E-Cube harnesses solar energy to provide solutions to developmental challenges in-line with the SDG Goals
On May 17th 2022, Innov8 Hub and LR Group commissioned the E-Cube Smart village. The event hosted dignitaries from the public and private sectors. LR Group’s Managing Partner and Innov8’s Executive Director gave speeches at the event. Also, there were speeches from the Ministry of Power, USAID and National Automotive Design.
E-CUBE
The E-Cube is a scalable, flexible and robust all-in-one solution; capable of providing clean drinking water and electricity through solar energy, thereby eliminating the need for traditional electricity sources. It is built around sustainability, making it an asset to communities and organizations. it is erected within 24 hours and requires zero maintenance. The solar-powered centre is built around the green – clean – sustainable approach. It contains the following components;
- An ICT Hub
- A Charging Station offering clean energy to charge laptops and mobile phones
- A Clinic offering primary healthcare services,
- A Control Room
- Community Centers for relaxation and learning purposes, and
- A water purification plant.
Commissioning
Commenting on the E-cube, Mr Doron Retter, the Managing Partner & CEO Agriculture Division of the LR Group, said; “the E-Cube is not only a solar energy system; it is an integration solution with several applications. Its main applications are the e-learning facility, Telemedicine, agriculture production, community centre, water treatment and a community hub. The final idea is to encourage the construction of these components in Nigeria, thereby facilitating the export of E-Cube to other Sub-Saharan Nations and Africa at large”.
The Executive Director of Innov8 Hub, Mr Eduard Singhatey, in his speech “the smart village concept with better infrastructure and connectivity”, said; “Innov8 Hub provides an environment, facility and infrastructure for young Nigerians to come up with their ideas and put those ideas into actual products with the help of our experts & mentors (domestic and international).”
While commenting on the E-Cube, he said, “to fasten the efforts of solving are executing the SDG goals, what we need are intelligent solutions. The E-Cube smart Village covers the first seven SDG goals and offers a solution to their challenges at a fraction of the cost of traditional infrastructure development. For instance, Telemedicine would allow people who don’t have access to hospitals or a doctor to get the quality Medicare they deserve but at a fraction of the cost – because a doctor does not have to be deployed. There can be a trained technician that would be an intermediary. Furthermore, the deployment of E-Cube would stem the problems associated with access to potable water for rural areas, thereby mitigating the death and illness toll arising from unsafe water consumption in these areas.
He added that “a facility like this at the centre of the community would have a multifaceted benefit that would change lives overnight. Users get access to a steady power supply supported by solar energy, potable water, ICT and educational facilities in a conducive environment. If we follow the traditional routes to development for the SDGs, albeit noble, our efforts will turn our intents into distant dreams. But with intelligent solutions offered by the E-Cube, we are guaranteed a lesser cost, more features, easy adaptability, and ease of installation across different areas”.
He further urged the Federal Government and relevant stakeholders to buy into the concept of E-Cube smart Village to alleviate the suffering and lives of the citizens. According to him, the E-CUBE concept is worth $250,000 and was invented according to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 2030). It will help solve the challenges of rural needs in e-learning, agriculture production, Telemedicine, community centre, water treatment and connectivity hub. He also noted that achieving development in the rural area is an expensive feat as ten million people do not have access to electricity citing the World Bank report in 2020”.
Speaking to journalists, a representative of the LR Group of Israel, E-Cube, Avi Eluayam, explained that the “E-CUBE is scalable. We can have a smaller system, and we have a larger system. The system that we have on display here has 50 kilowatts of modules and can generate 300 kilowatts per day. That is enough for a community of 300-400 families. The cost of it is about $250,000. So it is a high capital cost, but then for 20 years, you have zero maintenance costs. You don’t need to buy diesel, and you don’t need to transport diesel. You don’t need to deal with environmental issues. And I think that in Nigeria, we can receive long term financing and then if this system can finance for 20 years, we can have a meagre monthly cost for this.”
The Acting Director, Renewable and Rural Power Access Department of the ministry, Mr Ali-Dapshima Abubakar, praised the E-Cube initiative and confirmed it as a new turn affordable and sustainable in Nigeria’s power sector. In his keynote address at E-Cube’s inaugural and demonstration ceremony, he stated this.
Mr Abubakar, represented by Engr. Sam, Chief Electrical Engineer in the ministry, said that renewable energy through solar energy has become critical to the future of power generation for Nigeria’s megacities, industrial hubs and rural areas. Abubakar said: “Permit me to commend the commitment and dedication of the LR Group on the design and commissioning of E-Cube. I believe this is a good beginning for more such projects that will increase access to energy affordably and sustainably.”
Other Notable organizations represented at the event are; the Defense Intelligence Agency; Central Bank of Nigeria, USAID, US Embassy, ECOWAS, SHETSCO, Firma Advisory, NADDC, AEA, Energy Commission, Access bank, NERDC, NDLEA, NPSP, Embassy of Hungary, Project Support Service, University of Abuja, 9 Mobile, Nigerian Correctional Service (prisons), SON, NEMA, NASENI, Federal Ministry of Power, NNPC, FRSC, NSCDC, SOBAMS, EFCC, NCAIR, NITDA, NCAIR, Sterling Bank, Zenith Bank, NUC, NIRSAL, Sea Quest, NACCIMA, Clean Tech Hub, NBTE, BOI, and several media agencies.