ThinkGAS SAGknihT
ThinkGas is making a plug and play IoT Biogas digester for homes to turn wastes into energy for clean cooking and electricity generation.
A plug and play IoT Biogas digester for every home to turn their waste into energy for clean cooking and electricity generation. Our product is the IoT device that manages the entire process of biogas production with updated and real time information to our clients via a mobile app.
The IoT device is a plug and play system that contains latest sensor that provides real time status to the server and with a sophisticated and user friendly app, our clients can have all the information and plan their cooking on daily basis.
No more running out of gas as the app can give the accurate amount of gas available and the amount of hours of cooking that can be done with it. It even goes further to suggest the kind of meal that can be done based on the information available.
The device gives reminder on adding waste and also notifies when it is time for maintenance. It watches over the digester to make sure it produces gas round the figure based on our well researched and tested data.
It manipulates factors such as temperature and concentration of methane produced for continuous gas production
The energy sector contributes 72% of the global 50 billion tones of co2 per annum which is the main cause of climate change and the highest demand of the world right now is a cheaper and cleaner source of energy,
The refilling price of the cooking gas per kg is increasing everyday which is making people to find alternative but unclean cooking fuel. Biogas is an alternative and clean source of energy and a known carbon neutralizer that can satisfy our energy needs but yet untapped.
The amount of biodegradable waste being generated daily also contribute the green house gas emission contributing to the climate change as methane is 86 times potent than carbon. All of these problems we try to solve with our smart IoT biodigester.
Our solution is made locally and so we are currently targeting our local market which is Oyo state in Nigeria. Oyo state has about 1.98 million households and our target is to serve 20% of this market.
In the next 2 years after launch, we will be moving to Nigeria as a bigger market with about 30 million households also targeting 20%.
We have interviewed about 200 homes and mostly women and we discovered that the hike in cooking gas has made them found alternatives which are mostly unclean and when they learnt about our solution, they were eager to come onboard and so, we will be targeting mostly women in different households.
Our solution seems perfect for them as it will be the first time they will be having their cooking fuel very affordable and having updates on a mobile phone to plan their cooking lifestyle. Many seems very satisfied with this solution.
We had interviews for 20 homes and mostly women where we asked specific questions such as:
1. What informed your choice of cooking energy/fuel?
2. Does your choice currently satisfy your energy needs?.
3.When last did you use it to cook? etc
There we Learnt that
1. Affordability drives the cost of cooking energy for the women
2. and all of them are opened to generating energy from waste
and when they heard about the Smart system, they were really interested and wanted to have it.
With the feedback we got, we refined the product, and this won the Allon Grant
- Taking action to combat climate change and its impacts (Sustainability)
- Prototype: A venture or organization building and testing its product, service, or business model
We have a MVP we are currently testing and gathering data as shown in the elevation pitch video and that is why I chose prototype stage.
- A new project or business that relies on technology to be successful
Generation of gas from waste is a renewable source of energy and just like many other renewable sources, it is unpredictable and unstable, but there are known factors.
When it comes to biogas, there are known factors such as micro-organisms responsible for the digestion and gives of methane and other gases, the temperature at which the fermentation is most rapid, the concentration of the methane content in percentage to other content, the substrates etc.
So with these known factors, we have developed an IoT device with a number of sensor and outputs that can independently manipulate these factors for stable production of gases while giving notifications of the conditions via a mobile app and prompt by users.
That is the science and technology behind our IoT based biogas digester and how we are able to guarantee an efficient clean cooking gas to our customers.
References
1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/...
2. https://www.eesi.org/papers/vi...
- Internet of Things
- Software and Mobile Applications
- Nigeria
The solution is planned to serve 3 million homes in the next year of launch.
The goal next year is to use the results of the test to produce the final product that is more efficient. Then work on the collapsible kits that will be sold to the people for conversion and monitoring of their waste via a mobile app.
The impact on the people will be affordability in the face of the continuous rise in lpg prices.
This will also reduce the air pollution that causes diseases for mostly women and girls who are prone to cooking with unclean fossil fuels.
With this solution, we are mitigating climate change one home at a time and with one digester at time. 100 000 units of this solution will save over 30000 tons of co2.
The solution is centered on SDG 7 which affordable clean energy and SDG 13 climate action.
The number of solutions deploy to homes is an indicator of the number of people that have access to clean energy and also the impact they are collectively contributing to the climate action.
The major barrier as of now is the funds to mass produce our solution. One of the reasons why I am also applying for this program. I will also be interested in technical assistance I can get especially in the UI/UX of the mobile app.
Ajayeoba Isarael is the COO. He is an Embeded System Engineer, A graduate of Mechatronics Engineering with a vast experience in embedded systems, digital electronics and power electronics.
AKINRINADE JUMOKE BUKOLA is the Business Manager with many years of experience in telecommunication industry. Had a degree in Office Technology Management. She is a professional Customer and Service Rep with 7 years of experience.
OLUKOKUN TOLULOPE OPEYEMI is the CEO, a mechatronics engineer with a professional background mechanical engineering. He brings 17 years of experience in related works.
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Our solution is a social innovation solving such as environmental and economic challenges known to be social problems and which is enshrined in the united nations sustainable development goals.
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