Company Brochure 2014

Transcription

1 the solar revolution Company Brochure 2014

2 BBOXX designs, manufactures, distributes and finances innovative solar systems to improve access to energy across Africa and the developing world. BBOXX is leading The Solar Revolution by offering an on-grid experience in an offgrid world powered through a unique financing model to sell solar systems to the mass market on a monthly payment plan. BBOXX leads and manages all aspects of its business operations engineered from its lab in London, manufactured in its factory in China, followed by distribution to partners in 35 countries and 30 local shops in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

3 I have saved money with BBOXX, I no longer buy paraffin or dry cell batteries. I use the money for my children and buy bran for my pigs. When swine fever came many pigs became sickly, but my pigs had good food and good health. Kabugho Rebecca, BB17 customer Locations BBOXX Ltd. is a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) registered in the United Kingdom in The company has expanded rapidly from 3 founders to a global staff of 140 in 2014, including 38 employees in the UK and 102 worldwide. BBOXX evolved globally, representing the different aspects of our business: engineering (BBOXX Ltd), manufacturing (BBOXX Asia), financing (BBOXX Capital) and sales/retail (BBOXX Capital Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda). By designing our business in this way, all aspects are vertically integrated. BBOXX avoids subcontracting to be a more efficient company that produces responsive products to market demands. Fast Facts 205,000 49,524 $1,188,570 19, people impacted by clean and renewable solar energy productive hours created for working and studying tonnes of CO 2 offset MWh generated from the sun saved in energy-related expenses BBOXX Ltd. represents our Headquarters based in London which manages subsidiary companies. It includes BBOXX Engineering: a 12-strong team based in West London which designs and engineers BBOXX hardware and develops software in addition to providing technical support to our partners and teams on the ground. BBOXX Capital. BBOXX maintains an endcustomer financing programme which allows greater access to our range of solar products. BBOXX systems can be paid by customers in monthly payments from 12 to 36 months which includes the price of the product as well as maintenance costs. These monthly payments are adjusted to the local market, matching the cost of kerosene fuel, making clean solar energy a viable alternative for all. BBOXX Kenya, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Uganda. BBOXX owns subsidiaries in Kenya, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Uganda, which retail products directly to consumers through a growing network of 30 shops and hubs. BBOXX Asia. BBOXX products are manufactured in an ethical factory in Guangzhou with strict quality control standards. Our factory workers make a fair living wage and are also compensated for the costs of housing and food.

4 Products SMART Solar Over the last 5 years, BBOXX has designed and produced a number of different solar products. The current version of all BBOXX products are more reliable and more advanced than ever before. BBOXX also invests in quality control at all levels and demands high standards for all of its products. BBOXX has a research and development (R&D) lab in London that has developed a remote monitoring and management system called SMART Solar which allows for proactive monitoring of BBOXX products. SMART Solar data links customers, equipment, support and payment systems; overall helping to built trust in sustainable electricity. Information about customer usage and potential errors or improper use helps BBOXX to extend the life of our products and provide superior customer service. SMART Solar also includes a remote shut-down option, which helps to de-risk payment plans and provides an incentive for customers to make their monthly payments. 1. Install BBOXX Kit 2. Control Remotely Solar Kits For families and individuals in the developing world, BBOXX offers a wide range of Solar Kits to accommodate the energy needs of small to medium households. BBOXX Solar Kits power basic residential appliances such as lights and phone charging stations. Solar kits are userfriendly, easy to install, require very little maintenance and can be recharged daily using our solar panels. Solar Installations For larger households or commercial use in the developing world, BBOXX offers a wide range of Solar Installations which can replace noisy, expensive and polluting diesel generators. BBOXX Solar Installations are plug & play units which integrate all the wiring, fusing and electronics; and just as with Solar Kits, Installations are charged every day using solar panels and can also be topped up from the traditional electricity grid. Solar Installations are also userfriendly, easy to install and require very little maintenance. All Products 3. Monitor Product 4. Locate Product For more details about our products, see our website: or request a product brochure by sales@bboxx.co.uk

5 Projects Case Studies In addition to Solar Kits and Solar Installations BBOXX works on special projects such as tenders and grants throughout the developing world working with non-governmental organisations, charities and governments. BBOXX continually examines the use of our products in our markets in Case Studies. We collect a vast amount of data and customer information not only to provide superior customer service, but to also ensure our products survive and thrive in harsh environments. BBOXX also regularly conducts interviews with its customers to learn how using solar is changing their lives. Here are a few of our favourite stories. Aisha Mulidwa Energy Kiosk A BBOXX Energy Kiosk offers a cost effective solution to provide basic electricity to local communities by lending charged BBOXX units. The financially sustainable business model has the user pay a recharge fee for a BBOXX unit which can be transported to their home to use. Energy Kiosks can be life changing for off-grid villages and help create local jobs. Energy Kiosk concept Central power generation through solar power Decentralized distribution through BBOXX battery boxes Payments can be made through Mobile Money to reduce risk of theft and administrative challenges Payments run from $0.5/week to $10/week Running costs of approximately $40-90 per household/year Aisha Mulidwa is a BBOXX customer in an old railway town in Kasese, Western Uganda. She is 25 years old and has two children. BBOXX sales agents helped Aisha decide on our BB7 product together with a 15W Solar Panel to charge two mobile phones and power two light bulbs, on a monthly payment plan. Aisha was so happy with her BB7 product that she recommended ten of her neighbours to see BBOXX for their solar systems. She said, "Everyone that I have referred to BBOXX has praised the warm, friendly customer service extended to them upon arrival." Our BBOXX agents noticed her enthusiasm and offered Aisha a job as an official BBOXX sales agent in August Because she has difficulty reading and writing Aisha works with a student to help her fill out incoming applications and has also hired a sales agent to help her with demand. By the end of her first week working with BBOXX, Aisha had brought in an additional eight customers. Aisha is now one of BBOXX's most successful sales agents and regularly helps us bring in new customers in western Uganda. Rukoki Prison In August 2014, BBOXX received an order for a solar installation for a different type of client, the Rukoki prison in Uganda. The prisoners there had never had access to electricity, as it was seen as too costly to justify the investments despite clear safety benefits. Godfred, the officer in charge of the Rukoki prison, told us, Prior to BBOXX, the prison was using hurricane lamps to light the prisoners ward. It had become so costly given the price of kerosene. And yet, it was not very convenient to use. The night of 29 th August 2014 will forever remain a dream-day for the staff and prisoners of Rukoki Prison marked with celebration especially for the prisoners who were the direct beneficiaries. With BBOXX the Rukoki prison can spread the cost of their system over time in our monthly payment plan, and is now able to afford electricity for the first time.

6 Customers A BBOXX customer is typically located in a rural off-grid area. Most earn their living by farming coffee or vanilla bean on small plots of 1-2 acres. Some, especially around the Great Lakes, are fishermen who catch tilapia and nile perch. Customers in Uganda usually earn US$150-$200 per month and spend $10-12 on energy expenditure such as purchasing kerosene, batteries, and charging their phones. BBOXX prices its direct sales units to match these existing energy costs, spreading the cost of a solar system over time to widen its customer base, enabling the masses to purchase clean renewable solar energy. Impact Savings On average a household saved US$17 per month from using a BBOXX Solar kit. This level of savings alone can support BBOXX s solar kit payment plans. Many customers also create small businesses using their solar kit such as phone charging. In fact, 71% of households interviewed benefited from additional income after purchasing a BBOXX system, making an average additional revenue of $49 per month. Gaining Time BBOXX has commissioned an independent impact study of its solar kit products in Uganda, and found that customers benefitted from an additional 2 hours of lighting per day. With more hours of light, people can increase productivity in small business activities like preparing goods for the market, and children can read and study after dark. $17 BBOXX solar products have a large impact, both on development and the environment. Development Impact Environmental Impact Scale and 1 MW BBOXX has sold 41,000 units BBOXX solar systems offer a Although BBOXX designs in 35 countries, improving the reliable source of renewable many different products, lives of 205,000 people without energy and are environmen- most of its sales are of inditricity. reliable access to electally friendly. Environmenvidual solar kits for families of By making solar power a viable means of electrical tal Resources Management (ERM), a leading global provider about 5 people. BBOXX caters to this small and underserved supply for off-grid communities, of environmental, social rural off-grid market, but BBOXX improves the and sustainability related still remains a leader in the quality of life, raising awareness of the potential of solar services, conducted a study on BBOXX in June 2013, measuring field, as measured by overall watts produced. In late 2014, power, and makes a solid our environmental im- BBOXX celebrated manu- contribution to sustainable development. pact and providing a quantifiable number of offset CO 2. facturing 1 Million Watts, a megawatt. Helping the Environment The ERM Foundation estimated the carbon footprint of a BBOXX solar kit compared with the use of a fossil fuel based electricity generator. The assessment reveals that on a daily basis, the use of a BB38 in comparison to the reference scenario (generator) reduces emissions by over 90%. Scale: 1 MW What does 1 MW mean? A watt is a unit of power that expresses the rate of energy conversion over time. BBOXX has produced and distributed one million watts of solar power in the developing world. How does this compare? Producing one megawatt of power can supply 2,500 people in the US for one hour or 205,000 in Africa. BBOXX brings development and environmental impact to scale, producing small solar home systems that add up to real measureable impact.

7 Partners BBOXX cooperates with interested partners who share its mission of bringing solar power to the developing world. There are a number of different funders, companies, associations and universities that we work with, such as: Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF) Global Off-Grid Lighting Association (GOGLA) Institute of Engineering and Technology Product Health Investors Scottish Government Malawi Development Programme Stanford University Program on Energy and Sustainable Development (PESD) UN Foundation Sustainable Energy for All Initiative (SE4ALL). History The three co-founders of BBOXX met at Imperial College London while studying Electrical and Electronics Engineering. All three had travelled in the developing world and recognised the challenge posed to community and business development by the unreliable electrical supply. They saw potential in the lack of existing infrastructure to create a sustainable, environmentally responsible solution to the problem. In response, the trio founded a successful student charity, which exposed the potential for off-grid solar solutions in the developing world. BBOXX is the resulting for-profit venture and started in March 2010 About BBOXX BBOXX has received investment funding and support from Khosla Impact and Synergy Energy. If you know an investor who would be interested in our company, please contact us. Press BBOXX is regularly featured in the media and enjoys contributing to the discussions. Highlights include: features on Bloomberg TV and CNBC, BBC Radio 5 Live, as well as in The Telegraph, Wired, The Guardian, Director Magazine, Bizworld, b.there magazine for Brussels Airlines, Selamta magazine for Ethiopian Airlines, Energy Now and the Engineering & Technology magazine. Awards BBOXX is continually recognized for its success and has been honoured with several awards in 2014, including: Lloyds Bank Best UK Enterprise Award, the Energy Excellence Award from the Energy Institute, Best Social Enterprise at the British Young Business Awards, The Telegraph Startups 100 Award, Smarta 100 Award and more. History Where We ve Come From The three co-founders of BBOXX met at Imperial College London while studying Electrical and Electronics Engineering. All three had travelled in the developing world and recognised the challenge posed to community and business development by the unreliable electrical supply. They saw potential in the lack of existing infrastructure to create a sustainable, environmentally responsible solution to the problem. In response, the trio founded a successful student charity, which exposed the potential for off-grid solar solutions in the developing world. BBOXX is the resulting for-profit venture and started in March Vision Where We re Going BBOXX will provide 20 million people with electricity by By satisfying the genuine energy needs of individuals and families from home lighting to phone charging, BBOXX helps the developing world to climb the Energy Ladder. With BBOXX products, customers have the ability to have a western energy experience off-the-grid and in rural areas. Through a vast network of shops and outlets, BBOXX focuses on giving access to the fundamental need of access to electricity combined with superior customer service. Within this network, we provide hundreds of jobs to local employees and create a retail market unlike anything seen in the developing world.

8 Contact Headquarters BBOXX, The Lightbox, Unit Power Road, London W4 5PY United Kingdom T: : bboxx.uk E: info@bboxx.co.uk Engineering T: : bboxx.uk Sales & Support T: :bboxx.uk : bboxx.sales E: sales@bboxx.co.uk BBOXX Kenya 10 Changamwe Road, Off Enterprise Road, Industrial Area, Nairobi T: E: info@bboxx.co.ke BBOXX Rwanda BBOXX Capital Rwanda Ltd, Rugunga, Kiyovu, Nyarugenge, Kigali City T: E: j.mucyo@bboxx.co.uk BBOXX Uganda PLOT 1&2 Martyrs Way Ntinda, Ministers Village, Kampala T: E: info@bboxx.co.ug Supply Chain BBOXX Asia 7/F, NO.6 Changqiao Street Shabei, Jinshazhou, Guangzhou China T: : bboxx.asia Hong Kong BBOXX Asia Flat L, 21/F, Block 1, Golden Dragon Industrial Centre, Tai Lin Pai Road, Kwai Chung, NT. Hong Kong People s Republic of China

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