Mobisol Solar Home System

Target SDGs

Market Suggested Retail Price

$36.00

Target Users (Target Impact Group)

Household, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

Distributors / Implementing Organizations

ENGIE Mobisol GmbH has sales and service centres at national and regional level and sales centres at local level in some regions of its target countries (Tanzania, Rwanda and Kenya).

Competitive Landscape

Direct competitors include Azuri 50W, TV120 Solar Home System, M-KOPA IV Solar Home System, and ZOLA FLEX.

Countries

Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania

Manufacturing/Building Method

ENGIE Mobisol GmbH manufactures different parts of its Solar Home Systems kits in Germany and China and then ships these components to Kenya for assembly.

The kit assembly process and manufacturer supply is monitored by ENGIE Mobisol GmbH and each of the system's components are put through a series of quality tests. The system appliances are sourced from a third party and are ENGIE Mobisol GmbH quality assured. ^{Interview with representative}

Intellectural Property Type

Trademark

User Provision Model

Users can purchase systems from retail storefronts in Tanzania, Rwanda or Kenya. ENGIE Mobisol GmbH has a system of national, regional and market hubs with flagship stores in the capital cities.

Distributions to Date Status

As of September 2019, ENGIE Mobisol GmbH has installed over 150,000 Solar Home Systems. They estimate these systems benefit 750,000 people across Tanzania, Rwanda and Kenya.

Design Specifications

ENGIE Mobisol GmbH currently offers five solar home system sizes with power ratings of 40, 80, 100, 120 and 200 Watts (availability of specific systems varies with location). The systems include a solar panel, a pay-as-you-go enabled solar battery and controller (54 Ah or 96 Ah), three to twelve LED light points (2 W or 3.5 W bulbs), two 5 volt USB port, three 12 volt ports and two 3-prong Mobisocket jacks. Several systems also include a radio, a television of various sizes, a phone charger and/or a portable lamp supplied by Sun King Eco.

ENGIE Mobisol GmbH is working towards prototypes and pilots for systems that are larger than 200 watts, including an 800 W system capable of powering solar welding.

Technical Support

A toll free service hotline is available for customer inquiries that is open from 7 am - 9 pm local time. If their customer service team is not able to resolve the issue over the phone, they arrange for a technician to visit the customer's home within 72 hours to take care of the repair free of charge (during the 3 year warranty period).

It is also possible to contact ENGIE Mobisol GmbH for technical support issues by email or through a contact form on their website.

ENGIE Mobisol GmbH call customers if they detect a technical fault with their system and communicate payment reminders to customers through SMS and by phone in the case of late payment.

Replacement Components

All components can be replaced using only a screwdriver, excepting the battery which is replaceable but requires specialized tools.

Lifecycle

The lifetime of Mobisol systems is 4.5 - 5 years. ^{Interview with representative}

There is a three or four year warranty on the system controller and battery, a two year warranty on the TV and a one year warranty on all other appliances . The solar panel has a 20 year warranty provided by the manufacturer.

Manufacturer Specified Performance Parameters

Performance targets vary with different system sizes and combinations. For the 200W premium package (sold in Tanzania), ENGIE Mobisol GmbH state that "It has highest usable battery capacity in that market" and the "Long expected battery life-time for more than 6 years".

Vetted Performance Status

Lighting Global vetted the systems by testing components according to the Quality Test Method in the latest edition of IEC 62257-9-5 and/or their own Lighting Global Quality Assurance Protocols for Solar Home System Kits. They confirm that the systems meet the Lighting Global Quality Standards. At a component level, they tested the: battery capacity (mAh) of the two Battery/Control Box options, peak power at STC (W) of the different PV Modules, luminous flux (lm) and lamp efficacy (lm/W) of the Light sources, power (W) and battery capacity (mAh) of the TVs, and also listed which component combinations are available. At a system level, they tested/confirmed the following parameters for the 200W Solar Home System with 32" TV: Full battery run time (hrs) per day of solar charging for each appliance alone or in combination; Total light output (lm); Lamp type; Special features (mobile charging and appliances and pay as you go); Overall durability and quality standards tests (drop, soldering and electronics workmanship, mechanical, minimum warranty, performance reporting)

Safety

Be sure to follow proper electrical installation and control guidelines.

Complementary Technical Systems

Mobisol has designed specific business kits and appliances that are compatible with their solar home system. Included in these kits are the necessary appliance as a multiple phone charging unit or a barber’s hair clipper and also educational material to help start the business – such as book-keeping essentials.

Academic Research and References

Compliance with regulations

The Solar Home Systems are certified by Lighting Global and meet relevant ISO and IEC certifications including ISO 9001:2008 (Quality management systems) for its manufacturing process, IEC 60065 for its TVs and IEC 61215 for its solar PV modules.

Evaluation methods

The Quality Test Method (QTM) is the full test method within IEC Technical Specification 62257-9-5 used by Lighting Global to verify comprehensive product performance. Results from QTM testing determine if a product meets the Lighting Global Minimum Quality Standards.

As part of the QTM, Mobisol Solar Home Systems have passed the following Durability tests: Drop test, Switch and Connector Cycling, Strain Relief Test, Physical Ingress Protection Test, Protection from Frequent Rain

Other Information

Mobisol provides reliable solar power for a quarter million beneficiaries in Africa

Mobisol trains their employees and technicians through the Mobisol Academy, a short video about this can be found here.