Una empresa especialmente creada llamada Welectricity utilizará las redes sociales para promover la eficiencia energética en el Caribe, región que tiene algunas de las tarifas de electricidad más elevadas del mundo. La red permitirá a los usuarios aportar información sobre sus hábitos de consumo de energía, que podrá ser comparada con la de sus compañeros. Las personas que usan el sitio web también podrán enviar soluciones de ahorro de energía, mensajes, fotografías y vídeos que describan la manera en que el ahorro de energía se traduce en ahorro de dinero. Resultados: los hogares se convertirán en miembros de la red país por país y las emisiones de carbono serán reducidas mediante una mayor eficiencia energética. Equipo del proyecto: Green Island Inc. Patrocinadores: GVEP International & GTZ

1. Welectricity. Energy Efficiency, meet
Social Networking TM

2. Business Focus
A cheap, simple, scalable and low-carbon solution for household energy
efficiency - worldwide
Introduction

3. Business Focus
A cheap, simple, scalable and low-carbon solution for household energy
efficiency - worldwide
Objectives and outputs
Objective – Provide a simple, low-carbon online tool for consumers to track
and reduce their electricity consumption at home
Output – a free web application at www.welectricity.com
Introduction

4. Business Focus
A cheap, simple, scalable and low-carbon solution for household energy
efficiency - worldwide
Objectives and outputs
Objective – Provide a simple, low-carbon online tool for consumers to track
and reduce their electricity consumption at home
Output – a free web application at www.welectricity.com
Beneficiaries
Households (reduced consumption/bills)
Utilities (reduce their marginal cost of providing energy services)
Countries (reduce energy imports, CO2 emissions)
Introduction

5. Business Focus
A cheap, simple, scalable and low-carbon solution for household energy
efficiency - worldwide
Objectives and outputs
Objective – Provide a simple, low-carbon online tool for consumers to track
and reduce their electricity consumption at home
Output – a free web application at www.welectricity.com
Beneficiaries
Households (reduced consumption/bills)
Utilities (reduce their marginal cost of providing energy services)
Countries (reduce energy imports, CO2 emissions)
Future application
Utilities will licence customized versions to roll out to their customers
The app will be developed for mobile platforms, Facebook
Customized University Challenges
Introduction

10. Progress against general objectives
 Launched on Earth Day 2010
 Receiving attention worldwide (Users from 63 countries)
 Receiving international recognition & awards (latest is
award for “Best Idea for the Millennial” in the GE
Ecomagination Smart Grid Challenge)
Project Progress

11. Progress against general objectives
 Launched on Earth Day 2010
 Receiving attention worldwide (Users from 63 countries)
 Receiving international recognition & awards (latest is
award for “Best Idea for the Millennial” in the GE
Ecomagination Smart Grid Challenge)
Progress against scheduled milestones (users &
utility pilot projects)
 Fewer than 1000 users acquired in 7 months
 User milestones not yet achieved in specified countries
(Jamaica, Barbados)
 No utility pilot projects on stream
Project Progress

12. Successes
 Quick uptake by early adopters in 60+ countries,
 Users benefiting from consumption reductions
 Good reviews in the technical press (eg: WWF Green Game-
Changer)
 Growing recognition
Successes

13. Successes
 Quick uptake by early adopters in 60+ countries,
 Users benefiting from consumption reductions
 Good reviews in the technical press (eg: WWF Green Game-
Changer)
 Growing recognition
Lessons
 Today’s Web 2.0 technology enables a lot that wasn’t even
possible a few years ago, so Think Big
 Don’t assume: “Build it and they will come”
 Change is constant, so make it work for you.
 Be Flexible - Plan B might be more valuable than you think!
Successes

14. Main Challenges
Lack of a specific marketing budget line item for selling the
concept to prospective users (eg: including items such as local
advertising directly to consumers via TV, Radio, Billboards, etc)
Marketing is key: “Many a small thing has been made large by the
right kind of advertising” Mark Twain
A default line item provision in the budget for accounting/financial
reporting would be helpful
Challenges

15. My Experience: Renewable Energy and Innovation, Energy
Efficiency & Access/Entrepreneurship policy in LAC
RE/EE consultant in Caribbean since 2007
Energy Policy
Project Management
Positive effect on my project
Advice
I would seek advice on:
Marketing the service
Understanding VC/financing issues & requirements
Intellectual Property protection issues
Assigned Topic

16. Thank you!