DURBAN - Trevor Colvelle is an entrepreneur from Bulwer in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands region who took top prize at the Inkunz’isematholeni Youth in Business Competition.
Colvelle was chosen as the winner out of 198 entries for his invention of the Solar Nexus.
The Solar Nexus is a gadget that uses rollable solar panels as a canopy to capture solar power and store its in a power bank connected in the gadget.
The power bank can then be detached from the gadget and used to power a heater, radio, TV and lights in your home. This device eliminates the need for batteries, paraffin stoves and cooking on an open fire which can be hazardous.
The power bank has 12V 20000mAh (milliamps) of power when fully charged and can last a week on a single charge.
According to the young entrepreneur this design is essential because it enables the user to collect power while doing daily activities like walking to work or school.
Colvelle's invention is also waterproof and it opens up into the shape and size of a golf umbrella which can be used for protection from bad weather conditions and at the same time to charge your power bank as a ready-to-use power supply by the time you arrive home.
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Colvelle said that one of the five year objectives is to take the solar Nexus to other South African provinces.
Provinces like Limpopo and Gauteng as well as places like Alexander townships where shack fires are hazardous can benefit from this technology, Colvelle said.
The main inspiration for the solar Nexus are foldable or rollable solar panels because the recent technology used in the rollable solar panels is so advanced, that have developed solar panels that are paper thin and just as light.
Colvelle said that highlight of his career was the day that he conceived the Solar Nexus idea and actually entering a competition with it. Overall though he said the highlight was winning the Inkunz’isematholeni Youth in Business Competition.
Financial projections according to Colvelle have pointed to a turnover of more that R10 million in five years. He said that some of the revenue will come from selling the Solar Nexus, power banks and other accessories but majority of the money will be earned through Solar Chase project.