This project will explore the feasibility of distributing ‘NowLight’ as a means of providing low-cost, renewable energy to ‘bottom of the pyramid’ (BOP) customers in Pakistan and D.R. Congo. The project will focus on testing routes to market and different financing models for NowLight. The project will also evaluate the impact and uptake of NowLight across different demographic groups. The goal of the study is to develop a distribution roadmap and launch plan for NowLight in other BOP markets.

This application is to establish the TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY of a novel, off-grid and low cost human-powered lighting solution: GravityLight. GravityLight offers RENEWABLE, RELIABLE AND LOW COST light, specifically designed for users in developing countries with little if any access to grid power, using kerosene lamps for light instead. GravityLight is an innovative solution using a suspended mass (a bag filled with readily available materials eg. rocks) mechanically connected to a bespoke gearbox, generator and high efficiency LED light. The user lifts the suspended mass to obtain instant light anytime. Testing the GravityLight proposition has confirmed it’s potential but also highlighted key R&D questions, limiting its market potential. This project uses 2 stages of primary research: 1) user feedback to define the cost targets and system requirements (eg. brightness, duration and power requirements); 2) stress testing geartrain materials and evaluation of brushless motor technology to evaluate the feasibility of increasing the longevity and performance of GravityLight and significantly reducing its size to deliver a lower technology cost.