Rebeca Hwang: Small Acts and Big Impacts [Entire Talk]

TL;DR

Small acts can create big impact regardless of how many resources you have. StorWatts applies this by building micro compressed air energy storage aimed at bringing distributed, affordable, reliable, clean power to 3 billion people, reaching them first through mobile cell towers, then clinics, schools, and homes.

Transcript

Good afternoon. It's been a pleasure to know Tom for so long and thank you very much for - interesting, it allows people to use their imagination what that means. I think you will find a little bit about what that means today in my presentation and Q&A session. So allow me to tell you about Energy to Grow. So ever - in terms of an entrepreneurial e... Read More

Key Insights

• Small acts can have big impact regardless of how many resources you have. This lesson came from a childhood moment in Colombia where the speaker gave her lunch to a barefoot boy waiting to see what she would leave behind.
• StorWatts aims to bring 3 billion people the energy to grow by building a micro compressed air energy storage system positioned as the most affordable, most reliable, and cleanest option at the distributive scale.
• Field homework matters more than good intentions. An earlier HP 441 multi-user desktop project failed because insufficient packaging fell apart on rough roads and systems were not designed to operate on both AC and DC where grids were unreliable.
• Reliable energy for cell towers is the entry point. Better power for cell towers can be extended to community services, moving from a communications device to schools, clinics, and homes.
• The worldwide market opportunity for this energy approach is $50 billion. There are over 5 billion mobile subscribers today, concentrated in regions StorWatts targets like India.
• StorWatts targets a market gap ignored by industry reports. EPRI and Sandia National Lab segmentations typically end at four or five discharge hours, while StorWatts serves applications needing 6, 12, 18, or 24 hours of storage.
• The ideal application uses storage thousands of hours a year, seven days a week, six or more hours daily, at 70%-plus depth of discharge in harsh environments of 120 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
• A compressed air energy storage system has a 15 year lifetime, avoids consumables that create recycling problems, and can be added to or redeployed at much lower cost than alternatives.

Questions & Answers

Q: What lesson did the speaker learn as a child in Colombia?

At nine years old, the speaker visited a Colombian national monument called Esfuerzo and was served Sancocho stew. A barefoot boy, about 10 or 11, approached, lowered himself to the ground, and stared, waiting to see what she would leave behind. She gave him her food. That experience taught her that small acts can have big impact regardless of how many resources you have, since her family had limited means in the US but enough to share in Colombia.

Q: What is StorWatts and what does it aim to do?

StorWatts aims to bring 3 billion people the energy to grow by building a micro compressed air energy storage system. The company positions it as the most affordable, most reliable, and cleanest option at the distributive scale. The goal is to redefine the energy landscape at the kilowatt level so 3 billion people have a cleaner choice of energy source to help grow their businesses and communities.

Q: How does StorWatts plan to reach a billion people?

StorWatts starts with mobile communications infrastructure. Providing a more reliable energy source for cell towers can, by extension, provide energy for community services. There are over 5 billion mobile subscribers today. Building on that network, the company plans to extend power beyond the handset to clinics, schools, agriculture energy requirements, micro enterprises, and homes, moving from a communications device outward to broader community impact.

Q: What market gap in energy storage is StorWatts targeting?

Reports from EPRI and Sandia National Lab segment the energy storage space with about 20 applications, but when discharge hours are plotted they usually end at four or five hours. StorWatts asks where applications need storage for 6, 12, 18, or 24 hours a day. That underserved long-duration space is the market StorWatts serves, where storage is used thousands of hours a year, seven days a week.

Q: What lessons did the speaker learn from her earlier HP project?

The HP 441 multi-user desktop project, targeting rural schools, taught her that best intentions and great technology are not enough without field homework. Insufficient packaging meant systems arriving at a South African port and traveling rough roads with large holes were basically falling apart on arrival. The team also overlooked that grids might not always be available, sending AC-only systems not designed to operate on both AC and DC.

Q: What are the ideal operating conditions for the StorWatts system?

StorWatts fits applications where energy storage is used thousands of hours a year, seven days a week, six or more hours every day, with depth of discharge of 70% or more. The systems must survive harsh environments of 120 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, plus lots of dust and sun exposure. To be an economic choice, the system should last for 15 years in the field without requiring throwaway consumables.

Q: Why does StorWatts avoid consumable energy products?

In these harsh, remote environments, giving customers a product they have to throw away introduces a new requirement: how do you recycle it? A compressed air energy storage system instead has a 15 year lifetime, can be added to over time, and can be redeployed at a much lower cost than the alternatives. Because providing better, more affordable energy creates more demand, a platform that lets people add to it over time is valuable.

Q: How do partners help StorWatts develop its technology?

Patricio Boyd from Argentina, met via email in 2009 and in person in 2010 at Intersolar, introduced StorWatts to people running ESCOs in Laos, India, Dominican Republic, and Honduras with 5 to 10 years of field operating experience, so the team would not have to guess what to build. He is also a candidate for a 2012 or early 2013 field trial and helps with investment introductions. Through his network they met Nelson Stevens in Chile, who won a project with six new micro grids in Patagonia.

Summary

In this video, two entrepreneurs, Rebecca Hui and Tom Raftery, share their experiences and insights on social entrepreneurship and technology solutions. They discuss their personal journeys and the challenges they faced in their careers. They also talk about the importance of aligning business interests with social causes and the need to assess talent and values when partnering with others. Both entrepreneurs emphasize the significance of passion and obsession in driving success. They also address the issue of work-life balance and highlight the importance of having a support system. Finally, they discuss the challenges of implementing technology solutions and the importance of considering the people and cultural factors involved.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Rebecca's early experiences in Colombia shape her perspective on life?

When Rebecca was nine years old, she visited Colombia and had a transformative experience. She encountered a young boy who had no shoes and was waiting to see what she would leave behind after lunch. This paradox, witnessing poverty while having enough to share, left her with a perspective on the impact of small acts and limited resources.

Q: What is StorWatts all about?

StorWatts aims to bring energy to grow to 3 billion people. They are building a micro compressed air energy storage system that will be affordable, reliable, and clean. Their goal is to redefine the energy landscape for 3 billion people, providing a cleaner choice for their energy needs.

Q: How has Patricio Boyd supported StorWatts' mission?

Patricio Boyd, a co-founder of StorWatts, has been instrumental in providing insights and introducing the team to people with operating experience in the field. He has connected them with individuals who have energy service companies in Laos, India, the Dominican Republic, and Honduras.

Q: How has Rebecca's experience in India influenced her career path?

Rebecca went to India during her junior year in college and worked on solving the water issue. She fell in love with the cause and realized that she wanted to pursue a career that would bring her meaning. This experience led her to study the institutional factors that affect the success of social entrepreneurship projects.

Q: What are the challenges in balancing work and personal life?

Both entrepreneurs acknowledge the challenge of achieving a work-life balance. Tom emphasizes the importance of having a supportive family and team to help him juggle multiple responsibilities. Rebecca admits that she does not have a perfect balance, but she tries to avoid crashing by recognizing when she needs to take a break.

Q: How do you assess talent before and after hiring or partnering with someone?

Tom looks for people with a complementary skill set, a shared value system, and an obsession for something. He believes that the ability to recover from failure is also an important aspect of talent assessment. Rebecca emphasizes the importance of shared values and morals when evaluating potential partners or employees.

Q: How do you keep the passion in the company after you leave?

Tom mentions that he is mentoring someone who could potentially take over as CEO when he leaves. He is also focused on creating a company personality that aligns with the values and passion he has instilled. Rebecca highlights the importance of having a strong team and a clear company personality that survives beyond the founder or CEO.

Q: Which is more challenging: solving people problems or developing technological solutions?

Both entrepreneurs agree that the greater challenge lies in the business model, which involves both the people and the technology. They acknowledge that implementing technology solutions can have cultural and institutional challenges, such as theft and resistance to change. It is crucial to consider both aspects when addressing social issues.

Takeaways

Rebecca and Tom's stories highlight the importance of passion and values in driving social entrepreneurship. They emphasize the need to align business interests with social causes and establish a strong company personality that can survive beyond the founder. Balancing work and personal life remains a challenge, but having a supportive network can help. Assessing talent based on shared values and skills is vital for success. Ultimately, addressing social issues requires considering both people and technology in the business model.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The talk opens with a childhood story: at nine, the speaker visited Colombia and gave her Sancocho stew to a barefoot boy waiting to see what she would leave behind. Though her family had limited financial resources in the US, in Colombia they had enough to share, teaching her small acts create big impact.

• StorWatts is building a micro compressed air energy storage system to bring 3 billion people affordable, reliable, clean distributed energy. Partners like Patricio Boyd from Argentina introduced the team to ESCOs in Laos, India, Dominican Republic, and Honduras so they could learn what to actually build rather than guess.

• The company targets a market gap in energy storage: applications needing 6 to 24 hours of discharge in harsh environments, unlike reports ending at four or five hours. With a 15 year lifetime, a $50 billion market, and field trials planned for 2012 or early 2013, StorWatts aims to dominate distributed-scale storage in emerging markets.