Charging a cell phone in Tanzania using EGG-energy’s innovative “portable grid.”
In keeping with the holiday spirit, I wanted to draw readers’ attention to the great work being done by EGG-energy to deliver electric power to low-income African households. Co-founded by my friend Ben Lambert, EGG-energy is pioneering the “portable grid.” According to their site:
80% of Tanzanians live within 5 km of the power grid. 90% of them lack access to electricity. We aim to bridge the gap between household and grid by implementing a simple, safe and affordable market-based solution.
1. We take power from a grid or off-grid power station and package it into portable, rechargeable, and affordable batteries. Each battery is about the size of a brick and lasts about five nights in a typical household.
2. Each battery is rented to a customer in exchange for a subscription fee.
3. Customers can exchange their depleted battery for a fully charged one at any time, by paying a small swapping fee at a nearby EGG-energy charging depot.