Solar Application Viability Screen
Solarbe Global - Solar Futures

Start with four practical checks: payer, operator, maintenance responsibility and local service path.
Then decide whether the solar use case is suitable for sourcing, training or channel testing.

Every use case should pass six checks:

1. Who pays?
2. Who operates?
3. Who maintains and owns the safety boundary?
4. Why do they pay now?
5. Are safety and compliance risks manageable?
6. Can this create a repeatable local service role, not only a good story?

First-phase priority directions:

1. Irrigation as a service
- Payer: farmers or cooperatives
- Operator: farm owner, cooperative or irrigation service provider
- Logic: water access changes crop timing, yields or paid service demand
- Guardrail: qualified pump and electrical installation

2. Fish and farm cold-chain nodes
- Payer: landing sites, markets, cooperatives or traders
- Operator: cold-chain node owner or market service provider
- Logic: spoilage loss is visible and storage can be paid for
- Guardrail: hygiene, temperature control and clear limits for medical use

3. Solar drying and small agro-processing
- Payer: farmers, processors or cooperatives
- Operator: processor, cooperative or service team
- Logic: post-harvest loss and price uplift can be calculated
- Guardrail: food safety, moisture control and volume validation

4. E-bike and delivery charging
- Payer: riders, fleets, sites or platforms
- Operator: site owner, fleet operator or charging service provider
- Logic: high-frequency charging demand and battery cost can be measured
- Guardrail: battery safety, fire prevention and site responsibility

5. Institutional reliable power
- Payer: clinics, schools, markets, NGOs, sponsors or operators
- Operator: institution, EPC, facility manager or service partner
- Logic: uptime supports critical services or shared infrastructure
- Guardrail: qualified design, installation, maintenance and reporting

Use carefully, but do not lead with:

- Standalone low-ticket retail convenience uses
- Phone charging kiosks without a site operator and repeatable demand
- Standalone lighting uses without a payer and maintenance owner
- Entertainment uses without safety and payment clarity
- Printing, internet, barber or beauty stalls treated as isolated anecdotes

These can help public education, but they are weak as first business lines unless bundled into a broader service model.

Local service question:
Which local problem is painful enough that someone will pay, who will operate, who will maintain, and which qualified partner can deliver safely?