It has been 139 years since Edison lit the first light bulb, yet the total number of people living without electricity has remained about the same.[1] Most of these people live in sub-Saharan Africa, where two-thirds of the population (620 million people) goes without access to electricity.[2] An off-grid solar movement has arisen to fill this gap on the continent, which has seen a proliferation of solar home systems. Solar systems enable families to have light after sunset without burning kerosene, which has serious health effects. Declining prices of photovoltaic panels and growing efficiency of LED lights and appliances has made solar units both cost-competitive and more reliable than the grid, which frequently suffers power outages.[3]
M-Kopa, the largest off-grid solar operator in sub-Saharan Africa, was recently recognized by MIT in its annual 50 Smartest Companies list.[4] M-Kopa is one of only two companies in Africa to make the list, in recognition of its ability to combine innovative technology and business savvy. M-Kopa installs solar home systems that electrify houses with battery-connected rooftop panels in East Africa. The systems are sold through the regional telecom giant, Safaricom, with consumers paying a daily fee as part of a pay-as-you-go model. As of Spring, 2017, M-Kopa had connected 500,000 homes, and aspires to reach 4 million by 2020.
Resources
[1] http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/06/26/the-race-to-solar-power-africa
[2] http://www.worldenergyoutlook.org/resources/energydevelopment/africafocus/
[3] https://www.technologyreview.com/s/603009/africa-finds-power-off-the-grid/
[4] https://www.technologyreview.com/lists/companies/2017/intro/#forallsecure
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