Design Thinking Case Study I: Mobisol — Reinventing Solar Energy  Supply for Rural Africa

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Reinventing Solar Energy Supply for Rural Africa
The design thinking case study of »Mobisol«
Presented by the community of editors and authors from ThisIsDesignThinking.net: 
This story was compiled by Caroline Szymanski, Klara Lindner, Karen von Schmieden, and Jan Schmiedgen with support from Mobisol.
.net

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FROM PROTOTYPE TO INNOVATION II
EXPLORING THE FIELD!
!Eva Köppen, Birgit Jobst, Holger Rhinow, Christoph Meinel (PI)
Hasso Plattner Institute for Software Systems Engineering
HPI-Stanford DesignThinking Research Program
Prof-Dr-Helmert-Str. 2-3
D-14482 Potsdam, Germany
http://www.hpi.uni-potsdam.de
Wort-Bild-Marke | Zusatz einzeilig | Pantone uncoated | Größe 40 | Name: hpi_logo_pcu_wb_sl1
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3
On — off, yeah!
Source: © Mobisol, ThisIsDesignThinking.net

4Source: © Mobisol, ThisIsDesignThinking.net
The system …

5
… and how it works

Initial Design Research
Discovering context and building blocks for potential business models

What ‘off-the-grid’ really means …
7

What ‘off-the-grid’ really means …
7
Powerless
Unbanked
Isolated

Off-grid energy is the future of electricity in Africa

Rent out the system.  
People can only afford  
$5 a month.
9
What people 
need is light!
Systems need  
to be cheap!.
Oh, oh … Expert tips …

13
!

The wisdom of hindsight:
What you learn if you really look and listen …
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# Observation ‘Insight’ Design Principle
1 What people really need  
is radio and TV, not light.
Demand for electricity is way  
higher than just for lighting.
Solar panels must be big enough to power
larger appliances, such as televisions.
2 No (banking) infrastructure to save up
money and houses can’t be locked.
Money has to be spent  
the moment it is earned.
Monthly payment options  
are a core requirement.
3 Belongings are well-kept  
and respected.
Private property is better  
maintained than rentals are.
People need the feeling they  
actually own their solar panels.
4 Existing PV solar are  
often non-functioning.
No supportive infrastructure?  
» People won’t maintain their solar panels.
Maintenance infrastructure  
on-site is key to success.
A selection of collected observations, user needs, insights and derived design principles

15
?
The building blocks in context

The Tricky Details
If you want a thing done well, do it yourself.

Iterating the details …
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1 2 3
Finding a steady  
revenue model
Tackling the installation and maintenance infrastructure
Securing the last mile distribution

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PROBLEM
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Challenge #1: Steady revenue model

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19
Challenge #1: Steady revenue model
SOLUTION

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Challenge #2: Installation and maintenance infrastructure
20PROBLEMSource: © Mobisol, ThisIsDesignThinking.net

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!"#$%&#%'$()*"+%,-.,/0)1)#2,34"+)-*$%4,*%11*
!"#$%&#%'$()*"+%,-.,/0)1)#2,34"+)-*$%4,*%11*
! " # $%&# %' $( ) * " +%, - ., / 0 ) 1) # 2 , 34 " +) - * $%4 , * %11*
East West
SOLUTION: ITERATION I
1 2

22
Installation Manual
Mobisol Solar Home System
!"#$%&#%'$()*"+%,-.,/0)1)#2,34"+)-*$%4,*%11*
!"#$%&#%'$()*"+%,-.,/0)1)#2,34"+)-*$%4,*%11*
! " # $%&# %' $( ) * " +%, - ., / 0 ) 1) # 2 , 34 " +) - * $%4 , * %11*
East West
4
Consider the right direction of the panelConsider the right direction of the panel.
13 Secure the power cable of the panel to a Z
hook leg with the cable tie.
Mounting the panel on the roof
Think about where to place the panel before going on the roof
Avoid any shading!
cable of the panel to a Z- 14 You have successfully prepared the panel
Mounting the panel on the roof
Think about where to place the panel before going on the roof!
You have successfully prepared the panel.
Wiring
Think about where you want to put the lights and how much cable is necessary. If the light cable is too short use an
extension cable.
1 Always start wiring with the light. Attach the light
Controller. Use the cable clips toattach the wiresto the wall
2 Place the switch in an easily accessible location
CORRECT
3 Connect the lights tothe Mobisol Solar Controller
Always start wiring with the light. Attach the light bulb to the ceiling and work your way to the Mobisol
Controller. Use the cable clips toattach the wiresto the wall.
Place the switch in an easily accessible location.
WRONG
tothe Mobisol Solar Controller.
bulb to the ceiling and work your way to the Mobisol
WRONG
4
Consider the right direction of the panelConsider the right direction of the panel.
SOLUTION: ITERATION I
1 2

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“Our customers feel like they just bought a Mercedes. They are very proud of having
the solar panel but at the same time also very afraid of breaking the precious, new
panel. Customers would actually rather pay someone to come install the panel and
know their new ‘Mercedes’ — aka solar panel — is safe.”
— Klara Lindner (Customer Experience Architect)
SOLUTION: ITERATION II
Challenge #2: Installation and maintenance infrastructure

24SOLUTION: ITERATION IISource: © Mobisol, ThisIsDesignThinking.net

Challenge #3: Last mile distribution
PROBLEM

SOLUTION

Opportunity #1: Last Mile Distribution!

Impact
What Mobisol has achieved so far

Mobisol’s impact to date
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Environment All systems installed until December 2015 save a total of 15,525 t CO2 eq per year
Education
and Capacity
Building
People trained in Mobisol Akademie Tanzania/Rwanda About 600/200
End-user training delivered to Over 35,000 customers
Children being able to study at night About 105,000
Jobs Full-time jobs created Over 400
Small entrepreneurs working as contractors for Mobisol Over 280
Small businesses built from solar solutions About 12,000

Outlook
What the future might hold for Mobisol

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Own the last mile
vimeo.com/148290428

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Want to learn more?
bit.ly/TIDTmobisol

Credits
 
This case study was compiled by Caroline
Szymanski, Klara Lindner (Business
Development, Mobisol), Karen von
Schmieden, and Jan Schmiedgen with
support from Mobisol.
 
You can read more about the Mobisol
story at bit.ly/TIDTmobisol.
 
ThisIsDesignThinking.net is a
community of editors and authors that
collect and curate case studies of ‘design
thinking’. The site is ﬁnanced by the
Hasso-Plattner-Institut, Potsdam and the
HPI-Stanford Design Thinking Research
Program.
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Design Thinking Case Study I: Mobisol — Reinventing Solar Energy  Supply for Rural Africa

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