Mobile Solar Wearbles

Mobile Solar Wearables solves the problem of power blackouts in people’s mobile gadgets most especially the mobile phones. The mobile gadgets charges during outdoor exposure to sunlight. Even when the gadget is fully charged or when the gadget is in use, the extra power is stored.

Mobile Solar Wearables aims at making solar energy generation within human’s fashion and attire, to enable us for instance, conveniently charge our gadgets just while strolling the city streets or outside in extreme fields.

Did you know that your phone running out of power for 1 hour every day risks you losing up to $50,000 within two years? In a survey we undertook to indorse this project, 40% of mobile users we interviewed in Kampala Business District had mobile phones without power by 4 P.M, and 60% were off by 6 P.M, when most were retiring to their homes.

Did you know that your phone running out of power for 1 hour every day risks you losing up to $50,000 within two years? In a survey we undertook to endorse this project, 40% of mobile users we interviewed in Kampala Business District had mobile phones without power by 4 P.M, and 60% were off by 6 P.M, when most were retiring to their homes.

The 40% of the mobile phone users whose batteries had power said their kind of employment immobilized them at a fixed place with power supply, while the 60% whose mobile phones were either off or could no longer receive or make more than 30 minutes of calls said the nature of their employment did not allow them to be immobile at one point, e.g. a desk, where they could charge their gadgets. Human beings are at a crucial stage of their unique evolution where we need electricity generation handy, to power our various gadgets, most importantly the mobile phone, just as we need oxygen or food and water.

There are two specific target groups within mobile gadget owners. These are countryside farming population, and fashionable gadget owners (those who have a taste for divergent gadgets as well as those who own mobile gadgets—phones, rechargeable power banks, Bluetooth Mobile Speakers, Rechargeable Headphones, Smart Watches, etcetera). The most important subdivision within these gadget owners include the low and middle income individuals such as the youth.

This is because, in our survey, we found out that lack of power affects mostly low income earners gadgets, due to factors like employment type, affordability of comfort, among others. White-collar employees often have more access to power in their offices and as such are rarely affected by lack of power in their gadgets. Similarly, richer people who can afford sources of comfort such as cars and homes connected to electricity are more able to power their mobile gadgets than their poorer counterparts who cannot afford such comfort.

Some power bank manufacturers have started to realise the importance of energy generation and have as well started to fit their products with solar panels, however, this still doesn’t solve the problem of convenience. With great degree of convenience, Solar Wearables do solve the problem of accessibility and even much more.  

This is because with power banks (even those that use solar energy), the user is often inconvenienced by charging them either using grid electricity sources or solar power. But with Solar Wearable kits such as the women’s solar handbag, the possessor such as a working class lady will always have free energy unconsciously deposited in her solar power bank of her handbag. She could as well connect her gadgets while commuting for work under the morning sun or in some cases, even when she is traveling by bus or other transport means. The inventor has been able to power his mobile phone with this technology 35000 feet aboard an ordinary passenger airline.

Mobile Solar Wearables aims at making solar energy generation within human’s fashion and attire, to enable us for instance, conveniently charge our gadgets just while strolling the city streets or outside in extreme fields. With this innovation, phone running low on battery because you are far from home or a charging centre is absolutely rendered a thing of the past.

In our survey, it was discovered that in an attempt to solve the problem ‘gadget’s blackouts’, many users adopted power banks, a portable battery system for power storage. However, there are two pressing problems with powerbanks and as such only about 40% of gadget owners also owned them. The first problem was that powerbanks did not generate electricity on their own—the user has to go out of their way to recharge them; and the other was that of cost and affordability, in that people thought powerbanks were expensive.

With plentiful energies (solar inclusive), it is inconvincible that lack of enough energy still haunts people’s gadgets. In this connection, 70% of the mobile gadget users said their phones have been off ‘unfortunately’ for between 40 minutes to 4 hours every day due to lack of power. If your phone, for instance, is off for 4 hours every day during business hours, then you lost about 1 day in a week of connectivity, and about 5 days every month. This can have a far-reaching negative impact on both your social life and finances, given that our mobile gadgets are vital means to our social and economic wellbeing.

This technology is a marriage between fashion industry and electricity generation, thus, electricity within fashion is the best description.

Mobile Solar Wearable technology is thus not only the most convenient way to power our gadgets away from our homes, but also a cost effective way of cutting carbon emissions and embrace the green energy revolution. This invention thus targets 800 million mobile phone owners. Most interestingly, this market extends far beyond Africa to other countries where solar energy can be generated.

There are two specific target groups within mobile gadget owners. These are countryside farming population, and fashionable gadget owners (those who have a taste for divergent gadgets as well as those who own mobile gadgets—phones, rechargeable powerbanks, Bluetooth Mobile Speakers, Rechargeable Headphones, Smart Watches, etcetera). The most important subdivision within these gadget owners include the low and middle income individuals such as the youth.

This is because with powerbanks (even those that use solar energy), the user is often inconvenienced by charging them either using grid electricity sources or solar power. But with Solar Wearable kits such as the women’s solar handbag, the possessor such as a working class lady will always have free energy unconsciously deposited in her solar powerbank of her handbag. She could as well connect her gadgets while commuting for work under the morning sun or in some cases, even when she is travelling by bus or other transport means. The inventor has been able to power his mobile phone with this technology 35000 feet aboard an ordinary passenger airline.

We are currently serving over about 1000 people as the test market group. In the next one year, we aim at increasing this population ten to a hundred fold-depending funding we get.

Along with mobile phones, Africans own a range of other information devices, and gadgets that consume electricity. According to the World Bank, Sub-Saharan Africa currently has 420 million unique mobile subscribers with a 43% penetration rate. According to this report, around a third of mobile users, 250 million, have a smartphone.

The report further shows the linkages between smartphone ownership and that of other gadgets such as rechargeable devices like speakers, headphones among others. We anticipate to impact an increasing number of people of up to 500 million in the next 5 years, given that the number of phone users are increasing as well as those of other gadgets.

We want to start up a standard production unit producing at least 3000 units of products a day. We also want to expand our customer base to 10000 people every year for the next five years.

Our major barrier are limited finances that inhibit us from expansion and scaling, plus research. Funding is very crucial for projects in seed stage. With more funding, we cannot only expand our horizon but also expand our research options, through quality equipment such as a modern photovoltaic lab for tasting.

We will increase our sourcing to funding, through application to such opportunities, as well as private equity funders.

We are 4 team members.

The general manager, solar electrician, fashion designer and marketer.

Our team include some of the most experienced, most qualified business people, engineers, marketers and fashion designers. Such an amalgam do not only impact knowledge sharing but also promote professionalism at work.

Our partner is currently ENVenture, a business working with CBOs in Uganda, to increase access to renewable energy products in rural households. We are also constantly seeking to expand our customer and partner base as well.

Our business takes the form of a typical production unit where physical products are manufactured and distributed at a profit. However, we also take the form of a socially responsible enterprise promoting greener future through cutting carbon emissions.

For sustainability of this business, we will sell our products and generate profits both for longer term investment operations such as expansion as well as to enable the day to day running of the enterprises. 

I am specifically applying for Solve's support because we need financial support in form of an investment grant to enable us lift Solar Wearable production from the prototype level to the next level. Secondly, belonging to such a community of creative, innovative and versatile world problem solvers is where Mobile Solar Wearables team surely belongs. We want to create synergy with Solve team to solve more world problems!

We would like to partner with International Technology firms such as Google, Apple and Facebook to enable us advertise our products easily, there by reaching more in our target market.