Solar technologies such as photo voltaic home systems portable lamps and solar mobile phone charging systems use solar power to provide affordable electrical energy to isolated communities. Solar can charge through the day using the sun’s rays and provide hours of light after dark.
In most rural places in the developing world there is no electrical supply at night to light up homes, streets, schools and hospital. Children cannot see to learn and adults cannot be productive. Solar power can also be used to run other pieces of equipment such as computers and refrigerators.
We support small businesses selling and distributing simple solar technologies which are improving the quality of lives of thousands of people.
Making solar lanterns accessible to women in rural Kenya
Women Enterprise Development Institute (WEDI) is a fund manager for a portfolio of 800 women’s savings and credit groups operating in the larger Central Province of Kenya. WEDI’s objectives are to mobilize group savings and improve lending amongst members in order to reduce dependence from donor funding and create their own funds for socio economic development. According to the Fund Manager, some member groups have accumulated savings and are ready to start investing.
Further, the group has a ‘Project’ component through which member groups are introduced to various products that individual members can buy with their savings. This presented a good energy business opportunity for WEDI. Between 2009 and early 2010, discussion to start a supplier guarantee arrangement among GVEP, WEDI and BrazAfric (LED lighting product supplier) was mooted culminating in the signing of a tripartite agreement among the partners.
Under the above arrangement Brazafric supplies solar LEDs to WEDI, who in turn creates awareness to the groups as well as to the community. Being the Fund Managers, WEDI collects a deposit of 50% of the cost of the LED lamp, the other 50% is paid in three equal instalments. WEDI delivers the LED lamps to the group members, tracks loan and collects the 50% down payment. The first LED orders from WEDI were delivered in mid March 2010 and to date WEDI has been able to sell over two hundred LED lamps.
In February 2010, GVEP organised a training for 20 Loan Officer from WEDI to equip them with technology skills on LED products.
Solar technology makes shrimp-harvesting more efficient in Brazil
An innovative solar energy project combined with a sustainable business model is set to benefit thousands of families engaged in shrimp fishing in Patos Lagoon, in southern Brazil.
During the 120 day long harvest season the lagoon becomes “a glimmering city.” Each night approximately 100,000 gas lamps are turned on.
Funded by GVEP, ‘Farol do Sol - LED lamps for shrimp fishermen’ is one of 26 projects to win the IDEAS Energy Innovation Contest in Latin America, launched in 2009 by GVEP, IDB, GIZ and the Korean Fund.
The project is designed to enable fishermen to replace the traditional gas lamps used to attract the shrimps with LED systems composed of solar panels, batteries and lamps. As well as lowering the fishermen’s production costs, the LED systems will help reduce the carbon footprint of their fishing industry.
An estimated 45,000 tonnes of CO² per year from the gas lamps could be eliminated by the introduction of LED systems; and each family would save up to $2000 per year.
So far, the most challenging aspect has been ensuring the sustainability of this activity over time. This is because the business runs at full capacity for four months of the year and then disappears for the next eight months.
In anticipation of the upcoming shrimp harvest season they have set up 60 demonstrative systems in different parts of the Patos Lagoon.
Rural solar franchising in remote areas in Peru
Emilio Durand (35), worked as a night guard on a vineyard in the village of Las Vegas, a rural area in the Piura province of Northern Peru. Today he is one of the most successful franchisee for Rural Solar Energy, the brainchild of Emprenda (Argentina), registered in Peru as Vivencia, a social enterprise that won financial support from GVEP and GTZ (German Aid Cooperation), through the 2009 IDEAS Energy Innovation Contest.
The purpose of this project is to create a business model based on small franchises providing solar energy for people living in rural, poor areas in Latin America, who do not have access to the national electric grid. Emprenda was set up in 1999 in a remote area in the North of Argentina with a population of 1.5 inhabitants per Km2. To date the company has managed to install 1100 solar panels that can generate between 40 and 50 watts, reaching six out of every ten households. While in Peru a whole range of products are on offer, including portable solar systems for people with lower income.
Instead of having employees Emprenda works with people from the local communities who are given a franchise. They put in the infrastructure, their business, their house, their local know-how, and we provide them with the brand, the merchandising, the training and the products.Electricity has brought major changes in their lives e.g. a couple who own a grocery shop have seen sales increase thanks to the small solar lamp, which enables them to stay open after dark. See Emilo's photo story.
Solar technologies such as photo voltaic home systems portable lamps and solar mobile phone charging systems use solar power to provide affordable electrical energy to isolated communities. Solar can charge through the day using the sun’s rays and provide hours of light after dark.
Women Enterprise Development Institute (WEDI) is a fund manager for a portfolio of 800 women’s savings and credit groups operating in the larger Central Province of Kenya. WEDI’s objectives are to mobilize group savings and improve lending amongst members in order to reduce dependence from donor funding and create their own funds for socio economic development. According to the Fund Manager, some member groups have accumulated savings and are ready to start investing.
An innovative solar energy project combined with a sustainable business model is set to benefit thousands of families engaged in shrimp fishing in Patos Lagoon, in southern Brazil. 
and (35), worked as a night guard on a vineyard in the village of Las Vegas, a rural area in the Piura province of Northern Peru. Today he is one of the most successful franchisee for Rural Solar Energy, the brainchild of Emprenda (Argentina), registered in Peru as Vivencia, a social enterprise that won financial support from GVEP and GTZ (German Aid Cooperation), through the 2009 IDEAS Energy Innovation Contest. 
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