Off-Grid Water & Electricity Box Donation by OffGridBox
Update June 2022: Despite efforts to donate this OffGridBox to the winner of our competition, circumstances prevented this from happening. We therefore decided to include the Box in a running program to bring renewable energy to the refugee community of Mahama refugee camp in Rwanda. Here, we are collaborating with international NGOs like Alight and Inkomoko to provide refugee entrepreneurs with solar energy for their tools and shops.
BOSTON, Mass., Feb 26th 2019 - OffGridBox is excited to announce they will award a free solar water purification system to one community in need of an off-grid solution. With their social mission of improving lives at heart, the aim of this donation is to find local implementing partners and collaborate on future projects. The Box (valued up to $30,000) can provide clean water and renewable electricity anywhere in the world.
The only requirement to qualify for the free box is to have an impactful community project. The main impact area may be social, health, environment, or disaster recovery. To apply, candidates will only need to fill out the 2-minute form and, if shortlisted, they will be contacted for a phone interview.
The Free Pioneer Model Box is 6x6x6ft, with 12 solar panels (3.36kw), 15 kWh of battery storage and a water purification system (up to 1000L/hour treated). The box is refurbished and comes from the company’s BuyBack Program, which allows previous customers to sell their Box back to the company. For the purpose of this donation, the box is free, but shipping, customs, and installation costs are excluded and vary depending on location.
CEO Emiliano Cecchini, driven by his combined passion for technology and helping people, wants to live up to OffGridBox’s social mission. He said, "being a Techstars startup means to believe in #givefirst. Being an ‘OffGridBoxer’ means to believe that we can do well by doing good. We are excited about the big impact potential of this tiny box and want to extend our reach by donating an opportunity for communities and environments in need, as well as finding new local partners and creating long lasting relationships.”
OffGridBox, after only 2 years of operations, has already deployed 36 of its innovative boxes with the aim to use technology as a means of social and environmental impact. They offer Pay-As-You-Go financing options and work closely with NGOs to help secure grants and investor funding, but they are going a step further - massively extending the chance to get access to clean water and power in remote areas. Ultimately, they are looking to push their social mission collaborating with local implementing partners. A free box is up for grabs now, but not for long!
For more information, please visit the Free Box Contest section at www.offgridbox.com.
About OffGridBox
OffGridBox is an all-in-one sustainable solution providing clean water and solar power to people in remote areas. OffGridBox is the brainchild of founders Emiliano Cecchini and Davide Bonsignore from 2014. They became inspired to create more efficient technical solutions after working on several OXFAM clean energy projects in South Africa that took more than 3 weeks to install. Since then, more than 36 boxes have been deployed in 9 countries, serving thousands of people in difficult circumstances. Projects range from disaster relief, cooperatively with NGOs, to rural electrification. OffGridBox is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, at Greentown Labs and the company’s mission is to provide affordable clean water and electricity in remote areas. For more information about OffGridBox, please visit https://www.offgridbox.com
CEO & Founder, Emiliano Cecchini, at the Boston Headquarters explaining the Box