A ZIMBABWEAN company, Zonful Energy, is among the eight African low carbon innovators shortlisted for this year’s edition of the Ashden International Awards.
The nominees were announced at the ongoing Humanitarian Energy Conference in Kigali, Rwanda Monday.
The corporations are tackling climate change creating alternatives in the continent’s most marginalised communities.
he initiatives include solar-powered hubs, pay-per-use chilly storage for smallholder farmers, coaching programmes serving girls to launch clear power corporations and careers.
Zonful Energy is a for profit social enterprise that sells modular decentralised and scalable solar energy systems on Pay As You Go model to rural, urban and peri-urban off-grid consumers in Zimbabwe. It is being considered for improving access to energy for the marginalised.
“Our clients purchase their systems on credit and pay for them over 18 months, which makes the product affordable for the rural community. Zonful Energy also provides a unique 2-year warranty and free service on the products, ” said William Ponela, the company chief executive.
The solar energy systems consist of solar panels, batteries and a broad range of appliances including lights, radios, televisions, water pumps and fridges and many more others for productive use.
Ashden CEO Harriet Lamb stated: “Supercharging economies and elevating individuals’s incomes are simply two of the numerous causes for investing in power entry. However, with 940 million individuals worldwide and round 570 million individuals in Africa residing without electrical energy, it’s clear assist for frontline innovators is falling brief. An expertise and coaching drought are one main impediment to progress, alongside an absence of finance flowing to the frontline innovators.”
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In sub-Saharan Africa, the variety of individuals without access to electrical energy elevated in 2020 for the primary time since 2013.
A scarcity of sensible and efficient coaching within the clear power sector is a key issue on this, says Lamb.
“A brand-new international effort for low carbon power entry is urgently wanted and African innovators have proven exemplary management on this international problem. Ashden, together with companions in Africa, are calling for November’s COP27 local weather talks in Egypt to give attention to boosting power entry. Many of those organisations are exhibiting precisely how that may be carried out – and with the fitting assistance they may go a long way.”
The winner of the 2022 Ashden Awards will be announced in October. Winners will receive grants and business support.