenance equipments)

Key partenerships:

• Trust relationships with inputs´suppliers for hand basins´production

• Trust relationship with workshops that could carry out product´s mass production, if it were the case of a demand explosión
• Support from financial companies that could back the venture

Income and cost

Scenario with Municipalities that have payment capacity

• Product
  • The price of $ US 500 (Five hundred US dollars 00/100) covers all costs
    • Production´s costs
    • Rural Promotion and Sales´ costs
• Repair and maintenance services
  • The price, which covers all costs, is calculated based on each specific situation
• ENERGETICA´s customers are already used to this form of payment

Scenario with Municipalities that do not have the capacity to pay Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Bolivia´s  Municipalities have financial´s problems . ENERGETICA is working on alternative financial´s scenarios

The hand basin´ solution  pose two possible scenarios

Scenario with Municipalities that have payment capacity

• Product
  • The price of $ US 500 (Five hundred US dollars 00/100) covers all costs
    • Production´s costs
    • Rural Promotion and Sales´ costs
• Repair and maintenance services
  • The price, which covers all costs, is calculated based on each specific situation
• ENERGETICA´s customers are already used to this form of payment
• From his work experience, ENERGETICA knows to hold Municipalities accountable for the proper use and maintenance of their assets, it is necessary that they pay for them. That is why it will seek the support of International Organizations (grants or loans) to develop the following financing scheme
  • Municipalities´ input (30% to 40%):                    150 to 200 $us International Organizations´input (60% to 70%): 300 to 350 $us

Scenario with Municipalities that do not have the capacity to pay

• From his work experience, ENERGETICA knows to hold Municipalities accountable for the proper use and maintenance of their assets, it is necessary that they pay for them. That is why it will seek the support of International Organizations (grants or loans) to develop the following financing scheme
  • Municipalities´ input (30% to 40%)                        150 to 200 $us International Organizations´input (60% to 70%)     300 to 350 $us

To find help for improve our solution:

• Product and service improvement
• Production process´ optimization
• Development of alternative financial models given the Bolivian Municipalities´ difficult financial situation
• Business model´s  improvement

Solution Technology

Arduino electronic technology is generic, it is likely that there are more specific technologies that make hand basin´s production easier

Funding and Revenue model

Bolivia´s Municipalities have decreased their income by 70%. It is necessary to develop alternative financial models (loans or grants) that take care of the accountability´s criteria (for assets´s preservation,  gifted assets are not taken care of) and economic aid (given the Bolivia´s economic recession that will experience)

Business model

ue to the coronavirus pandemic, digital marketing means have become more important. ENERGETICA wants to improve this area of work.

MIT SOLVE could suggest and encourage institutions that could help ENERGETICA.

The priority areas of collaboration are: technological, financial  and marketing

• The solution presented by ENERGETICA explains why is applying for the prize.
• ENERGETICA´s team, mainly the advisors and microfranchisees, are at contagion´s high risk with the coronavirus because in rural areas, due to disinformation and cultural reasons, the population tries to come into direct contact with people.
• Since its foundation, ENERGETICA seeks that the rural disadvantaged people have access to Energy. Now, in face of the coronavirus pandemic seeks that poors have access to prevention
• The proposed solution
  • Shows all the work being done to help the most disadvantaged
  • That the creative technological solution developed responds to the specific problems of the rural people to prevent against the coronavirus
• ENERGETICA during all the years of work, has had to solve the different problems that arise to find solutions. With the hand basin they have already been resolved
  • Problems of identifying needs and problems (economic, technical, cultural and scarcity) = Concept 
  • Problems of developing a product suitable to the Bolivian rural context = Prototype
  • Problems of getting the product to rural areas = Pilot Stage

The solution presented by ENERGETICA explains why is applying for the prize.

Having reviewed the requirements to apply for the Prize, it is estimated that ENERGETICA meets them. The consideration of the ENERGETICA´s participation is left to the judgment of the sponsoring institution. 

ENERGETICA's solution has creatively used electronic and solar system technologies to solve specific problems of lack of prevention against coronavirus (see What is your solution?).

ENERGETICA since two years has checked neuromarketing (neuroscience´s field), identifying concepts and techniques that enhance their sales work in social projects that benefit the rural poors.

ENERGETICA has used these findings in his work in rural areas with remarkable results:

• The concept that decisions are not strictly rational, but are rational based on emotions (imprints) has been used to identify the emotions (imprints) that make a better decision possible for its users.
• The concept that emotions are awakened with all the senses has been used to sell their flour mills, because users have perceived the mills through all their senses:
  • Sense of sight: The mills have very striking colors to catch users´ attention
  • Sense of hearing: Mills are turned on for users to hear stable and smooth noise from motors
  • Sense of smell: Users are made to smell the flour so that they smell the good aroma flour´s (no odors from the mill motor)
  • Sense of touch: Users are made to feel by hand ground flour granules´  small and homogeneous
  • Sense of taste: Users are made to lick the flour, so that they feel flour´s good taste

ENERGETICA is applying, now, concepts of neuromarketing and cultural marketing in its digital marketing work

The solution presented by ENERGETICA explains why is applying for the prize.

Having reviewed the requirements to apply for the Prize, it is estimated that ENERGETICA meets them. The consideration of the ENERGETICA´s participation is left to the judgment of the sponsoring institution. 

The solution developed by ENERGETICA serves Bolivia´s girls and women of Rural Municipalities. Women participate in hand basin´s team and have a important role in ENERGETICA

The solution presented by ENERGETICA explains why is applying for the prize.

Having reviewed the requirements to apply for the Prize, it is estimated that ENERGETICA meets them. The consideration of the ENERGETICA´s participation is left to the judgment of the sponsoring institution. 

The solution developed by ENERGETICA could be implemented in refugee camps

The solution presented by ENERGETICA explains why is applying for the prize.

Having reviewed the requirements to apply for the Prize, it is estimated that ENERGETICA meets them. The consideration of the ENERGETICA´s participation is left to the judgment of the sponsoring institution. 

ENERGETICA specifically applies to Health Security & Pandemics´challenge for improve his solution.

If ENERGETICA accesses financing, it could implement its solution more quickly

The solution presented by ENERGETICA explains why is applying for the prize.

Having reviewed the requirements to apply for the Prize, it is estimated that ENERGETICA meets them. The consideration of the ENERGETICA´s participation is left to the judgment of the sponsoring institution. 

The solution that ENERGETICA is implementing will help thousands of people in rural areas of Bolivia, Latin America and the World.

ENERGETICA specifically applies to Health Security & Pandemics´challenge for improve his solution.

If ENERGETICA accesses financing, it could implement its solution more quickly