This document discusses challenges in providing electricity access to remote rural areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Over 3,000 families lack power, and grid extension is not economically viable. UNDP considered crowdsourcing ideas through an innovation challenge. The challenge sought affordable, standalone renewable energy solutions to provide households with 2.25 kWh/day of electricity and 120L/day of hot water for under €5,000. A winner was selected that met all criteria and was successfully tested, providing enough energy for a family's daily needs. UNDP learned that crowdsourcing solutions and testing prototypes takes significant time and effort but can identify viable ideas to address important problems.

1. Challenges and crowdsourcing
as a way to gather new ideas
Siniša Rodić
Project Manager - Energy Efficiency/Renewable Energy
Sanjin Avdić
Sector Leader - Energy and Environment

2. Overview
THE CORE PROBLEM –
3,000 Families in the most remote
rural areas lack access to power in BiH
OUR THOUGHTS –
How to find an sustainable and
affordable solution?
THE SOLUTION TO OUR THOUGHTS –
A worldwide challenge
How to fit into UNDP procedures (SOPs)?
THE SOLUTION TO THE CORE
PROBLEM –
Have a winner!/ Scaling-up
UNDP internal impact...
UNDP‘s
INNOVATION PRIZE DRAFT POLICY!

3. The Core Problem
• In Bosnia and Herzegovina more than one million persons
displaced during the war have returned to reclaim their lives.
• For most of them, houses have been reconstructed and normal
living conditions restored, but still more than 3,000 families in
the most remote rural areas lack access to power.
• In most cases such an investment is not economically justified
(for Power Utilities).

4. The Core Problem

5. Our Thoughts
• design and develop a sustainable, standalone&cost-effective solution
• off-grid renewable energy supply
• electricity generation of 2,25 kWh/day and 120 l/day of DHW
• be user friendly
• Investment costs not higher than € 5.000

6. The Challenge
• World-wide challenge
• Nesta – challenge service provider / administrator
• The winner will receive a $20,000 cash prize
• UNDP Bosnia and Herzegovina will pilot the winning solution
in a rural area for up to 50 returnee families

7. Judging Criteria
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investment costs
energy output
battery capacity
hot water capacity
reliability
average running costs
maintenance costs
simplicity of use and replication potential

8. Road to the Winner
37
4
1st shorlisting – UNDP BiH
2
1
solutions received
2nd shorlisting – Nesta
tested solution

9. the Winner
• Renewable Energy Kit was tested in period from August 3, 2013
until September 20, 2013
• The test confirmed that selected solution meets all criteria set
by the challenge (it is even better!).
• This system works much better than I was expecting, even though
it was not expected that laundry machine will work – it works
too. I have enough energy for the needs of my family.
Rodic Zoran

10. the Winner
• Mr. Nikola Sakan /Telefon Inzenjering - Belgrade, Serbia

11. UNDP internal impact

12. Lessons learned...
• It is time consuming!
• ...it is a long path, full of small barriers, from idea to realization!
• Your biggest investment is the time and effort you have to
contribute to this process.
• ...you do not know whether you will succeed or not!!

13. Lessons learned...

14. THANK YOU!
Energy and Environment
UNDP CO Bosnia and Herzegovina
sinisa.rodic@undp.org
sanjin.avdic@undp.org