A new technology hub focusing on the development of off-grid technologies will soon be opening its doors under the desert sun of the Eilat-Eilot region.
Aiming to develop products that can provide energy and water to populations not connected to their national grids, the Eilat Eilot Off Grid Hub will provide a testbed for both start-ups and established companies in a variety of sectors, according to its leaders. The hub will be administered by the Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Initiative, a body responsible for leveraging the southern Arava and Eilat regions by establishing research facilities, producing clean energy and creating jobs in the sector.
Companies operating out of the hub will be able to use field testing facilities and a demonstration ecosystem to install, validate and showcase their off-grid solutions for energy storage, horticulture, biogas generation, water and other needs, the organization. The Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Initiative will be officially launching the hub at the Eilat-Eilot Green Energy Conference in early December.
“The demand for off-grid solutions is growing, especially in developing and emerging countries where electricity grids, water systems, sanitization facilities and other traditional infrastructure do not exist,” said Tomer Weinstein, director of the Eilat Eilot Off Grid Hub.
The hub will be located on Kibbutz Ketura, and will be jointly managed by the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies also located on the kibbutz campus. Long-term, the leaders of the hub said they hope to provide participating companies with market entry support, as well as assistance with fundraising in their target markets.
“By facilitating the development of off-grid technologies, we can improve the daily lives of millions of people living in rural as well as urban and peri-urban areas in developing and emerging countries,” Weinstein said.