14 DAY TRIAL // Green technologies often go hand in hand with charity. A recent partnership established between Eight19 and nonprofit SolarAid will give the green light to a pay-as-you-go system in Eastern Africa, helping people protect their health by staying away from those awful, hazardous kerosene lamps.
The unit comes with a battery, an affordable solar panel, a phone charger and a highly-efficient LED lamp. At this point in time, financial support evaluated at $200,000 (€157,146) can guarantee that 4,000 of these pay-as-you-go units will be sent to Africa by the end of 2012.
The main goal is to offer unlimited access to clean green energy to people living in remote areas, who are currently not connected to the energy grid.
At the same time, the project is expected to increase the popularity of solar-powered solutions, by revealing how easy it actually is to benefit from a green, unlimited source of power that doesn't burn holes in the users' pockets. People will have to pay $1 (€0.78) for scratchcards validated through text message to experience these advantages.
All in all, apart from the fact that is entirely green and risk-free, the lighting system is also cost-efficient, being much more affordable than kerosene lamps.
The new system basically enables users to purchase electricity as a service, paying exactly what they use.
"Providing access to electricity in this way enables communities to bypass the need for the grid and provides enormous social and economic benefits to the users. In the UN International Year of Sustainable Energy for all, Eight19 can offer a grass-roots electrification system that will empower rural people without the need for a lengthy and expensive grid expansion process," explained Eight19 Chief Executive Simon Bransfield Garth for Business Green.
Best part is that the scheme is developed in such a manner so as to redirect all profits to charity. Money coming from scratchcards will be used to fund new similar strategies.
"IndiGo technology provides an affordable means of delivering electricity using the sun's power to generate clean, renewable energy at the point of use,” stated SolarAid Chief Executive Steve Andrews.