Scalable off-grid energy services enabled by IoT: A case study of BBOXX SMART Solar

This case study intends to show how Internet of Things (IoT) technology can be used to tackle development challenges by studying the example of BBOXX and its SMART Solar platform as applied to Solar Home Systems. It aims to highlight the benefits of such technology to its users and how it can be utilised to create scalable business models through user-centric design. However, it also shows the difficulties in designing, developing and deploying appropriate technologies in an affordable and impactful way. Similar applications in the water and agricultural sectors are looked at to further explore the potential and the challenges of IoT technologies in driving social and economic development. The case study raises ethical questions about the storage, collection and sharing of data and explores whether the data protection models prevalent in the developed world are applicable in a development context. It offers ideas for future research and points to the need of including financial, socioeconomic, and ethical considerations in the processes of innovative solutions development.