William Rawheiser:
CLASS OF 1985
Brandywine High SchoolClass of 1985
Wilmington, DE
William's Story
This is what I am doing with my time.
Scott Goss, The News Journal 11:47 p.m. EST February 28, 2015
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(Photo: Courtesy of Bill Rawheiser)
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Bill Rawheiser had never heard of the tiny African island of Annobón before 2012. Now the Wilmington business owner is helping to bring 24-hour electricity to the Equatorial Guinea province.
"I'm building one of the world's largest off-the-grid solar systems and bringing one of the world's smallest inhabited islands into the 21st century," he said. "I can't say that's something I could have predicted a few years ago."
Rawheiser is the owner of Sun-in-One Inc., which manufactures solar panels, and Wise Power Systems International, which designs, develops and installs micro-grids around the world.
The Brandywine High School graduate launched the companies in 2006 soon after having solar panels installed on a mortgage company he ran off Philadelphia Pike. Since then, his companies have completed projects throughout the world, including the African nations of Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana and one other project in Equatorial Guinea.
SunInOne
Annobón in Equatorial Guinea is a small island that is the tip of an extinct volcano. (Photo: Courtesy of Bill Rawheiser)
"In 2008, we put solar systems on community centers near the president's home village in the eastern part of the country," Rawheiser said. "But even then, I didn't hear about Annobón. I don't think most of the people who live in the country have heard of it either."
Located more than 200 miles west of the mainland, the island is the tip of an extinct volcano. It has a land mass comparable to Middletown, expect with about 5,000 people concentrated at the island's northern tip.
Since 1996, when massive oil reserves were discovered in Equatorial Guinea, the nation has become one of the largest oil producers in sub-Saharan Africa. However, much of its population still lives in extreme poverty.
Many of Annobón's residents still gather their daily food and firewood from the jungle, and the only source of electricity on the island comes from diesel-powered generators that run for about five hours per day.
"They have the resources but the resources aren't really theirs," Rawheiser said. "Exxon, Mobil and Hess extract the raw oil and the country gets royalties."
Those royalties are now being put to use to improve the lives of Equatoguineans through a $1 billion economic development plan called Horizon 2020. The solar grid project on Annobón is a part of that effort.
"Because the island is so remote, it costs quite a bit to get the refined diesel fuel there to run the generators," Rawheiser said. "That's why this project makes sense. Right now, it costs them 30 to 35 cents to produce a ...Expand for more
kilowatt-hour with diesel, but it's only about 20 to 25 cents with solar and battery storage."
While the cost of solar is less expensive, the initial bids for the work came in much higher than expected. So officials there reached out to the guy who put solar panels on their community centers a few years earlier.
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Bill Rawheiser is president of Sun-In-One. (Photo: SUCHAT PEDERSON/THE NEWS JOURNAL)
Rawheiser eventually partnered with MAECI Solar, GE Power & Water and Princeton Power Systems. The project includes installing 20,000 solar panels in four arrays, including one in the mouth of the inactive volcano, one near the island's airport, one near its hotel and a fourth at the southern tip to support three small villages.
The electricity produced by those panels eventually will be stored in six-megawatt batteries that are backed up by generators for emergencies and to handle peak loads.
"We started in September 2013 and I'd like to think we'll be done by the end of the year," Rawheiser said. "In Africa, the logistics are different. You don't have the distribution networks you have here so things tend to take longer."
The World Trade Center Delaware recently honored Rawheiser and Sun-In-One with the Award for Excellence in International Trade.
"Individuals like Bill and companies like Sun-in-One are the heart of Delaware's economy – small companies innovating, solving problems and taking educated risks," said Rebecca Faber, the organization's president and CEO.
Sun-In-One also is working to reduce demand on the island's future micro-grid by replacing 10,000 light bulb with energy-efficient LED bulbs capable of putting out 180 lumens per watt.
"We literally have employees going door-to-door changing light bulbs," he said. "Right now, most of the island's residents are using 100-watt bulbs, so the goal is to reduce the load by 90 percent before the micro-grid ever gets turned on."
Of his total workforce of nine employees, five are staying in Annobón for four-month stints. Their boss has been making the 20- to 30-hour flight every few weeks.
"I definitely have racked up a few frequent flyer miles," he said. "But it will be worth it. Not just for us, but the future of this island."
Delaware business funds solar project
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Solar panels are installed in Annobón in Africa. A Delaware company’s technology is helping bring electricity to the Equatorial Guinea province. (Photo: Courtesy of Bill Rawheiser)
The plans: Wilmington-based Wise Power Systems International and Sun-in-One Inc. are developing technology to bring solar panels to Africa.
Where: The devices are being installed in Annobón, an island of Equatorial Guinea.
The impact: It will allow 24-hour electricity on the island for the first time.
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