LeNSes is a multi-polar and open network for curricula and

lifelong learning capacity development on System Design for

Sustainable Energy for all. It is a 3 year project (Oct 2013 - Oct
2016) funded by the European Commission (ACP-EU Edulink II),
involving 3 design schools in Europe and 4 in Africa.
LeNSes is an action of human resources and curriculum
development, aiming at the promotion of a new generation of
designers (and design educators) capable to effectively contribute
to the transition towards a sustainable energy for all society.
LeNSes ambitions to promote a new shared and articulated
disciplinary ground on System Design for Sustainable Energy for
All (SD4SEA) focused on Sustainable Product-Service System
(S.PSS) applied to Distributed and Renewable Energy (DRE)
models, through a series of exchange activities and pilot courses
at the partner institutions.
LeNSes main output is the development of the so-called an Open
Learning E-Package (OLEP) on the new discipline System Design
for Sustainable Energy for All. The web platform allows interested
teachers to download open source and copyleft Learning
Resources (slideshows, texts, audio-videos, case studies, tools,
and innovative projects proposals) on System design for
Sustainable Energy for All (SD4SEA), that can be modified/remixed
and adapted to specific context and needs.
The same web platform is downloadable free of charge as open
source and copy-left. It is thus a regenerative platform:
- any educational institution, teacher, sustainability-focused
network, can generate a new LeNS-based web-platform
- any new generated LeNS-based web platform will upload
learning resources independently, while all web-platforms are
interlinked in a multi-polar structure
www.lenses.polimi.it
www.lensesconference.polimi.it
LeNSes Partners:

For more info contact LeNSes Partners:

Coordinator
Politecnico di Milano University, DESIGN Department,
Italy
Carlo Vezzoli (project head) carlo.vezzoli@polimi.it
Management team:
Elisa Bacchetti elisa.bacchetti@polimi.it
Emanuela Delfino emanuela.delfino@polimi.it
Delft University of Technology, Industrial Design
Engineering, Delft, The Netherlands
Jan Carel Diehl j.c.diehl@tudelft.nl
Brunel University, College of Engineering, Design &
Physical Sciences, Brunel University London, United
Kingdom
Fabrizio Ceschin fabrizio.ceschin@brunel.ac.uk
Silvia Emili silvia.emili@brunel.ac.uk
University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
Lilac Osanjo lilac.osanjo@uonbi.ac.ke

Edited by Lilac Osanjo, Carlo Vezzoli and Elisa Bacchetti

University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana

Richie Moalosi moalosi@mopipi.ub.bw
Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
Venny Nakazibwe deputy_principal@cedat.mak.ac.ug
Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town,
South Africa
Mugendi M'Rithaa mugendim@cput.ac.za
To register for the LeNSes mailing list, send a request to
lenses@polimi.it

LeNSes is a project funded by ACP-EU Cooperation Programme in Higher Education (EDULINK).

A programme of the ACP Group of States, with the financial assistance of the European Union.
Implemented by

Funded by

Implemented by the ACP

Group of States
Secretariat

Financed by
the European Union

The catalogue is also available at

www.lenses.polimi.it
The LeNSes Design competition was
organized and managed by:
Lilac Osanjo, University of Nairobi, Nairobi,
Kenya
Silvia Emili and Fabrizio Ceschin, College of
Engineering, Design & Physical Sciences, Brunel
University London, United Kingdom
Emanuela Delfino, Elisa Bacchetti and Carlo
Vezzoli, Politecnico di Milano University,
DESIGN Department, Italy
Other LeNSes partners cooperating with
the organization are:
Fabrizio Ceschin, Brunel University, School of
Engineering & Design, London, United Kingdom
Jan Carel Diehl, Delft University of Technology,
Industrial Design Engineering, Delft, The
Netherlands
Richie Moalosi, University of Botswana,
Gaborone, Botswana
Venny Nakazibwe, Mary Suzan Abbo and
Mackay Okure, Makerere University, Kampala,
Uganda
Mugendi M'Rithaa and Andrea Broom, Cape
Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town,
South Africa

Jury Members:
Lilac Osanjo, University of Nairobi, Nairobi,
Kenya
Lorraine Ambole, University of Nairobi,
Nairobi, Kenya
Joyce Akach, University of Nairobi, Nairobi,
Kenya
Silvia Emili and Fabrizio Ceschin, College of
Engineering, Design & Physical Sciences, Brunel
University London, United Kingdom
Emanuela Delfino, Carlo Vezzoli and Elisa
Bacchetti, Politecnico di Milano University,
DESIGN Department, Italy
Jan Carel Diehl, Delft University of Technology,
The Netherlands
Richie Moalosi, University of Botswana,
Gaborone, Botswana
Venny Nakazibwe, Makerere University,
Kampala, Uganda
Mugendi M'Rithaa, Cape Peninsula University
of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa

Contents
Foreword

LeNSes Design Competition

Index of projects

The winners

Promising projects posted on the LeNSes platform

23

3
Foreword

LeNSes Design Competition

The sustainable system concepts presented in A

WORLD OF SUSTAINABLE ENERGY IDEAS FOR
AFRICA are the winners of the LeNSes Design
Competition 2016 and promising concepts posted
on the LeNSes platform. The student competition
and Award is promoted and organized as part of
the LeNSes project, funded by the European
Commission (ACP-EU Edulink II), which aims at
the development and diffusion of the new shared
and articulated disciplinary ground on System
Design for Sustainable Energy for All.

LeNSes main output is the design and

implementation of the so-called an Open
Learning E-Platform (OLEP) on System Design
for Sustainable Energy for All. It is a web platform
that allows interested teachers to download open
source and copyleft Learning Resources:
slideshows, texts, audio-videos, tools,
study
cases and innovative Projects proposals on
System design for Sustainable Energy for All
(SD4SEA), that can be modified/remixed and
adapted to specific context and needs.

The LeNSes Project

The same web platform is downloadable free of

charge as open source and copy-left. It is thus a
regenerative platform:
any
educational
institution,
teacher,
sustainability-focused network, can generate a
new LeNS-based web-platform
- any new generated LeNS-based web platform
will upload learning resources independently,
while all web-platforms are interlinked in a
multi-polar structure

LeNSes is a multi-polar and open network for

curricula and
lifelong learning capacity
development on System Design for Sustainable
Energy for all. It is a 3 year project (Oct 2013 Oct 2016) funded by the European Commission
(ACP-EU Edulink II), involving 3 design schools in
Europe and 4 in Africa.
LeNSes is an action of human resources and
curriculum development, aiming at the promotion
of a new generation of designers (and design
educators) capable to effectively contribute to
the transition towards a sustainable energy for all
society. LeNSes ambitions to promote the new
design discipline of System Design for
Sustainable Energy for All (SD4SEA) focused on
Sustainable Product-Service System (S.PSS)
applied to Distributed and Renewable Energy
(DRE), through a series of exchange activities
and pilot courses at the partner institutions.

LeNS Africa was launched on the 7th of

September 2009, in Cape Town, South Africa;
LeNS South America was launched on the 6th of
November 2009, So Paulo, Brazil; LeNS Central
America, on 3rd of June 2010 in Mexico City;
LeNS Oceania, 1 July 2010 in Sydney, Australia;
and those were followed by the establishment of
LeNS Europe, LeNS china and LeNS India.

To promote a positive transition towards

sustainability
(and
the
related
systemic
discontinuity) we must be able to find the
modality to shift to new life scenarios
(consumption and production patterns) that are
radically different from the current ones.
There are several strategies to follow and levels
on which to intervene. However, we need an
outstanding amount of creativity to produce
radical sustainable innovations. However much
we have to change is however much we have to
be able to create. We need to imagine in order to
innovate.
This catalogue presents a set of sustainable
system energy concepts from young designers,
students from different parts of the world that
wanted to take part in the challenge of innovating
and creating a Sustainable Energy for All society,
in particular to tackle real-life problems of the
African continent.
These projects, submitted by mixed teams
composed of members from all over the world
and from Africa, from design and engineering
background, illustrate that there are good ideas
that may emerge from the combination of
different cultures and knowledge.
These good cosmopolitan ideas are the positive
side of our globalized world and clearly highlight
that we would need to build transcultural design
thinking: a design thinking able to move between
different ideas, able to recognize the differences,
and find the concrete possibility of integration
or able to create/re-elaborate starting from

differences and connections. We need a migrant

creativity, as a way to be in a design process that
builds up its own ability by passing from one form
of thought to another, by opening the mind to
codes of structures and to different meaning
systems. What is sought is a design attitude able
to decentralize from its own cognitive references
and values, to direct itself towards those of other
cultures, and able to return to its own culture
enriched by the confrontation experience and
able to disseminate itself into other cultures.
Within this attitude what is needed is the capabity
to operate in a complex context with a twofold
design capability: the capability to elaborate
visions of possible socio-technical discontinuity
starting from intersection, connections and
differences, and the capability to put into action
the strategies to transform those visions into real
solutions.
These are fairly new dimensions for the designer,
connected with the so-called discipline of System
Design for Sustainbale Energy for All.

Catalogue structure
An introduction to the brief competition precedes
the presentation of the 12 system concepts. Each
concept is illustrated by:
- A text describing the problem addressed with
your concept solution;
- The S.PSS Concept description that specify
what is included in the offer and what customers
pay for;
- The S.PSS Visualisation that represents, with
renderings, photos or sketches, the elements and

its context of use;

- The interaction storyboard that visualises of
the main interactions of the S.PSS, the actors
involved and their roles;
- The system map that displays the interaction
between and among stakeholders in the system,
including flows of money, material, and
information;
- Details of the PSS applied to DRE;
- Benefits of the S.PSS solution in terms of
socio-ethical, environmental and economic
sustainability.

Sustainable ideas sharing and diffusion

The catalogue and the system concepts
(sustainable ideas) are licensed under the
Creative
Commons
License,
Attribution
-NonCommercial- ShareAlike and are available at
www.lenses.polimi.it.
This
facilitates
and
promotes the philosophy that good ideas should
be shared and diffused.

Brief
The following brief was given for the competition
to design a sustainable Product-Service System
(S.PSS) that addresses key environmental and
social issues [e.g. food production/consumption,
clothing care, public spaces safety, mobility, education/learning, sanitation, sheltering or home
activities] of a low and/or middle-income community in an African context.
The concept should be based on a Locally-Based
Sustainable Energy System, i.e. coherent with
the
promising
models
of
Sustainable

Product-Service
Systems
(S.PSS)
and
Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE).
In general terms the objective is to improve the
wellbeing by providing access to cleaner and
stable energy services that is based on locally,
renewable, secure, cleaner and economically
viable energy services.
The two models of S.PSS and DRE systems, as
well as their combination, can potentially couple
multiple sustainable benefits: economic (reduced
cost of energy, due to increased resiliency and
reliability), environmental (efficiency gains,
reduced
emissions),
and
socio
ethical
(democratization of access to energy, increased
participation and independence of local people).
In this framework, the focus is on extending the
access to those people/communities that do not
have yet access to energy services and improving
the offer for those who already have access to it,
possibly integrating gender equity issues.
Finally, the concept has to be focused on the
proper configurations of the socio-economic
actors (appropriate partnerships alongside with
appropriate technologies) to locally produce,
deliver and maintain the energy systems
involving any possible stakeholders in the value
production system, including final users.

a) What is a Sustainable Product

Service System?
A Sustainable Product-Service System an offer
model providing an integrated mix of products
and services that are together able to fulfil a
particular customer demand (to deliver a unit of

satisfaction), based on innovative interactions

between the stakeholders of the value production
system (satisfaction system), where the
economic and competitive interest of the
providers
continuously
seeks
both
environmentally and socio-ethically beneficial
new solutions
In other words, the S.PSS concept is based upon
a fundamental shift in the relationship between
producers and consumers: instead of being
focused on traditional forms of sale, ownership,
consumption and disposal of products, a S.PSS is
centred on delivering a function, or better still
unit of satisfaction, to the user. In this sense
S.PSS requires changes not only at a product
level, but even and primarly at a socio-cultural
and organizational level. This kind of innovation is
recognized by many authors as a promising way
to address and contribute to radical changes in
sustainable consumption and production because
the economic interest of the producer (and of the
other stakeholders involved) may potentially
converge with an environmental benefit in
optimizing resource consumption on a system
level.

b) Distributed
definition

Renewable

Energy

A Distributed Renewable Energy generation could

be defined as a small-scale generation plant
sourced by renewable energy resource (such as
sun, wind, water, biomass and geothermal
energy), at or near the point of use, where the
user is the producer, whether an individual, a

small businesses and/or a local community and if

a small-scale generation plant is connected to
another (to synergically share the energy
surplus), they become Renewable Local Energy
Network; eventually connected with nearby
similar Network.
Both models, as well as their combination, are a
win-win strategies since they can potentially
couple multiple sustainable benefits: economic
(reduced cost of energy, due to increased
resiliency
and
reliability),
environmental
(efficiency gains, reduced emissions), and
socio-ethical (democratization of access to
energy, increased participation and independence
of local people).

c) The LeNSes research hypothesis

An S.PSS approach may act as a business
opportunity to facilitate the diffusion of
DRE-based
value
production
systems
(satisfaction
system)
in
(all)
low
and
middle-income
contexts,
because
they
reduce/cut both the initial (capital) cost of
hardware purchasing and the running cost of
maintenance, repairing, upgrade, etc., resulting
in a key leverage for a sustainable development
process aiming at democratizing the access to
resources, goods and services.
From a design point of view, S.PSS requires a
wider approach that takes into consideration the
system of actors and the system of products and
services that are jointly capable of fulfilling a
demand of satisfaction.

Index of projects

The winners
1st prize: Kareberere
2nd prize: Bio-light
3rd prize: Tafaria Solar Energy

10
14
18

Promising projects posted on the LeNSes platform

Copika
Container community
Design for clothing care in Kibera Slum
Clothing service system in Kenya
Cook 4U
Community production centre
Energy for Tlokweng
Renewable energy powered Common Kitchen for Khayelitsha, and related
Vegetables Garden
Solar Electricity for increment Water Pumps Pressure

24
28
32
36
40
44
48
52
56

The winners

11
The Kaberebere solar water pumping, phone and lantern
charging point project
F. Tuhairwe, R. Sseruwagi, M. Muheki, M. Nuwasasira, R. Ssejjuko.
Makerere University, Kampala - Uganda

Problem addressed
Kaberebere trading centre which is located at
(0.25682, 30.64235 (lat, long) has an existing borehole which has a manual pump, keeps on failing due
to a high iron water content. Borehole failure has
forced community members to collect water from
unsafe water points 500meters away from the trading centre. Community member pay for usage of
water from the borehole to an entrepreneur manning
the borehole, however, the collections are not sufficient to service it due to the costly equipment
required. There is currently no access to electricity
therefore 52 phone owners and 43 lantern owners
travel 5km to the next trading centre to charge their
phones and lanterns.

S.PSS concept description

The Kaberebere solar water pumping, phone and latern charging point is owned by the Energy
gumps team. The project will install a solar system to power a solar water pump that would push
water to tank which will supply decentralized water supply points. Each of the points would be
distributed with a phone and latern charging point to charge the phones and solar lanterns. Water
would be sold at a fee of 6US cents per 20 liters to the individuals and the community at large. The
same solar system would be used to charge the phones and solar lanterns at 30US Cents. A
GPRS/GSM monitoring system would be used to monitor that actual energy used for phone and
lantern charging and the amount of water sold. The system would be disconnected remotely incase
of failure to pay. The local agent would pay Energy gumps each month 20% of the income earned
for as long as the system is operational using Mobile Money services.

ENERGY GUMPS SERVICE COMPANY

Modern, Clean and Affordable Energy and
Water for life for rural Communities

13
Interaction storyboard

Stakeholders system map

Stakeholders system
map (180x85mm; 300dpi)
1. Energy gumps buys a solar system for water pumping,
phone and lantern charging from the manufacturer

Insert here a visualisation of

the stakeholders involved and
their interactions.

2. The local agent is trained in operation and

maintenance of the systems

Details
Providers: Energy Gumps Ltd
3. Energy Gumps installs the system
and water collection points to the
Kaberebere community

4. The local agent pays 20% of the

revenue generated in a month to
Energy gumps using Mobile Money

5. Local agent maintains and

repairs the system

Customers: Individual Household (B2C) and the

community
DRE System: Decentralized phone, lantern
charging and water collection points.
Energy-using products: Phone and lantern
chargers, water pumps
Services offered:Installation, training, maintainance, water phone and latern charging

6. Households in Kaberebere community pay cash for water 6US cents per
20 liters fetched and 30 US cents per phone or lantern charged to the agent

7. Energy gumps delivers phone

and lantern charging points to
the community

Payment modality: mobile payments

Benefits
Socio-ethical: Awareness and change of
attitude towards using clean energy and empowering the locals with skills in energy systems.
There will more time saved for the stakeholders
to do other activity as clean water will be closer.
Environmental: The service will reduce on the
tendence of using petrol and diesel generators to
charge phones and lanterns, hence reduced
green house gas emissions.
Economic: The system will save stakeholders on
the cost of transport to charge phones and
laterns, as well as buying individual solar Home
Systems.

15
BIO-LIGHT
C. Nuwematsiko, D. Mwesiga, S.G. Khainza, M.Tammukede
College of Engineering Design Art and Technology Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
Problem addressed
The use of firewood and cahrcoal is one of the primary causes of
deforestation, which leads to soil erosion and increase in emission
of carbondioxide to the atmosphere.
The aim is to providing an alternative solution to reduce
dependence on firewood and hence reducing deforestation,
Reduce pollution, greenhouse gas effect and deforestation.

S.PSS concept description

An energy company in association with the locals under the
farmers union run a biogas plant, produces gas that it stores in
gas holders and distributes to the locals with gas bags to there
premises for lighting and cooking instead of fire wood, or charcoal
and fossil fuels(paraffin). Power houses set up in trading centers
produce electricity with generators and sell electricity directly with
a prepaid per m^3 and per unit.
Electrical equipment like bulbs and wires are provided by the
Energy Company and payment is for only the gas ordered,
reinstallation, wiring and maintenance of the equipment is done
by the Energy Company. University sensitizes the community on
the awareness and benefits of a sustainable service system,
shows how it works, teaches how to maintain it through training
and how to run it through seminars.
NGOs provides funds, volunteers to build the plant and some of
the equipment like gen-sets through the Energy Company to
make it affordable by reducing on the investment cost by the
Energy Company. The Farmers union provides needed raw
materials especially cow waste from there cow sheds and water,
running the daily operations and maintenances of the plant, they
can as well set up equipment shop for nearer and easy access

COMMUNAL BIOGAS PLANT

BIOGAS USE
which increases their livelihood too.
Some gas is produced for power
houses in trading centers used for
phone charging, ironing, cinema halls
and small manufacturing like, welding,
carpentry,
milling
and
saloon
equipment. Stickers and contact cards
with contact information through toll
free messaging services are attached
on the gas bags provided in the
communities to order for gas refill,
maintenance services and organize
raw materials.

COMMUNITY GARDEN

17
Interaction storyboard

Stakeholders system map

1. sensitizes the community (awareness)
on benefits teach and training on operations
start

UNIVERSITY

An Energy Company engineers a project to

improve sustainability and livelihood of
communities of this setting

The University and the Energy Company

under a pattern ship create a working
model

The University, Energy Company and NGOs

supporting sustainability come up with a
working agreement to support the projects.

The NGOs on board supporting sustainability provide the experts to build the
community and some equipment like gas
bags and buckets.

NGO
2. Provide
volunteers to build
the facility and some
of the equipment like
gen-sets or fuel cells

LOCAL FARMERS 5. Provide raw materials and

sell some equipment

The University with assistance from the

NGOs on board do sensitization in the
communities and trainings of operations
and maintenance through seminars and its
benefits with the technical team from
Energy Company

An Energy Company is responsible for the

design, management, maintenance and
provision of lighting and cooking equipment
so is reinstallation and supervision and so
takes the biggest percentage share of the
outcomes.

The community gets ready gas through a

mobile biogas bicycles transport gas to the
defined destination. The service works
thanks to an order messaging platform and
a delivery service.

7. Biogas sales delivery

6. Pay per kg of raw materials

COMPANY

8. Pay-per-m^3 (fixed cost)

Customers: households, small scale

manufacturing, trading centres, schools and
health centres
DRE System: Biogas plant
/ Ownership Energy Company
Energy-using products: bulbs and wire
/ Ownership Energy Company
Services offered: installation, maintenance,
and repair

Every afternoon the chosen members under

the supervision of an Energy Company
expert, inspect the facilities and identifies
the areas to be maintained and tools that
need attention the next day

At the end of the day members decide on

what is to be done the next day, like orders
to be that were received late, how much
cow dung and water is needed through a
computerized schedule and retire to their
homes

During the weekly meetings the members

organize how to run the daily practices
(earnings, payments, tools maintenance and
responsibilities) and also listen to the locals
complaints to be given attention too.

SCHOOLS

HEALTH CENTRES

COMMUNITY
GARDEN

Providers: Energy Company

They save Time to go work in the respective The community does communal agriculture
assignments of the day to fulfill the market in a community garden thanks to the slurry
channeled to the communal garden to
demand target.
promote agriculture and hence improving
peoples livelihood programs

TRADING CENTRES

LEGEND

Details

The members of the community go about

Members work together during cow dung
their daily livelihood programs in their homes collection, plant operations and using the
as they are sure of steady supply of energy common equipment.
from biogas without worrying of weather,
collecting firewood or having to by paraffin.

SMALL SCALE
MANUFACTURING

COMMUNAL BIOGAS PLANT

4. Installation,
maintenance &
RENEWABLE ENERGY repair

A customer sends a message for there

orders of preferred amount of gas from his
phone and sends the money for the order to
a mobile money account of the energy
company using a phone thanks to mobile
money services provided by the telephone
companies in the country

3. Government
organization to
control operation
and environmental
policies

9. Provide slurry

LOCAL
ENTREPRENEUR

HOUSEHOLDS

GOV. ORG.

Payment modality: pay-per-bags of biogas or

per m^3 through mobile payments

material flows

financial flows

Benefits
Socio-ethical: The biogas is a renewable
resource from cow waste thus rendering it
readily available for as long as animals are
present.
Environmental: Tafaria relies on renewable
solar energy to provide basic lighting solution as
an environmentally friendly alternative to carousol lamps, burnt biomas and fossil fuel dependent electricity lighting solutions.
Economic: This is an economical solution in the
sense that the farmers nolonger incur costs of
transporting wood and other fossil fuels for
cooking and lighting. The products are affordable to the user since they are initially subsidized
based on the farmers contribution to the
system.

19
Tafaria Solar Energy
C. Raymond, K. Opoku-Asare, R. D. Debrah, B. Mhungu
The Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) / South Africa, Ghana, Zimbabwe
Problem addressed
The Government of Kenya rolled out an ambitious schools
electrification programme in 2013 in which all primary schools
in the country would be grid by 2015. This has provided many
rural homes and businesses the opportunity to connect to
electric power due to the deep penetration of, and hence
proximity to, primary schools nationally. Notwithstanding the
barriers which may still exist to households and businesses
such as cost and inappropriate buildings, one of the issues
which has not been explored in this context of availability and
abundance is the appropriateness of on-grid energy sources
for low consumption users in low density, low income settings.
Additionally, the cost of erecting and maintaining power lines
in far-flung areas makes electricity distribution and
infrastructure maintenance costly. This is an opportunity to
explore alternative power sources more appropriate to low
consumption users, low density settings, rural incomes and
customised usage in the area around Tafaria Castle.

S.PSS concept description through Gamification

The role of gamification in the Tafaria Solar Enerygy is to help:
Educate the surrounding communities/potential clients on the general knowledge and benefits of
solar power.
In the training of the staff of Tafaria, be it those in the Rural Research Centre (manufacturers) or
tutors for the end users/entrepreneurs who will purchase the products.
In the training of local entrepreneurs who will be retailing them.
And to train end users who would directly purchase them from Tafaria.

DRE Solution

Gamification tools

The Tafaria solar energy project highlights the

S.PSS value Tafaria offers rural Kenya through
solar lighting solutions.
Tafaria has identified two market sectors: those
who can afford to purchase a solar energy kit,
and those who prefer to rent the product solution.
Additionally, Tafaria has a franchise business
model that offers a platform for local entrepreneurs to buy into and to distribute solar energy
throughout Kenya.
Tafaria incorporates gamification mechanics to
train the end user who buys the product directly
from them how to best optimize product use and
how to perform product maintenance in order for
the product to last longer during use. Tafaria also
offers training and education for franchise entrepreneurs on how to best operate the business in
their local communities and how to do basic

maintenance of products by also making use of

gamification mechanisms. Both the end user
(who purchase the product directly from Tafaria)
and local entrepreneurs can utilize Tafarias
financial offer to plan the best method of payment, on a contractual basis, over an extended
period of time.
Whenever a product is faulty or needs repairs, it
can be returned to Tafaria for further maintenance services or disposed through their waste
management service. Finally, Tafaria provides a
rural research center where advanced product
maintenance and product upgrades are done.
The research center is also an environment for
future research into sustainable energy within
the local region.

21
Interaction storyboard

Stakeholders system map

TAFARIA SOLAR ENERGY SOLUTION

FOR RURAL KENYA

George Tafaria wants to

develop solar energy
solution for rural Kenya

2
PROVIDES TAFARIA
WITH SOLAR ENERGY
SOLUTIONS

MANUFACTURERS

SELLS AND INSTALLS CHARGING STATIONS

WITH ENERGY USING PRODUCTS

13

OFFERS TRAINING ON
OPERATIONS AND
MAINTENANCE

10

RENTS ENERGY USING

PRODUCTS

LOCAL
ENTREPRENEUR

SELLS MINI KIT

11

OFFERS FINANCIAL
SERVICES

1 2

OFFERS REPAIR
SERVICES FOR
THE CREDIT
PERIOD

14

OFFERS FINANCIAL SERVICES

USER PAYS TO PURCHASE

PRODUCT PACKAGE

END-USER

5
7

George buys solar kits from

solar energy company

George develops two value

offering solutions

1: Tafaria sells a full solar

home energy kit to end users.

End users can use Tafarias

repair and maintenance service
when the product is faulty

2: Tafaria provides a solar energy franchise business

offering to local entrepreneurs.

End users are trained on how

the product operates

Entrepreneurs are trained

on how to run the business

End users can work out a

payment plan when they
purchase the kit
Entrepreneur pays for Tafaria
franchise over a contract
period

3
1

OFFERS TRAINING ON BASIC

MAINTENANCE

TAFARIA

15

OFFERS REPAIR SERVICES FOR

THE CREDIT PERIOD

USER PAYS TO PURCHASE PRODUCT

USER PAYS
TO RENT

OFFERS DISPOSAL OF
PRODUCTS AT
END-OF-LIFE CYCLE

DEVELOP STORE
FOR ENTREPRENEURS

17

12 ENERGY
USING

PRODUCTS

16
PAYS FOR UPGRADES OF
CHARGING STATION STORES
AND ENERGY USING PRODUCTS

PURCHASE PRODUCTS FROM

MANUFACTURERS

Rural
Research
Centre

Details
Providers: private business partner of Tafaria

Customers: end users, communi-ties

Entrepreneur provides solar energy product solutions for

local rural end-users on a pay-per-rent basis

Entrepreneurs distribute
solar energy solution in Kenya

End users can use solar lighting purchased from the

entrepreneur at an affordable cost

Additionally, Tafaria develops

a rural research centre

and develops possible solution

upgrades

DRE System: solar home systems

/ Ownership of paying end user and local
entrepreneur
Energy-using products: lights, charger
/ Ownership of paying end user and local
entrepreneur
Services offered: training, instal-lation, financing, maintenance, product disposal, product
upgrades

Entrepreneurs can fix and

repair faulty products

Tafaria oers product disposal

at end of lyfe cycle

Where locals are trained on

advanced product maintenance

END-USERS

Payment modality: mobile pay-ments. local

Sacco payments

LEGEND

material
flows

information
flows

financial
flows

labour
gamified
performances training

Benefits
Socio-ethical: improved living conditions of
communities situated in rural Kenya through the
offering of solar lighting solu-tions to Base of
Pyramid end users.
Environmental: Tafaria relies on renewable
solar energy to provide basic lighting solution as
an environmentally friendly alternative to carousol lamps, burnt biomas and fossil fuel dependent electricity lighting solutions.
Economic: Tafaria secures financial income
through two main avenue streams:
1) direct sales to end users.
2) buy-in to franchise from local entrepre-neurs.
Both options are provided witha finance plan to
ensure finance flows between the key stakeholders.

Promising projects posted

on the LeNSes platform

25
CoPika

Cammarano Lucia, Emeny Katie, Falini Eugenia, Maniyar Krishna, Bagga Yuvraj Singh

Politecnico di Milano/ Italy

Problem addressed

In Katooke village (Uganda) one of the main

problems is related to the food preparation.
Depending on the family income, residents use fuel
ranging from firewood, charcoal, paraffin, gas or
electricity. However, most homes use either
firewood or charcoal, which are the most affordable
source of fuel though sadly, they have a very
significant impact on the environment and, above
all, on women's and children's health, who are the
more exposed to these gases.

S.PSS
concept
description
PSS
concept
description
CoPika is a service for the community that provides
the space to cook and eat meals with other offerings
that are beneficial to the health and wellbeing of
people. Distributed gardens in the same area
provides vegetables for a market inside the Copika
area.The Kitchen Equipment is provided by a Manufacturer specialising in Kitchens, the manufacturer
keeps ownership and for this reason provides durable equipment. The Electricity is provided by and
Solar power Energy company who install and keep ownership and maintenance of the Solar Panels.
A Biomass Company provides and keeps ownership of the equipment used to produce Biogas to the
Kitchen. The Kitchen and Farms will be staffed by the community.
A charity provides the systems, education and training for this business to be set up.
The users can buy meals with money or through their participation of sharing skills or time in the
Farm or Kitchen through jobs. This gives everyone an opportunity to eat.
CoPika includes a delivery service that provides meals to the community, with a discounted price for
people who are less able to walk.

COMMU N ITY

get

H e al t h ly
fo o d

Ki tc h e n
u s ag e

D e l i ve r y
s e rvi ce

In tera c t i o n

E q ui p m e nt s

Common
sp ace

27
Interaction storyboard

Stakeholders system map

ow ner of
s paces

payment for period

COMBINED SPACE

FOOD

GARDEN

USAGE OF KI T CHEN
FOODMARKET
ACCESS

USER

T HE CUSTOMER CAN
BOOK HI S MEAL

th e cu sto mer get in to u ch w i t h

C o Pika th ro u gh so me even ts o rgani s e d by t h e co mmu n i ty w h ere yo u can
e n j oy o u r p l a ce a n d service fo r free

t he c ustomer can b uy food

(cult ivated in the d istrib uted
gard ens) in t he mar ket inside o u r
st r uc t ure.

FOOD
MAR KET

EQUI PMENT F OR BI(FOR

OMAS
THE K IT )CH EN

KI T CHEN
USAGE

KI T CHENS - T OOLS

CUSTOMER A DDRESS AND I NFO

ENERGY
COMPANY

ow ner of
k itchens

I NFORMATI ONAL FLOW

ECONOMI CAL FLOW

DRE System: collaborative cooking systems,

solar panels and biogass equipment /owned by
energy company, kitchens/owned by kitchens
manufacturer
Energy-using products: kitchens (gas), light
Services offered: installation, maintainance and
repair, delivery
Payment modality: pay per period, pay per use
(personally)

KIT CH EN
MANUFACTURER
cop ika is ow ner
of s ol ar b ike to
d eliver food

COPIK A D ELI VERY

S ERVICE

FOOD BOX

Customers: community, individuals

t he c ustomer can d ec id e to eat t h e

m eal t here sp ace or b r ing it at ho me

ow ner of
equip ment and
s ol ar panel s

payment for usage

Providers: Charity, Kitchen manufacturer,

National energy suppliers, Community, Public and
Govern. entities

th e cu sto m er ca n u se th e kitch ens in

orde r to prepa re h i s mea l

SOLAR PANELS FOR ALL THE S T RUCT URE

FOOD BOX WI T H T HE BOOKED MEAL

Details

MUNICIP ALI TY

payment for usage

B I OMAS S

pa yment for
p eriod

AREA FOR COMBI NED SPACE

MAT ERI AL FLOW

Benefits

Socio-ethical: The community workspace

harnesses the unity of the entire community.
The system offers job opportunities in the
kitchen and on field in an efficient environment.
Environmental: The manufacturer provides
and maintains the equipments shared by the
community.
Usage of biogas in kitchen eliminates harmful
fumes, reduces deforestation and the transportation of charcoal and wood.
Economic: With a montly fee the customer will
have a complete service, with place, tools and
energy to cook, eliminating the cost of charcoal,
of its trasportation, the maintainance of kitchens
and the substitutions of tools.

29

S.PSS concept description

31

33
Design for clothing care in Kibera Slum, Nairobi, Kenya
by Cerboni Baiardi Giulia, Ira Sharma, Teodora Iordanova, Kristian Terziev, Elisabeth
Ulander, Chengxin Hou
Politecnico of Milan, Italy

Problem addressed
In Kibera slum most of the people do not own a
washing machine and they wash by hand using
equipment like buckets and basins.
The washing is done by women. They have to buy
soap and water, about 20 liter jerry cans, and they
come back walking with all this weight. They do the
washing near their houses in common spaces. Often,
also children get involved in this activity, and it can
be dangerous for them.
Washing of the children clothes is done daily, while
the adults one is done twice or thrice a week.
Women have to carry heavy jerry cans with water,
walking for a long time before they arrive to their
houses.
The concept is connected to transport reduction,
resource reduction and toxicity reduction.

S.PSS concept description

The concept is a washing machine station placed next to the river, from which water is taken. It
includes washing machines, soap, energy from solar panels and water, that are in partnership, led by
the Municipality. The washing machine provider will train local mechanics to operate/repair the
machines. The local soap producer can be the provider for it, installing soap dispenser inside the
station.The station is connected with the water treatment plant, so no dirty water is coming back to
the river: the treated water can be reused wherever potable waters is not required, like
bathrooms.The customer pays a small amount of money per use of the station: he would make one
payment and receive tokens accordign to the number of washes.This concept helps women with the
daily washing: they dont have to carry heavy tanks of water anymore. They will carry their clothes,
with lower weight. Also, they no longer need to wash clothes by hand.

Entrance

Energy Resource

Payment

Soap Dispensers
Bathroom
Service Area
Washing Machines

Hydro

Solar

Human

Pay-per-time of
access to energy

Work to get
a wash for free

Type of PSS

DRE Configuration

B2C Business to
Consumer

Distributed/
Local Mini-grid

Waiting Area

40m2

35
Interaction storyboard

Stakeholders system map

Washing service

MUNICIPALITY
The Municipality builds
the station and installs
the pipe system to
provide water from the
river and build the rain
water harvesting
system. The dirty
water is reused in
order to avoid waste.

DELIVERY
SERVICE

SOAP LOCAL
PRODUCER

Teaching
of maintenance
adn repairing
of the washing
machines

WASHING
STATION

WASHING
MACHINES
PROVIDER

SOLAR/HYDRO
ENERGY
PROVIDER

The washing machines provider

installs the machines and trains
local mechanics to maintain
them. It will care about the
maintainance until locals are
able to maintain the machines.

The user comes to the station,

pays for using the machines.
He can buy tokens for the
washing, or work for a day at
the station in order to get a
wash for free (hybrid
payment). The payment is
done to a person employed at
the station.

The electric energy provider installs

the hydro-electric equipment and
solar panels. The provider will also
install and maintain the connection
to the machines. The power of the
station come from solar and hydro
energy.

USER

DELIVERY
SERVICE

It can be possible to benefit from

delivery service. Consumer can ask
the stations employee to bring
consumers clothes at his own
house, with additional payment.

Customers
bring their
clothes

Two way
of
payment

Soap from
dispensers

Do the
washing!

SOAP LOCAL
PRODUCER

WASHING
MACHINES
PROVIDER

Local repairing
team
Installation of
washing machines

SINGLE
USER

WASHING
STATION

Distribution of soap

WORKER

WASHING ON
DEMAND

Solar Kit panel

SOLAR
ENERGY
PROVIDER

COMMUNITY
HYDRO
ENERGY
PROVIDER

Financial flows - core PSS performance

Material flows - core PSS performance

Energy from the river

Material flows - core PSS performance

Washing station

Local people/User

Labour performances - core PSS performance

Workers

Public institutions or associations

Details

MUNICIPALITY

The local producer of soap

installs the soap dispensers.
Periodcally, it will provide soap
and it maintain the dispensers.

Dirty water

Benefits

Providers: Local Cooperative, Public and Govern- Socio-ethical: The station can employ people
ment, multinationl energy supplier.
from the surrounding areas; interested locals are

trained by the washing machines company to

operate and mend the machines, increasing
Customers: Individual household, community.
skills. Consumption are responsible since the
Municipality manage them. The whole community
in involved togheter.
DRE System: Washing station, the Municipality
has the ownership. Is a distributed/local Mini-grid. Environmental: No need to transport water, and
the electricity is produced on the spot. Dirty
Energy-using products: Washing machines,
water
is recycled and reuses wherever potable
owned by machines provider. Soap machines,
water
is
not required, in order to reduce waste.
owned by local producers of soap provider.
Economic: Providers have to pay only for the
Services offered: Installation, use of the station,
building and the installatione of the station. Cusmaintenance and repair, training, end-of-life,
tomers have two way of payment: buying tokens
financing.
per use of wash and soap, or work at the station
Payment modality: Hybrid payment, pay per
for a day in order to get a wash for free.
time of access to energy.

37
CLOTHING SERVICE SYSTEM IN KENYA
SASAN MEHRAN, EOIN GALLAGHER, KAREN RODRIGUEZ
XIN ZHAO, ZHUANG TIAN, ZIHAN LIN

Politecnico di Milano / Italy

Problem addressed
Solar panels : Provide equipment and water recycling
devices. Installation, maintenance, fixing, local people are
trained to fix the panels to provide a quick service.
Local worker( Local startup ): Local people that trained to
fix the panels to provide a quick service and for working in
the kiosk for a limited time.
Clothes services are included washing, ironing, repairing
Fixing and service the machines.
Water infrastructure is installed in order to be able to use
the washing service.

S.PSS concept description

Choose nearest clothes kiosk

Wash, fix, repair & iron clothes.
Pay per month for use of all kiosk services.
Local people provided with work opportunity for a
temporary period of time. E.G.. 1,2 months etc.
They may also return some time in the future.

An electro domestic company in partnership with a solar panels provider, produce a cleaning kiosk
equipped with washing machines, irons and clothes repairing machines through a pay per use
system for local people.
Also it would be the interest of companies to provide dre system (distributed renewable energy)
and water.
Indeed, local people can be trained to repair the machines and work in the kiosk for a limited time .
Additionally those who know about tailoring but dont have the machines can access the ownerless
machines to start a business (startup) and get some income from it.

39
Interaction storyboard

Stakeholders system map

Details
Providers: A Partnership between an electro
domestic company and a solar panels provider.
Customers: Local people in Nairobi, Kenya
DRE System: Ownerless solar panel systems
/ Ownership
Energy-using products: All services in clothes
kiosks.
Services offered: Providing, training, installation.
Payment modality: Pay per month

Benefits
Socio-ethical: Choose nearest clothes kiosk for
Wash, fix, repair and iron clothes. Work opportunity for all local people (men and women).
Considering the abuse of child in this system.
Environmental: Decreasing the environmental
toxicity, using the renewable energy for services.
Economic: Pay per month for use of all kiosk

services. Decreas transportation. Local people

provided with work opportunity for a temporary
period of time e.g 1 or 2 months etc.

41
COOK 4U
Mine Kelleci, Huo Ran, Sebile Tatar, Nadia Valcamonico,Giorgia Volinia,Gizem Yenel
Politecnico di Milano / Italy,Turkey,China

Problem addressed
In Uganda, there are a lot of socio-ethical and
echological problems in the whole action of eating.
To begin with women are always responsible for
prepairing and serving. While sometimes children
are responsible of travelling and bringing the food,
men wait to be served and not contributing to any
housework thus creating an inbalance between
gender and family members. Another point is that
even though most of the left over and waste are
getting recycled, the materials used for cooking is
charcoral and firewood which increases the carbon
foot print in two ways; Disposal of toxic gases in the
nature and traders travelling to far distances in
order to find charcoral. So in our project we target
to improve these situations by creating a system for
cooking.

S.PSS
concept
description
PSS
concept
description
COOK 4U is basicly a sustainable catering system consists of a communal kitchen with all appliances
in which local women can cook together, for themselves or for sale, while socializing at the same
time. Women will get daily orders from the community and order raw materials and ingredients from
the local shops accordingly. In the morning with the freshly arrived ingredients, they cook all together in the kitchen which all the electricity need is sustained by solar panels and biogas so completely
green. The prepared products will be delivered by bikes, used by the men of the families, which
eliminate the exhaust gas and the gender inbalance. So the women will be cooking, eating and
socializing while customers will be paying for a healty homemade food.

43
Interaction storyboard

Stakeholders system map

Details
Providers: University, ONG, Local manufacturers

Customers: Community
DRE System: Solar panels, Biogas system
/ Ownership
Energy-using products: Ovens, Cooker, Fridge,
Tools for ordering raw products and receiving the
orders
Services offered: maintanence and installation
provided by the sponsor renewable energy
company
Payment modality: mobile with credit card or
cash

Benefits
Socio-ethical: Workload is ivided equally between
men and women. Local farmers,shops and many
different actors will come together in this created
network. Most importantly through university, local
people will be more concious about sustainable living.
Environmental: Risk of fire and pollution of toxic
fumes are eliminated by the introduction of photovoltaic system instead of using firewood. All kind of
waste is reusable for the cooking area with biogas
system. Using of bicycles instead of trucks for the
transportation will also decrease the carbon foot
print.
Economic: All tools will be shared so there wont be
any unnecessary purchase.
The community will benefit the economical home
made food while the women of cooperative will have
the oppurtunity to take food for free.

45
Community Production Center
J. Onyango, A. Pereyra Decara, A. Ianniello, E. Bukisow, A. Palombelli, N. Urbanczyk,
D. Shenhar
Politecnico di Milano, Italia.
Problem addressed

Clean Water

Safe Cooking

CPC

S.PSS
concept
description
PSS concept
description
First of all we intend to creat a GATHERING PLACE providing a centralised, communal kitchen for the
villagers running on renewable energies such as biogas, solar panels, aquaponics. Second of all, the
goal is to creat and engage a COOPERATIVE that involves the inhabitans to share and produce. They
will cultivate, grow and haverst. Futhermore, we intend to work on the STAKEHOLDER INTERACTION
such as a local restaurant franchise that could get involved with local producers. They will buy food
surplus from the cooperative and will provided them back with their waste in a product or use
oriented PSS. Then we will IMPROVE SOCIAL COHESION by trying to reduce the inequalities
between women and men by providing an equity working platform. Finally, we want to REDUCE the
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. We replace charcoal and wood based energy provision, with renewable
energies, such as solar and biofuel based one. Also, we will at the same time reduce waste impact
by reusing the organic residues of the restaurants.

WORK

Renewable Energy

FORCE

Comunity

Raw
Food

INCOME

The aim of our project is based on solving the

deficient eating system and improve the wellbeing
of the Katooke Village in Uganda by providing
access to cleaner and stable energy services.
In order to acheave that, there are serious issues
that we also need to consider and solve. Such as
charcoal transportation, the cooking using firewood
that consumes a lot of resources, the
inhaling of fumes by the women cooking and the
non-existing equity in the distribution of labour
between partners. We intend to answer this
problematic by going through the following criterias:

Restaurant
Chain

Organic
Waste

Daily Meals

47
Interaction storyboard

Stakeholders system map

Community
Food +
Services

WaterPump

Work

Service

.1

.2

.3

Teaching processes
and instalation of the
solar panel system.

Teach how to use and

build the water pump
system.

Teach how to use and

build the aquaponic
system.

Kitchen

Biogas

Pay per
Period

Food
for
Cooking

CPC

Fields
Food
for
Selling

Restaurant Chain
Flows legend

.5

.6

Seed, grow and harvest

food fr

The Biogas provider

install the system ready
to use.

The kitchen provider

install the system ready
to use.

Payment - Pay per Use

Raw Food

Details
Providers: HomeBioGas, Water.org
Customers: Comunity, Restaurant Chain
DRE System: Solar Panels
Ownership: Manufacturer
Energy-using products: Kitchen, Water Pump.
Ownership: Manufacturer

.7

.8

.9

Selling food surplus.

Cooking the food in a

safe environment.

Use the organic waste

produced and colected
from the restaurants to
produce biogas.

HomeBiogas

Service
Payment

Solar Panels

.4

Fertilizers

Services offered: installation, training,

mantainance
Payment modality: Pay per Period

Organic Waste

Work
Organic Waste

Service
Fertilizers

Benefits
It is a result oriented PSS, providers are
not just delivering goods but also teaching
how to make a good use of them.
Mantainance and responsible use are the
keys for a sustainable use.
KEYS
-Meals produced under a safe environment.
-Shift to sustainable energy use.
-Link the countryside and the city.
-Gathering place, task unification.
-Water suplier.

49
Energy for Tlokweng
P. Baez, C. Castellanos, M. Hosseini, K. Kanashiro, A.M. Ospina, P. Ricciardelli
Politecnico di Milano / Italy

Problem addressed
The eating system in a typical household in the
Tlokweng village, rural area outside Gaborone,
Botswana is characterized by the use of firewood
and aluminum pots. Meals are prepared by using
firewood. Electricity is not found in all rural areas
and where it is available, it is very expensive as well
as LPG gas. Usually the cooking and collection of
firewood is done by women, men come into the
picture if a donkey cart or truck is used to collect it.
They have to carry a heavy weight for long distances. Due to the large consumption of firewood, it
is becoming difficult to find some near the village
and it produces toxic fumes and waste. The objective is to improve wellbeing by providing access to
cleaner and stable energy services for cooking.

S.PSS concept description

Energy for Tlokweng is a PSS based on a solar energy system and cooking appliances package, for
the individual household in the town of Tlokweng, Botswana. It is given in leasing, in which users
pay an initial deposit and per period (per month). The provider retains ownership of the system and
the cooking appliances and also provides maintenance and repairs. As a secondary offering, a local
university makes arrangements with the village chief and the village development committee for
training the community and to organize them in a local organic food association for growing their
own food. Members provide labor and pay for the food at a low price. Extra production is sold to
generate extra income.

51
Interaction storyboard

Stakeholders system map

Work and participate for production of the food

SECONDARY
STAKEHOLDERS

Provide organic food

Pay at reduced rate for organic food
Provide training to local technicians
for maintenance of the system
Provide cookingSystem/Solar Panel
and access to energy (no user ownership)

Energy supplier company makes

agreement with cooking appliances
company

System gets installed

Individual
household

Company keeps track of systems and

appliances. Provides maintenance
and assistance when needed.

Pay-per-period

Pay-per
period

Make arrangment for supporting LFC

Details

Surplus can be used for other devices

Individuals from each household

participate in LFC

Providers: joint venture between solar energy

company and cooking appliances company.
Customers: community, Tlokweng households.
DRE System: solar home systems.
/ Ownership: company.
Energy-using products: stove, oven, fridge.
/ Ownership: company.
Services offered: installation, training,
maintenance.

Chief makes agreement with

university for local food cooperative

Chief and VDC mobilizes community

to participate

Households enjoy produce and LFC

sells extra production

Payment modality: pay per period.

Make arrangment
for supporting
LFC

START

Provides energy
Solar energy Cooking
Local organic food
company
appliances company
cooperative
Joint venture

Each household cooks with the

system

University

VDC village
development
committee

Financial
Information
Material
Labour

Benefits
Socio-ethical: social cohesion and gender
equality are improved by favoring conditions for
women and kids. Also, accessible and long
lasting alternatives for cooking are provided that
might bring positive behavioral change.
Environmental: production of toxic fumes and
waste is reduced. Soil erosion and desertification are avoided. Renewable energy is used
instead of fossil fuels and consumption of natural resources is reduced.
Economic: Pricing is convenient and not
dependant on supply and demand cycles. Extra
income can be obtained by the community and
food can be obtained at reduced prices. Companies open a new market and generate income.

53
Renewable energy powered Common Kitchen for
Khayelitsha, and related Vegetables Garden
G. Bessone, Y. Chi, A. Frugoni, Q. Qu, M. Wang, J. Zhao
Politecnico di Milano / Italy
Problem addressed
This proposal addresses food safety and lack of food.
Khayelitsha is a partially informal township where
food access is limited: little agriculture, no livestock
farms, no supermarkets. People rely on small
informal shops to access fruit and vegetables (supplied from other informal settlements), that often
are not fresh. People stick to a diet of samp and
beans, they dont eat much fruit and vegetables, and
they use paraffin or coal as cooking fuel: their diet is
not balanced, and the cooking methods are harmful
to their health.
This proposal consists of a more accessible, safe,
cheap and inclusive food system, making fresh food
and safe cooking facilities easily available for the
community while promoting formative/development
activities and social inclusion within the community
and with tourists.

S.PSS concept description

Fully equipped Common Kitchen (pay per use), with related Common Vegetables Garden provided
with tools and seeds (partnership with Builders Warehouse). To guarantee access, people can ask for
a lease from a local microcreditor, paid back with the surplus production. Renewable energy powered
stoves are installed by a partnership between a small local stove producer and ARTsolar (solar panel
company), retain the ownership and responsible for maintenance and end-of-life treatment on a
turn-key basis. Power/water are supplied by the government, whose network is already existing in
Khayelitsha. Workshops at Bulumko School (involving elderly as teachers) teach cooking, cultivation,
preservation skills to locals & tourists; involving different age groups increases a sense of belonging
and engagement. Tourists can attend the workshops after paying a tuition free through a dedicated
app (containing a recipes and plants directory and a courses calendar), and are actively involved in
the activities side by side with the community, improving integration and sharing of knowledge.

55
Interaction storyboard

1. Kamau, a local stove producer,

meets ARTsolar (solar panel producer).
They start a partnership to offer a
Common Kitchen to Khayelitsha, using
solar panel powered stoves

Stakeholders system map

2. Kamau & ARTsolar set up a brand new

Common Kitchen and a common Vegetables
Garden for the community (the
companies retain the ownership)

3. Kamau & ARTsolar contact Builders

Warehouse (warehouse store) to get tools,
seeds and fertilizer for the garden, and
the warehouse will be paid back with the
kitchen usage revenues

Details
4. Themba and the community are
interested in using the kitchen and the
garden to access fresh, cheap vegetables.
As he can't pay for the use of the system,
he gets a loan from a microcreditor

5. Now Themba and the community can pay

Kamau and the companies partnership
(through a representative in charge of
managing the facilities), and start
cooking and cultivating

6. Kamau uses part of the revenues to

pay his debt with a local microcreditor
that financed his initial investment
to start the kitchen project

Providers: local stove producer, solar panel

company, government, warehouse
Customers: community, tourists
DRE System: solar powered cooking stoves
/ Ownership
Energy-using products: kitchen appliances,
/ Ownership
water taps/pipes

7. Paolo & other tourists attend workshops

at Bulumko School in Khayelitsha, where
elderly explain how to cook and cultivate,
favouring knowledge exchange/preservation

8. Through a dedicated app, Paoplo can pay

and register to the workshops and check a
recipes and cultivation methods directory

9. After attending the school workshops,

Paolo is ready to work side by side with
Themba and the community to grow fresh
food. After working hard, they enjoy to
share a common meal all together

Services offered: installation, maintenance,

end-of-use treatment
Payment modality: pay-per-use/satisfaction
unit, hybrid payment

Benefits
Socio-ethical: No exploitment of local
resources/economies (ensure availability for
future generations), age/gender involvement
(elderly as teachers), multicultural integration,
healthier diet, fairness, no heavy duties for kids
Environmental: Less packaging, less waste
(composting on site), no toxic fumes or health
hazard, solar powered cooking stoves, control
on fertilizers, no outsourcing = less distance,
transport reduction
Economic: Access to cheaper/fresher products,
direct production over outsourcing, no need for
initial investment for users, access made easier
with microcredit, pay-per-use at accessible and
fair rates, no packaging and distribution costs

29
57
Solar Electricity for increment Water Pumps Pressure
Carlos Coy, Patricia Beltrn, Negar Karimi , Cui Jiahua,Guo Yijia, Liang Yujia.
Politecnico di Milano/ Italy

Problem addressed
To design a sustainable Product Service System
concept for the Eating/food preparation system in a
typical informal settlement household in Khaelitsha
township, around Cape Town based on a Locally
based Sustainable Energy System, coherent with the
promising models of Sustainable Product Service
Systems (S.PSS) and distributed Renewable Energy
(DRE). In general terms the objective is to improve
the wellbeing by providing access to cleaner and
stable energy services.
The two models, as well as their combination can
potentially couple multiple sustainable benefits:
economic (reduced cost of energy), environmental
(efficiency gains), and socio ethical
(democratization of access to energy, increased
participation and independence of local people)

Problem addressed
(80x80mm; 300dpi)

Insert here one or two images

describing the problem
addressed and the context of
use

S.PSS
concept
description
PSS
concept
description
Provide electricty to the water pumps through the use of solar panel, in order to increase the pressure of the pumps and improve the quality of the service in the houses and the irrigation systems
for local crops. The partnership will supply all equipment and physical installation of the system and
the water pumps in the town and as an alternative also give han-pumps as back-up that supports
the operation of the system. The service is a mix of product and services that going to work together looking for a improving in the satisfaction level, health conditions and basic needs of the comumunity. The user need to pay a fixed fee per the use of the system , leaving all the responsability of
installation, maintenance and final product life to the service providers.

PSS visualisation
(210x210mm; 300dpi)

Insert here a visualisation of the

PSS concept, its elements and its
context of use.
You can use renderings, photos
or high quality sketches.

59
Stakeholders system map

Information on how to use it

Local technicians
Training for system
maintenance

Pay-per period

Community registers the

systems of the company
to get the card for using
resources.

Service access

The private company sends

workers to communities to
install solar panerls and
water pumps.

Information / Card

The government builds

the partnership with
private companies.

Maintenance

Community

7
Salary

Interaction storyboard

private
company

provides solar panels / water pumps

START Partnership

System Provider

The private company

provides training and
create opportunities for
technicians of local
communities.

Locate the card into the

machine to be able to get
the resource, or program
the watering of the crops.

Community uses the

energy structure and the
resource for regular
activities in daily life.

financial flow

material flow

information flow

labour flow

main actors

Details
Providers: Private energy company, Public and
goverment entities
Customers: Community
DRE System: Solar Energy/Energy company
-Water/Goverment

Users call the private

company for product
service , when the machine
does not work.

Technicians are coming to

fix the problem and make
sure that the community
has access to the
resources.

Energy-using products: Solar panels/Energy

company -Water pumps/Goverment

The private company pay

the thecnicians a salary
for every month of work.

pays water pumps

provides water pumps

Services offered: Training, installation,

maintenance
Payment modality: Mobile payments (Text
message)

government

secondary actors

Benefits

Socio-ethical: Developing local agriculture,

irrigation system and advance cultivation technology and empowering local resources, alternative, private company will offer jobs to make
maintenance actions, improving social cohesion.
Environmental: System increase the pressure
of the water pumps, just by the use of renewable energies through solar panels involves in the
system contributing with the resource, transportation and distribution reduction.
Economic: Reduced cost of energy, due to
increased resiliency and reliability. For the other
hand the system provide an economic solution
for families who going to pay just for amount of
resource used and by obtaining extra-incomes
coming from the labour of maintenance.