In September 2013 the Kenyan government introduced a 16% VAT on imported goods to the country, including solar products. As a tax paid by the customer, this pushed up the cost of SunnyMoney solar lights – making them less affordable to low-income Kenyan households. This week the SunnyMoney team in Kenya are celebrating the government’s […]
Exciting news – we’ve now got our final sales figures from our small-scale Solar Schools Campaign in Senegal. You may recall our last Senegal update in which we outlined our plans to test the effectiveness of our Light Library Projects in creating demand for solar lights. Well, the Light Library Project has proven a really effective model […]
Keith Neal is a long-time supporter of SolarAid and has seen first hand the ability of solar lights to transform communities. Given the time and dedication he puts in to helping us spread solar throughout Africa it’s a wonder that he found the time to write a blog about his latest experiences. Thanks for the […]
John Keane, the intrepid SunnyMoney Global Development Director, has just published his first book. Pico-solar Electric Systems: The Earthscan Expert Guide to the Technology and Emerging Market is an all you need to know bible for those wishing to get involved in the off-grid lighting sector. John has been with us since we were just a […]
It’s official! That’s right everyone, we’ve sold our millionth solar light in rural Africa. This is a great opportunity for us all to take stock, and reflect on some fantastic achievements over the last 12 months. Because this isn’t about us, it’s about you. It’s about all the wonderful people who’ve helped us get here. […]
As we eagerly await the next batch of sales figures about our millionth solar light sale, we have an announcement of a slightly different nature to make. SolarAid and SunnyMoney CEO, Steve Andrews, has decided to move on to pastures new. Steve joined SolarAid back in October 2010 when we were selling around 2,000 lights per month and still puzzling […]
We’re hugely excited to announce that we’ll be taking our solar projects to Uganda! As we approach the million lights mark, plans for the next 12 months are already well under way. We’ve set ourselves the ambitious goal of selling a further million lights and expanding in to two additional countries. Work in Senegal, our […]
On day three of his visit, Jeremy Leggett meets his SunnyMoney colleagues in Zambia to learn more about solar market penetration in this large East African country. Jeremy reflects on the hard work and enthusiasm of the Zambian team. The team that he believes will one day help make solar the most popular and readily […]
SolarAid chairman Jeremy Leggett spends a second day with the SunnyMoney team in Kenya. Read on to hear his reflections on a day spent delivering solar lights to head masters and mistresses, and the sales pitch that won over the Coca-Cola shop keeper too. Cheptongwe, Kenya, 4 February 2014. We drive two hours northeast of Eldoret, […]
Solar evangelist, Guardian writer and SolarAid chairman, Jeremy Leggett, is currently in Africa visiting the SunnyMoney teams. In 2006 Jeremy founded SolarAid in order to help establish clean energy alternatives in Africa. Over the next few days, Jeremy will be taking a closer look at our distribution and sales techniques that form the basis of […]