News and views

Light for Lima

During the UN Climate Talks in Lima this December Our Voices – a multi-faith, climate change movement – will hold vigils around the world, to call for an international agreement to combat climate change. All powered by solar lights. They have teamed up with SolarAid to get solar lights to key locations in Canada, Japan, India, the […]

Voice And Choice = Solar Revolution

“I use my time to educate other people about solar lights because it is a good product for home use. I saw it from my neighbour and I decided to buy it. It helps to reduce kerosene expenses.” Imelda Mpiluka, Tanzania It has been an exciting year for SolarAid and SunnyMoney; reaching a million solar light […]

Impact Week

  Today’s blog is written by Kat Harrison, Director of Research & Impact  Twitter: @sunrise_kat Tumblr: http://sunrisekat.tumblr.com “Today sees the release of our second ever impact report. The report is jam packed with information celebrating the amazing impact that you’ve helped us achieve over the last 12 months. We’ve made some great progress and we can’t wait […]

Nobel Prize LED tech can help light world’s poorest

Yesterday the Nobel Prize in Physics for the invention of ‘greatest benefit to mankind’ was awarded to Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura for the blue light-emitting diode (LED). Improvements in LED technology have made small solar lights affordable to some of the world’s poorest people living without electricity. “Nobel recognition of the importance […]

Zayed Future Energy Prize

 We have just found out we are one of five finalists in the Non-Profit Organisation category for the Zayed Future Energy Prize 2015. SolarAid was short-listed from a record 1100 entries from 84 countries as one of the finalists demonstrating “outstanding impact, innovation, leadership, and long-term vision”. Marie-Jose Nadaeu, Chair of the World Energy Council and […]

Lighting the Bottom Billion

While the first Millennium Development Goal – to cut the 1990 poverty rate by half by 2015 has been achieved, 1.2 billion people still live below the poverty line of $1.25 a day.  Many of these people we speak to everyday. Many of these people are our customers. Data analysed by SolarAid’s Director of Research & Impact shows […]

Solar lights v solar home systems

A recent debate has been rumbling over the benefits of solar lamps versus solar home systems for off-grid communities. Many studies outline the importance of solar lighting to rural households, with World Bank surveys showing many Africans consider better lighting as the most important household improvement. But some practitioners suggest that small-scale, portable solar solutions can […]

Is pay-as-you-go solar set to transform energy access?

Our social enterprise SunnyMoney is the largest distributor of solar lights in Africa, focussing solely on pico solar products. A pico-solar light is a compact portable device that uses a photovoltaic panel to produce up to 10 watts of power. Combined with advanced batteries and LED bulbs they are able to produce hours of bright […]

Distribution costs fall again

  We’re excited to announce some amazing news about the impact of your donation. In 2013 every £5 donated helped us get one solar light into the hands of a family in Africa. This year that cost has fallen to just £3 – meaning that all donations to SolarAid will have nearly twice the impact. We help create opportunities for rural families to […]

Can you help SolarAid expand in to Uganda?

As we make preperations to take our solar enterprise in to Uganda, SunnyMoney Global Development Director John Keane contemplates how much things have changed over the last decade. Or not changed as the case may be. If you want help provide safe clean light to rural families click this link to donate today. Read John’s […]