IXL Social Enterprise Case Studies Energy January 2012 | Page 14

Revolutionizing the way to make energy affordable for everyone
lamp is not just a functional appliance—it is
a major investment and a sign of household
wealth. Changing the product design so that the
lamp evokes other aspirational products, such as
a luxury car or a sleek smartphone, could help
increase its appeal.
There are a variety of other ways that
SunnyMoney could increase the appeal of a solar
lamp—at least for some customers—by making
changes to the product.
Making a lamp modular by selling batteries,
light and panels that can operate independently
and interchangeably would encourage customers
to adapt and integrate product elements for
their own unique needs and in connection with
locally appropriate technologies. SunnyMoney
can support and learn from these adaptations to
identify new growth opportunities.
SunnyMoney could also bundle its lamps with
other products and services, such as basic cell
phones or popular reading material, in order to
capture the attention of more potential customers,
or change the of nature what it sells, for example
by selling access as a service rather than as a
product. Can SunnyMoney learn from the launch
of the Microsoft Kinect and Ecotact toilets?
Kinect is a motion sensing input device produced
by Microsoft for its Xbox 360 video game
console. Users can use it to control and interact
with the Xbox 360 without the need to touch a
game controller, through a natural user interface
using gestures and spoken commands. Because
Microsoft decided to leave the communication
output from Kinect unencrypted, amateur
and professional engineers have been able
to gain access to the device for applications
that go beyond the system’s intended purpose
of playing games. One project, for example,
combined Kinect with a small domestic robot to
map a room in 3D and have the robot respond
to human gestures. By empowering users to
adapt the tool for their own purposes, Microsoft
expanded the pool of customers beyond video
games, and gained a valuable toehold in adjacent
opportunities for the Kinect platform.
Ecotact has redefined personal sanitation,
replacing unsanitary, unsafe toilets with brightly
colored ones that can be used for a small fee and
are located near shoeshine and snack locations
in Nairobi. The company hires staff to operate
and clean the units after each use, and offers
other revenue-generating services and products
such as advertising, shoe shining, soft drinks and
newspapers. In this way, personal sanitation is
becoming trendy and aspirational.
Are there new ways to produce SunnyMoney’s
solutions?
SunnyMoney is currently planning to continue

sourcing its products from suppliers working in
China. Chinese industry produces a huge variety
of batteries and silicon panels for a range of
applications, while in Africa those industries
currently have only a very small presence. The
vast difference in scale between the Chinese and
African producers is one of the reasons Chinese
manufacturers can currently offer the best price
for solar lamps. SunnyMoney anticipates that the
price advantage will continue to outweigh costs
and challenges of managing a long supply chain
for the foreseeable future. Can SunnyMoney
learn from “Toyota Way” of local manufacturing?
Toyota has always been a leader in the automotive
industry, notwithstanding the recent issues with
vehicle recalls and the earthquake in Japan.
Everyone who works for Toyota or for a major
Toyota supplier is trained in the firm’s production
and management techniques called “Toyota
Way.” This helps the company ensure that
vehicles are made with the same level of quality
regardless of where they were manufactured.
Toyota only uses one label, “Made by Toyota,”
not “Made in the USA” or “Made in Japan.”
SunnyMoney could move production in-house,
or develop closer relationships with its suppliers,
to ensure that quality and delivery of their
offering remains consistent and timely.
SunnyMoney could also consider developing
production sources in Africa in order to enhance
local buy-in.
Are there new business models?
A promising option for SunnyMoney is a
technology that allows a solar lamp to be deactivated remotely through the cellular network.
This technology could enable SunnyMoney to
rent lights or sell them on credit and disable them
as needed. Can SunnyMoney learn from Simpa
and Osram?
Some companies are providing lighting through
small-unit pay-as-you-go pricing. The German
light bulb manufacturer Osram leases solar
lamps and allows customers to charge them at
a centrally located O-HubTM for a fee. Simpa
Networks, an energy provider in India, has
introduced “Progressive Purchase” pricing for
household energy systems, as well. Users prepay based on actual usage and each payment goes
towards the total purchase price of the solar home
system. Consumers can send payments using a
mobile phone. Once fully paid, the solar home
system unlocks and delivers free electricity for
the expected 10-year life of the product. Energy
expenditure is turned into an asset purchase
as consumers are offered the opportunity for
ownership of their energy r