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How do we create or adapt infrastructure within homes or workplaces so that DC appliances can be adopted?
Former Community Member
If you are a lucky one living with a resilient electric grid, happy days. But consider those too far away geographically or economically to join in the energy bonanza, which the fortunate have taken for granted their entire lives. Read our blog and let us know your thoughts on how we can innovate, challenge and question the status quo.
Sadly, the life-expectancy of hi-tech electronics in equatorial countries is pitifully short. Grid electricity distribution has big transformers, heavy cables, and often works for twenty years or more with minimal attention. In comparison, the average life of an electronic product in Ghana (where we attempted to measure it) seems to be around six months.
I am emphatically not using this as an argument to stick with grid electricity - rather I am saying that the electronics industry must really raise its game, and implement the same rigorous environmental testing for consumer electronics destined for hot (and particularly humid) countries that they do for automobile systems - since the environment is at least as challenging.
…And when equipment DOES fail, they should remember that spares supply chains are largely non-existent, tools and diagnostic equipment are likely to be very poor, and documentation lost or non-existent - so repairability is an absolute requirement.
Even in the UK, it is our experience that the newer something is, the less likely it is to be repairable. This is to my mind something that our industry (yes, I'm part of it) should be deeply ashamed of.
A Victorian railway engineer would be scandalised by our designing products that can't be repaired.
Sadly, the life-expectancy of hi-tech electronics in equatorial countries is pitifully short. Grid electricity distribution has big transformers, heavy cables, and often works for twenty years or more with minimal attention. In comparison, the average life of an electronic product in Ghana (where we attempted to measure it) seems to be around six months.
I am emphatically not using this as an argument to stick with grid electricity - rather I am saying that the electronics industry must really raise its game, and implement the same rigorous environmental testing for consumer electronics destined for hot (and particularly humid) countries that they do for automobile systems - since the environment is at least as challenging.
…And when equipment DOES fail, they should remember that spares supply chains are largely non-existent, tools and diagnostic equipment are likely to be very poor, and documentation lost or non-existent - so repairability is an absolute requirement.
Even in the UK, it is our experience that the newer something is, the less likely it is to be repairable. This is to my mind something that our industry (yes, I'm part of it) should be deeply ashamed of.
A Victorian railway engineer would be scandalised by our designing products that can't be repaired.
