SolarAid
Encyclopedia
SolarAid is a British international development charity that promotes the use of solar energy to help reduce global poverty and climate change
. SolarAid installs solar photovoltaic systems, for community centres, medical clinics, schools and other communal buildings. It also trains local communities in do-it-yourself solar skills. SolarAid's first project in Malawi was supported by Solarcentury
, a solar energy company based in the UK.
SolarAid's second project was in southern Tanzania, with an organisation called Neema Crafts in Iringa. SolarAid trained a group of deaf and disabled people to build and sell microsolar products.
SolarAid started to expand in 2007 through funding from several sources, particularly TRAID for Malawi and the Global Cool Foundation for Zambia. These projects comprise a combination of macrosolar installations for schools and community centres, and microsolar trainings for small entrepreneurs.
for lighting, single use batteries for their radios, and charging their mobile phones. Kerosene smoke is toxic, single use batteries are polluting, and mobile phone chargers need access to the electric grid, which most rural areas in developing countries do not have and probably will never have.
SolarAid’s solar entrepreneurs convert kerosene lamps into solar lanterns using light emitting diodes (LEDs, which are cheaper, robust and use little energy) and build solar chargers from local materials and imported solar glass. These solar products can then fulfill much of the average household's energy needs, leading to a substantial increase in their income because they no longer need to buy kerosene or batteries. The solar entrepreneurs make money and reinvest their profits into their microbusinesses in order to grow.
SolarAid aims to convert every single kerosene lamp
in Africa
into a solar lantern.
Foundations have also provided help, from the Big Lottery Fund
's grant to research setting up programmes in Tanzania and Zambia, to assistance with UK management costs from Avina Stiftung, the Sylvia Adams Trust, the Polden Puckham Foundation and others.
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
. SolarAid installs solar photovoltaic systems, for community centres, medical clinics, schools and other communal buildings. It also trains local communities in do-it-yourself solar skills. SolarAid's first project in Malawi was supported by Solarcentury
Solarcentury
Solarcentury is a business which designs and installs solar systems for buildings in the UK and continental Europe, and provides wholesale solar products.- History :...
, a solar energy company based in the UK.
Aims
The objectives of SolarAid are:- To relieve poverty through facilitating the provision of solar energy to those in need.
- To advance the education of the public in matters relating to solar energy, climate change, and the protection of the environment
- To carry out and disseminate the results of research into all aspects of energy generation, distribution, supply and use.
Projects
SolarAid obtained charitable status in August 2006. It came out of Solarcentury, now the UK's largest solar company, when a group of volunteers there came together to launch SolarAid's first project in Malawi. Its founding Chairman was Jeremy Leggett, also Executive Chairman of Solarcentury, and its founding Executive Director was Nick Sireau.SolarAid's second project was in southern Tanzania, with an organisation called Neema Crafts in Iringa. SolarAid trained a group of deaf and disabled people to build and sell microsolar products.
SolarAid started to expand in 2007 through funding from several sources, particularly TRAID for Malawi and the Global Cool Foundation for Zambia. These projects comprise a combination of macrosolar installations for schools and community centres, and microsolar trainings for small entrepreneurs.
Microsolar
SolarAid identifies entrepreneurs in developing countries, who it then trains in business planning, market research and solar skills. It helps them set up their solar microbusinesses so that they can build and sell solar lanterns and solar chargers for radios and mobile phones. SolarAid research showed that the average household in a developing country spends between 10-20% of its income on keroseneKerosene
Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...
for lighting, single use batteries for their radios, and charging their mobile phones. Kerosene smoke is toxic, single use batteries are polluting, and mobile phone chargers need access to the electric grid, which most rural areas in developing countries do not have and probably will never have.
SolarAid’s solar entrepreneurs convert kerosene lamps into solar lanterns using light emitting diodes (LEDs, which are cheaper, robust and use little energy) and build solar chargers from local materials and imported solar glass. These solar products can then fulfill much of the average household's energy needs, leading to a substantial increase in their income because they no longer need to buy kerosene or batteries. The solar entrepreneurs make money and reinvest their profits into their microbusinesses in order to grow.
SolarAid aims to convert every single kerosene lamp
Kerosene lamp
The kerosene lamp is a type of lighting device that uses kerosene as a fuel. This article refers to kerosene lamps that have a wick and a tall glass chimney. Kerosene lanterns that have a wick and a glass globe are related to kerosene lamps and are included here as well...
in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
into a solar lantern.
Macrosolar
SolarAid’s macrosolar work involves installing larger solar systems in schools, community centres and health clinics. Barely 2% of rural populations in most African countries have access to the grid, forcing them to rely on kerosene, candles, car batteries and firewood for fuel. Schools cannot teach in the evenings; community centres cannot offer services such as educational videos or vocational training; and health clinics cannot power basic medical equipment such as vaccine fridges. Yet a standard 300 watt system installed on the roof of a school, community centre or clinic can solve all these issues.- In UgandaUgandaUganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, SolarAid is installing a solar system on the community office of the KatineKatineKatine is a sub-county in the Soroti District of Uganda. It contains 66 villages, one of which is also called Katine.Since October 2007, the sub-county has been the focus of a three-year aid programme, undertaken by AMREF, with funding from Barclays Bank and donations from readers of The Guardian...
Project,http://www.guardian.co.uk/katine/2008/feb/28/background.development a programme run by development charity AMREF and The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
newspaper and funded by Barclays bank. - In MalawiMalawiThe Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
, SolarAid installed a 300 watt system on a community centre, the only place now with electricity for miles around. - In South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, SolarAid installed a solar system on an orphanage. - Over the next four years Solar Aid is starting a programme to install systems on hundreds of schools, community centres and health clinics in TanzaniaTanzaniaThe United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
and ZambiaZambiaZambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
.
Support
Following Solarcentury's example, a number of other companies have offered support:- Scottish and Southern Energy provides funding and staff volunteers for SolarAid’s projects in TanzaniaTanzaniaThe United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
- VodafoneVodafoneVodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
and Global CoolGlobal CoolGlobal Cool is a green lifestyle campaign run by the Global Cool Foundation, a registered climate change charity in the United Kingdom. Global Cool works with celebrities and the media and entertainment industries to promote green behaviours such as using public transport and taking flight-free...
provide funding for SolarAid’s ZambiaZambiaZambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
programme - Lloyds of London, through its charities trust, is helping develop SolarAid’s carbon offsetting scheme
- White & CaseWhite & CaseWhite & Case was founded in New York in 1901 and has grown into one of the world's leading global law firms. The firm has since expanded, and has practice groups in emerging markets including Latin America, Central & Eastern Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, as well as in Europe...
and Covington & BurlingCovington & BurlingCovington & Burling LLP is an international law firm with offices in Beijing, Brussels, London, New York, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, San Diego, and Washington, DC. The firm advises multinational corporations on significant transactional, litigation, regulatory, and public policy matters...
, two legal firms, give pro bonoPro bonoPro bono publico is a Latin phrase generally used to describe professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment or at a reduced fee as a public service. It is common in the legal profession and is increasingly seen in marketing, technology, and strategy consulting firms...
advice - the City of LondonCity of LondonThe City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, through the City Bridge Trust, supports the charity’s communications activities in London.
Foundations have also provided help, from the Big Lottery Fund
Big Lottery Fund
The Big Lottery Fund is a grant-making non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom created by the Government to administer the funding of "good causes" following the creation of the National Lottery. It has an annual expenditure of £630 million...
's grant to research setting up programmes in Tanzania and Zambia, to assistance with UK management costs from Avina Stiftung, the Sylvia Adams Trust, the Polden Puckham Foundation and others.
Launch and patronage
- SolarAid launched officially in December 2007, with an event at City Hall in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
presented by the Major of London Ken LivingstoneKen LivingstoneKenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
. Launch of SolarAid in London More than 180 people from the energy industry, NGOs, government, African embassies, foundations and others attended. - SolarAid has also recruited the patronage of Hollywood actress Cate BlanchettCate BlanchettCatherine Élise "Cate" Blanchett is an Australian actress. She came to international attention for her role as Elizabeth I of England in the 1998 biopic film Elizabeth, for which she won British Academy of Film and Television Arts and Golden Globe Awards, and earned her first Academy Award...
. The London premiere of her film Elizabeth II raised funds for SolarAid in October 2007 and she was interviewed in Marie Claire in June 2008 about her support for SolarAid.