Theft Proof Water Irrigation Solar Panels

KickStart International, Nairobi, Kenya

ID: SKT2

Relevant Skills: mechanical design

KickStart wants to promote the use of solar irrigation pumps for smallholder farmers in Africa. Smallholder irrigation is the best single-input income generator for small-scale farmers in areas of seasonal rain, due to their ability to sell harvest at times of high crop prices. Though the post-purchase profit, and the return-on-investment indicators are excellent, initial price is relatively high - around $500. To facilitate easy rent-to-own (hire purchase) payments, Kickstart is working with partners to combine the solar panel operation with a pre-paid system, operated by payments through mobile phone money systems. The challenge is to make the electronics secure on the back of the panel, so that if the panels are stolen, it is impossible to bypass the electronics and use the panels for other purposes such as charging batteries. We think that if a hacked panel is useless it will inhibit theft and increase the chances of the system being viable, enhancing dissemination of this useful technology. The solution could be mechanical or electronic or a combination of both.