By Iminza Keboge
A US-based company specialising in mobile and portable lithium energy storage technology has launched a Solar Home System with Digital TV for the African market.
The plug-n-play Solar Home Systems launched by Moab Power are known as MOAB TV 60 and MOAB TV 120 that come with 16-inch and 19-inch digital LED TVs, coupled with what the company describes as “the world’s smallest indoor/outdoor antenna, for free over-the-air [OTA] entertainment.”
Nearly two-thirds of TV homes (36.2million) took digital signals by end 2015, up from 18.7% (7.9 million) in 2010, according to the Digital TV Sub-Saharan Africa Forecasts from Digital TV Research. The research shows that complete digital transition was achieved in Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda by end 2015. The count is expected to increase to 11 by end of 2016 and to reach 99.9% in 35 forecast countries by 2021 or 74.7 million homes.
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“While we take part in addressing the basic power and lighting needs of the over 2 billion people worldwide that lack access to energy, we value the importance of empowering and uplifting them through access to knowledge and entertainment. Promoting off-grid appliances, commencing with television, will be one of MOAB’s immediate goals for Africa, along with Asia and other parts of the world”, says Nick Patel, Moab Power’s Chief Technical Officer.
The MOAB TV 60 package consists of a 16-inch TV, a miniature indoor/outdoor antenna, a 10W monocrystalline solar panel, a 60Wh lithium power management unit with four 12V and two USB ports, three 100 lumen LED lights and a multi-tip mobile phone charger. The MOAB TV 120 upgrades the TV 60 offering with a larger 19-inch TV, a 20W solar panel and a 120Wh power management unit. Both are part of the current pico product line.
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The MOAB Power Management System utilises what it describes as “proprietary, safe, 10-year lithium cells, coupled with smart power management and an LED display. It is the most powerful unit enclosed in one of the smallest and lightest packages, compared to competing Solar Home Systems.”
the MOAB TV units will be available in the third quarter of 2016 “through select distributors and retailers worldwide”, MOAB Power says its “products come with a full 3-year warranty (2-years for TV), and are available with Pay-As-You-Go for the Base-of-the-Pyramid [BOP] market.”
