Project entry 2020 for Asia Pacific

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    An all-in-one solution, powerHYDE is designed as a zero-discharge, off-grid, self-sufficient home.

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    BillionBricks team.

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    powerHYDE is a triple bottom line solution aligned with 13 of the 17 UN SDGs. A self-financing housing solution for homelessness, it is built as a combination of social housing for 125 families and a 2.5MW solar plant producing excess energy for sale to finance the homes. It simultaneously addresses the problem of energy access by providing renewable solar energy for use. Diverting this need from thermal power plants has a positive impact on climate change.

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    powerHYDE prototype, Aurangabad, India. The powerHYDE prototypes served as labs for our innovations in the structural and roofing system to be tested and refined before hitting scale. Successfully being in use since 2019, one serves as a home for a family in a remote Indian village while the other is as a community center for a disaster-displaced community in the Philippines. With 2 successful prototypes and a 3rd underway in the Philippines, the community is expected to break ground in 2020.

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    Story of BillionBricks, an innovation studio committed to ending homelessness, leading to powerHYDE.

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    powerHYDE addresses the complex problem of housing and energy access with a single solution.

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    Self-financing model of powerHYDE overcomes the problem of lack of capital in affordable housing.

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    powerHYDE communities are complete with healthcare, retail, recreational and educational infrastructure.

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    A flexible skin allows powerHYDE to adapt to diverse climatic and cultural contexts.

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    A combination of prefabrication and local materials ensures high quality and low-cost construction.

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    Innovation in the structural and roofing systems allow quick and resource efficient construction.

Last updated: November 13, 2021 Singapore, Singapore

A scalable housing solution for the homeless to emerge out of poverty within a generation

52% of the 1 billion homeless in the world are unbanked and financially excluded. Opportunities for them to emerge out of poverty are virtually non-existent. Civil service organizations can at best sustain their meager lifestyle or bring little incremental improvement, which continues to increase the inequality gap making it.

A powerHYDE self-reliant community includes a school, health center, shops, parks, and other essential infrastructure for it to thrive sustainably. The excess power generated by the community can be commercialized to set-up small scale businesses enabling economic growth of vulnerable families. Being sensitive to women’s needs, powerHYDE communities create opportunities for them in a safe space. The women of the families will own the homes, building an asset for them.

A self-sustaining, carbon negative housing solution

powerHYDE communities have a generating capacity of 2.5MW of solar renewable energy resulting in carbon savings over 25 years of the designed life of the panels.

Making dual use of land for housing and energy production, powerHYDE communities make efficient use of a fast-depleting resource. powerHYDE is a zero-discharge home. Owing to its water harvesting system, reed-bed system for grey-water treatment, integrated solar roof and a vegetable garden, it is designed as a complete all-in-one infrastructure solution.

Its structure is innovated to be a dry assembly system, minimizing the use of water and material wastage during construction. Designed for safety and the ability to withstand climatic adversities, these homes are earthquake and typhoon resistant with a lifespan of 60 years.

World's first self-financing community for the homeless

powerHYDE is a hybrid solution that addresses the housing, energy, and climate change crisis simultaneously. Its unique cross financing business model will create a new investable asset class allowing fresh capital to flow to the poorest of the poor.

These communities are built by signing long term PPAs with local DISCOMs or Corporates that need renewable energy. powerHYDE raises debt through financial institutions against these PPAs. It then procures land and identifies potential homeowners in partnership with local governments and NGOs. Homeowners pay a monthly service fee adjusted to their income levels for maintenance of the community.

After the expiration of the renewable energy commitments, residents become the new homeowners & continue to earn passive income through sale of energy.