As of last year, 1.3 billion people world-wide were living in areas that had no access to electricity. Approximately 780 million of those same people also lack clean water. And while those numbers have fallen since 2008, when 1.8 billion individuals were said to be living off-grid, these numbers are still huge.
Thankfully, start-ups and charities are coming up with new and ever-more-inventive ways of providing power, water, convenience and more to these under-developed parts of the globe. One of the chief factors in this uptick in off-the-grid tech has been an across-the-board price reduction in the cost of solar cells and LED lighting. In fact, in off-grid areas, the installation and maintenance of solar and other renewable energy sources is now more affordable than laying traditional cable. Could the grid itself become obsolete in the near future?
Here are 11 inventions that are moving off-grid living into tomorrow.
1. The Fenix Readyset
While the grid itself might be showing signs of irrelevancy, the need for power is not. The quick, portable and reliable charging of our ever-expanding array of devices is imperative. And the Readyset delivers just that. Capable of providing power via either solar or pedal-power, the Readyset is capable of charging whenever power is needed. In areas where such options aren't prevalent, the selling of power - even at US$0.25 a charge - can pay for the Readyset inside of three months.
2. The Powerpot
Even more portable than the Readyset, the Powerpot series output 5, 10 or even 15 watts of juice every time they're heated. Ostensibly backpack cooking pots stuck to thermoelectric generating bases, Powerpots are composed of anodized aluminium to reduce their weight. To control how much power your pot puts out, just adjust the boil. At a full boil, a single meal's worth of water can power up to four mobile devices all night.
3. GravityLight
If efficiency of power delivery is the goal, then it's hard to beat the GravityLight. The simple raising of a weighted bag provides 30 minutes of electric light. Once production ramps up, each unit is planned to sell for less than US$5. That's pretty economical. And it's nearly as convenient as a simple flick of a switch. The only downside is that the GravityLight doesn't quite generate enough power to juice up your iPad.
4. The Ibasei Cappa Generator
If flowing water is nearby, then electricity is, too. Such is the tried-and-true boon of hydroelectric generators. The wonderful innovation of the Ibasei Cappa generator is that it miniaturizes what used to require a raging river to something that fits into a small brook. With a capacity of 250 watts, the Ibasei Cappa is an order of magnitude more powerful than the Readyset or Powerpot, if a bit less mobile.
5. Uprise Portable Power
The Portable Power Centre by Uprise Energy puts out plenty of energy without sacrificing mobility. The collapsable wind turbine is capable of generating 50kW of electricity, enough for a small village. As added bonuses, the power centre can store some of the energy it collects for use during periods of low wind and even filter drinking water from the ambient air. Even at the cost of a quarter of a million dollars, that's quite the bargain.
6. The Sheerwind INVELOX
Planned for deployment this very year, the INVELOX is a new sort of wind power generator. Unlike traditional turbines, the new generator is a passive piece of hardware which converts pressure into kinetic energy. Viewed as a more reliable system due to its fewer moving parts, the INVELOX has also produced up to three times the energy output of traditional turbines of the same size. Even for a large population, this sort of technology can mean much cheaper energy rates. For a small group of people, it could mean enough power for everyone where before there was nothing.
7. Watercones
If the grid is to be sustainably circumvented, electricity can't be our only priority. Recently repopularized by their appearance in the film Life of Pi, solar stills can convert seawater into clean freshwater through evaporation. Each basic Watercone can create 1.5 litres of clean water daily. Enough for one child's daily needs, or about half of what an adult requires. That being said, at least they're light and only require filling with seawater and the sun to work.
8. The Eliodomestico
Larger than the Watercones, the Eliodomestico functions on the same principle. It percolates dirty or salty water into fresh water like a giant upside-down coffee maker. Due to its size, the Eliodomestico can produce five litres of water a day, enough for two grown individuals. It can also be built cheaply from local materials wherever it is needed. If each family of four were to construct two of these, their water needs would be satisfied.
9. Lifestraw
When water is scarce and what can be found is dirty, desalination doesn't quite fit the bill. In these circumstances, when all manner of health risks can be present in what little water is to be found, a portable filter is required. Lifestraw filters out everything from Cholera to dysentery and Typhoid. Sure, pure water is still preferable, but in a pinch you'd be happy to have a Lifestraw in your kit.
10. Sustainable Refrigerators
With enough renewable energy around, refrigerators could be powered by wind or water turbines. But if the wind dies down or the river slows, these power-hungry appliances might be sacrificed to keep the lights on. Thankfully, a British student named Emily Cummins recently developed a sustainable refrigeration unit which requires no electricity. Instead, water-soaked sand leaches heat from the interior of the container as the unit's exterior is exposed to the sun.
11. ELF Velomobile
So, what of transit, you might ask? Well in Durham, North Carolina [USA] a handful of individuals are building solar/pedal hybrid vehicles capable of hauling you and 350 lbs of cargo around without a bit of fuel. Sure the ELF is a modern version of the Flintstone mobile, but anything that you don't have to plug in or gas up and will still haul your junk for you is pretty impressive. The motor will even get you over that big hill you wouldn't be able to pedal your way over if you were taking Lance Armstrong's not-so-secret sauce.
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