As the winds of Industry 4.0 continue to blow across African economies, IoT remains to be one of the key enablers of this continued transformation. East Africa, and Africa as a whole is one of the remaining virgin destinations for industrial growth, with the fastest increase in population. By 2030, the continent is expected to have its population crossing the 1.5 Billion mark. 

For IoT initiatives to remain viable in the short and medium-term, organisations are best placed to seek partnerships with established manufacturers and services providers. These collaborations will not only accelerate adoption and scale, but it will also allow African economies to leapfrog legacy development cycles. 

Alois Mbutura of Kaiote Ltd joins us on the Africa Water and Energy Podcast to dive deeper into how organisations can implement monitoring and control strategies using IoT. 

What makes IoT important of utility infrastructure today?

Utilies inthis case are not limited to water, electricity, and gas. Some of the major influencers of why IoT is important today more than ever are:

Complex infrastructure in African countries

Sub-saharan economies have a complex mixture of legacy and new communication and transport infrastructure. Without adequate urban planning, reaching and serving citizens has become complicated. 

Improvement of project bankability of pricing innovations

The shift towards using prepaid meters is increasingly making it easier for utilities to turn a profit. Typical losses in Kenya’s waster services providers, for instance, amounts to about Ksh250 Million annually. 

New business and financing models

Customised solutions for utility access are now reaching middle and lower class groups in African economies. Innovations like PayGo’s cylinder gas metering solution allows customers to buy small amounts of gas using mobile payment services. 

Difference between monitoring and control

While monitoring entails a one-way activity of requesting information from meters and sensors, control allows us to use the data from meters to actuate other devices. 

Who is the implementer of IoT?

This would be the legal body that has the capacity to carry out these projects

What are the use case results of successful implementation fo monitoring and control?

Examples around us include:

* Telecommunication infrastructure* Utility prepaid metering infrastructure* Asset tracking and control e.g fleet monitoring

Fundamental strategies for monitoring and control

For successful deployments, it is necessary to have an understanding of the ‘Why’. A clear needs analysis will help you establish the prerequisites for monitoring and control

Elements of the needs analysis might include:

* The data sources, frequency and formats* The means of communication – between devices and the people* The sorts of analysis that are relevant

Important considerations for successful implementation

Before diving into your IoT projects, consider creating a holistic picture of the projects including people,

The takeaways from this episode are:

– For energy monitoring purposes, the cost of the metering infrastructure is a careful balance between hardware and software options – Smart energy meters are also becoming more affordable and with a wider spread of features. Engaging an expert is a good step to understanding what meter would be appropriate for your needs – You might be safer installing a smart meter as a way to verify that you are receiving the correct bill from your utility

The Relevance of Smart Energy Meters Today

The main drivers for organisations acquiring energy meters are:

* Regulations – The Kenya Energy Management Regulations 2012 as well as the new Energy Act 2019 put emphasis on energy efficiency and conservation. To meet the law in a repeatable way, smart energy meters are usually a good start, as they collect and store data about energy use.* Monitoring and Verification – Owing to periodic wrong billing by the utility, more organisations need a way to verify what they are being charged. This results in the installation of a smart meter after the utility meter.* Technology Shift – The cost of tech devices including meters is dropping as the capabilities of software tools increase. With collected meter data, there are affordable tools that can be used to analyse  data and highlight opportunities for energy efficiency

What if you already have a smart utility meter on your premises?

A utility meter is a good starting point because you can access your historical consumption data. But the bureaucratic process of getting this information at will is what makes your own smart meters a convenient option.

Commercial and industrial organisations can be better off installing smart meters as a way to monitor individual circuits to understand their consumption patterns. This can be energy-consuming equipment or individual tenants in a building.

Overall, smart meters give you data about how you’re using electricity. You can use it to:

* Size a Solar PV system for your building* Find wastage points e.g.  idle equipment at night* Check the impact of energy conservation practices e.g switching off the air conditioning when not necessary* Check the energy consumption of equipment compared to its production* Generate individual bills for tenants in a building

Who can benefit most from smart meters?

Smart meters are meant for anyone who wants to have visibility into how energy gets consumed, in real-time. This might be to verify your monthly bill or look for opportunities for energy efficiency.

Organisations that have conducted an energy audit might be the biggest beneficiaries because they have a better understanding of which equipment or section of the company has the potential for energy conservation.

If your facility is also heavily dependent on electricity for production, smart meters might provide a chance for you to compare the energy consumed per kg/tonne of product over time. The metric might be a good benchmark for performance and efficiency.

Common types of smart energy meters

We know of the utility meter which can either be for residential (with token provision) or commercial (without token provision) application.

Sub-meters found locally in Kenya are from brands like Siemens,

The key takeaways from this episode are:

1. Because of the climate conversation, more people are becoming aware of the need to choose sustainable products and services2. It is becoming more and more important for organisations to demonstrate a holistic picture through transparent reporting 3. A connected world now puts the actions of almost every company at an international stage. This is both an accelerator for good practice and a quick way to criticise entities that don’t show concern for social, economic or environmental improvement

But then again, what is Sustainability Reporting? And how is it different from terms like Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reporting? Peter Waihenya of CREFF Energy was our subject matter expert in this week’s episode. He helped addressed among other things: 

* What sustainability reports are and why they matter* Who the target audience is and who the beneficiary is* What reasons drive organisations to report on sustainability* The key prerequisite data for   reports* Critical elements of a sustainability report* Arising challenges and solutions encountered while doing sustainability reports?

Sustainability Reports and why they matter?

Sustainability Reports are, in simple terms, reports shared by an organisation about how their activities impact the society’s social, economic and environmental makeup. These three perspectives are commonly referred to as the Triple Bottom Line  of profit, people and the planet.

Sustainability reports are important because they help give a better picture of show stakeholders how a company is carrying out its activities. They are also important in documenting transformation towards supporting local and global initiatives like the Sustainable Development Goals

Therefore, it also means that Corporate Social Responsibility is only just a component of Sustainability Reporting. 

A list of the top 8 companies with their 2019 sustainability reports out, according to  Google, are:

* Safaricom* Co-operative Bank* LafargeHolcim Kenya* Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM)* Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB)* Strathmore University* Huawei Kenya* Finlays

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Beneficiaries of Sustinability Reports

These reports are targeted towards the organisation’s stakeholders, as well as any other third party who might be interested. The Government is also an important party in ensuring the company is being transparent to it, and to the public. 

Drivers of sustainability reporting

Going back to the triple bottom line, an organisation’s primary motivation is a need to increa...

The main takeaway from this episode is that:

1. The returns for water efficiency outweigh investment costs in less than 5 years2. Training and creating awareness helps to make the transition of moving to smart meters easier3. With the Industry 4.0 wave coming on, technology can now be affordably used to increase efficiency and increase competitiveness

Kenya’s National Water Services Strategy goal is to reduce the quantity of nonrevenue water to under 30%. This is a far cry from the current rate of 54% which is leaking approximately Ksh250M from the economy every year. 

Nelson Bwogora of Majipay shares his thoughts on how organisations can make the move from analogue to smart water metering 

Why it’s a good time to consider smart water metering

With Kenya’s population approaching 50 million, the water demand is only going to balloon further. This thirst calls for efficiency systems of harvesting, processing and supplying clean water to end-users. Other compelling reasons for why a transition now is important are:

* There is reliable network coverage to support long-range communication* Mobile payment avenues are easy to access and integrate into smart water metering infrastructure * Efficient use of water will help reduce recurring monthly costs * Property value increases because of efficient systems

Clean Water Losses

Clean water distribution systems face two major sources of loss:

* Physical losses. These losses occur due to instances like leaks.* Apparent losses. They comprise of losses due to meter fault, inaccuracies in meter reading or the lack of a meter for an end-user.

AMR vs AMI?

Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) is an older technology used to collect data from utility meters through a way communication infrastructure. 

Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is signified by modern utility meters. These meters can interact with both customers and the utility through updating tariffs. They can also transmit consumption data at various times of the day. 

Who are the beneficiaries of smart metering systems?

The main beneficiaries are the end-user. With efficient harvesting, treatment and distribution channels, end-users can:

* Enjoy more water availability* Lower water charges* Increase their productivity

From a services provider’s point they also benefit from:

* Reduced system losses* Account for all consumption* Faster billing and reporting* Access to real-time information on customer consumption trends

What motivates organisations to make the move to smart water meters?

Smart water metering offers a way to account for consumption at various times. It also means that organisations can uncover their areas of wastage and implement ways to reduce it. 

Investment costs are also becoming part of the conversations. Even though smart water meters start in the region of $100 per unit, these costs are quickly coming down. 

Water monitoring and efficiency projects also tend to have payback periods of less than 5 years, making them attractive investment options

What considerations should be aware of while getting into smar...

For energy management initiatives to become a success, training is paramount. In Kenya, energy management training is still seen as a compliance factor. But that needs to change.

Why energy efficiency training?

The main reasons for training operators of commercial buildings and hotels are:

* People are at the center of most activities in these industries. Cleaners, maintenance, kitchen, laundry staff, guests are the majority of people transacting here. * There are plenty of low-cost high impact initiatives that can get implemented. Examples are changing behaviour, observing routine, reporting among others

Common types of training

The most common training on energy efficiency in these sectors are less on equipment and more on people and processes.

Examples are behaviour change training, training for managers and technical staff as well as design thinking workshops.

Ideal audience

Effective training needs to span from the services provider to the consumer. This  means that aside from general staff and department heads, the guests or tenants also need education on energy management. At the end of it all, the utility bills will constitute the input of these parties. 

Key features of effective energy efficiency training

Elements contributing to the success of training are majorly:

* Getting the support of top management. Aside from paying for training, the top management needs to make it clear that they are in support of it. They should also be trained so that they understand suggestions made by their staff. * Customize training to the target audience. Because of location, size or services, different hotels and buildings will have varying training demands. As the trainer, you should understand the dynamics of your audience as you craft a programme for them.  * Fostering collaboration in training. To avoid the common ‘death by PowerPoint’ pitfall, make sure your training programme has activities for your audience. This practice helps the trainees give their opinion and suggestions that work best for their realities.  * Follow up. Without a way to track the impact of your training, the audience will quickly forget about the strategies and learning points acquired.

Innovative styles in energy efficiency training

As a way of adding spice into your training, consider the following pointers:

* Go visual. By that, we don’t mean poor quality photos from the internet. Use photos relating to the audience you are training. Are they in a coastal setting in Kenya? Use photos of other similar looking settings. Teaching them about air conditioning? Use photos you took from a previous survey of an actual air conditioning unit. Better still, take photos of the facilities in the hotel and use them!* Storytelling. People always but from people the like, and situations that are familiar to them. Should your audience be football-loving, don’t use analogies around tennis for example. If they are commuters, for instance, refer to common experiences while using public transport.  * Include friendly competitions. This approach creates deeper memories because your audience can start applying the lessons. Again, make sure it suits the specific trainees you have. 

Challenges and Solutions to effective energy efficiency training

A few setbacks still exist in making sure training makes sense for energy management. Some of the challenges are:

Compliance

Guest Name Eng James Nyamai Company Bioafriq Energy Main Products – Biomass Pellets– Commercial Pellet-Fired Cook Stoves– Industrial Pellet-Fired Burners– Food Dehydrators/Dryers Social Media Twitter Facebook

I had a chat with James of Bioafriq Energy. James and his co-founder Doreen have been at it since 2016. Their journey is one that started with entrepreneurship in agriculture and later on grew into energy technology. It was while trying to keep up with the heating requirements for keeping little chicks warm that James realised that charcoal which was their source of energy for this purpose was not only dangerous for the young birds, but had been feeding an unsustainable practice and leading to thinner forests in Eastern Kenya.

Today, James and Doreen count a number of milestones in their business. They have one of the most innovative commercial cook stoves in the region, boasting a heat output of 50kW, with an automatic feeding system. What’s more is that the cook stove’s feeder can be paired with a solar panel and work in off-grid settings, even allowing users to even charge phones while preparing meals. 

James won the 2019 Total Startupper of the Year Award and the company also won a competitive prize during the Nairobi Innovation Week 2019 which gave them a scholarship to an entrepreneurs executive programme by Sinapis. Without further ado, let’s hear from him.

This week’s guest is Dan Ndenga, a professional engineer with more than 10 years of practical field experience under his belt. Dan is the co founder and managing director at Adarsh Polymer, a plastics to fuel company. Their flagship product is Safi HFO, a high energy fuel alternative for diesel boilers in the Kenyan commercial and industrial sector. 

Dan tells us more about the company’s growth, their product and discusses some of the challenges and opportunities facing energy innovations in the region. 

For further questions regarding Adarsh Polymer or the pyrolysis process feel free to join in on the forum section where other field experts (including Dan) will respond to you.

Let’s jump right into it.

About 55% of Energy Services Companies (ESCOs) in Kenya were formed after the entry of Kenya’s Energy Management Regulations of 2012. This is a brief intro to what ESCOs are and why they are relevant.

In the following episodes, we’ll be getting to know more about a few of these companies and the people running them.

Enjoy the show!

This is the second part of the discussion I had with Chris Mbori of Eenovators regarding finding purpose. In this episode we take a deep dive into:

* Differentiating a job and work

* Balancing a job and work as you move towards your purpose

* Challenges you can expect while moving towards your purpose in work

* A candid throwback to when Chris played the ‘lifundo’‘ (football made with plastic bags back in the day)

If you enjoyed, please consider sharing it with someone who can also learn a thing or two. Enjoy!

Tragedy is not when you encounter death, but when you live a life without purpose.

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In this episode, we dig a little deeper into what work represents, and how you can cut through the modern-day noise and find your purpose. I’m joined by Mr. Chris Mbori of Eenovators Limited who’s also a passionate fellow when it comes to matters work and purpose.

Hoping you enjoy, and learn something on the way.

Here are a couple of images, just to prove that we were the ones recording it:

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