Simpa Networks has created a pay-as-you go model for solar power. Customers in the developing world sign up for a for a free residential power system. They pay for nothing except for electricity--in small chunks--just as you would top up a mobile phone with airtime. Once they've bought enough power from their home solar system (typically buying credit from vendors or mobile carriers) the users own it. "At the core, we're making valuable things affordable by separating the thing from the service it provides. That thing is a solar energy system," says Needham. "We are charging for services that people value, at the moment they value it the most."
Apple Needs to Make it in America
