Our Design Philosophy
Africa Power sources, tests, adapts and develops the lowest life-cycle cost products to rent or sell to our clients.
We start by determining the current and potential average daily output of each business. For example:
> The number of haircuts
> The amount of food/drink/agri-produce needing chilled
> The volume of grain to be milled per day
> The number of litres of water to be pumped to what height per day
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We then source the highest efficiency (DC) equipment to fulfil this task. Frequently we work with manufacturers to improve their standard products, e.g. by replacing AC motors with permanent magnet DC motors, increasing insulation, etc.
By sourcing the highest efficiency DC equipment, we can dispense with inverters, which are up to 25% of a power system’s cost, and specify a smaller solar power system. Even if the higher efficiency equipment is more expensive, the combined capital cost with a smaller power system is lower than buying the lowest cost (lower efficiency (AC)) equipment with its need for more power.
High–efficiency equipment is generally very well engineered (to gain the required efficiencies) and is thus of higher quality and lasts longer. This gives a double life-cycle cost advantage:
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1. A lower capital cost for the combined Productive Power system
2. A longer life
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Partner with Us
Sustainable Energy for All cannot be achieved by one company or organisation alone. Much of our success can be ascribed to our growing number of successful partnerships.
We thus welcome solicitations from any consultant; company, University; organisation, NGO; Government and International body. Call us or send us an email, and we will get right back to you.
We are always particularly interested in:
> Evaluating and purchasing new “solar-ready” high efficiency (generally DC) equipment and appliances
> New distributors who would like to buy our in-house systems and solutions
> Working with Universities and research institutions to develop and commercialise new products; both on the (renewable energy side) and on the end-use equipment side and to evaluate the impact of deploying productive power
> Working with new partners to apply for grant or investment funding
> Companies and organisations who can provide training in-country – both technical training and business skills and especially organisations targeting support for women; youth; handicapped and other socially excluded or marginalised groups.
> Companies who can provide agricultural consultancy, support and advice, especially hydrologists; agronomist; animal husbandry We have successfully partnered with companies; not-for-profit and academics. We seek partners with shared values, that technology couple with social interventions can improve people's lives and livelihoods. We respect and can work with social enterprises, NGO’s; not-for-profits and other business models to ours and only ask that our partners respect the need for us to be profitable and to seek to make our clients businesses more profitable.
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