LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A global not-for-profit organisation called INTASAVE Energy is fulfilling its vision for every person on the planet to have access to clean power through the launch of its innovative Solar Nano Grids (SONGs) project, which kick-starts in November. The first grid in Africa will be installed in Lemolo B in Kenya, a community of about 250 people, and the project will subsequently expand to over 500 communities across Kenya, South Africa and Mozambique, transforming the lives of 500,000 people within three years.
To raise funds for the project, INTASAVE Energy has set up a not-for-profit crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo where anyone in the world can make a contribution. Contributions with rewards from as little as $1 will help Kenyan families in off-grid communities be able to mill corn, incubate chickens, run water pumps and manage micro enterprises, in a clean and sustainable way using SONGs.
Kenya was chosen as an ideal starting point in Africa because it has 30 million people (75% of the population) without electricity, 95% of whom are located in off-grid rural areas, which are simply not viable for the larger solar installations.
SONGs reduce greenhouse gas emissions by eliminating the use of kerosene for lighting and diesel for power generation. School children doing their homework will face less health risks to eyes and lungs as solar power removes the need for kerosene lamps in the home. SONGs also open up micro-enterprise opportunities that will help rural communities become self-sustaining, by providing power for small-scale industrial activity such as milling corn, incubating chickens for breeding, battery charging, refrigeration, copper welding and businesses like hair salons and internet hubs.
INTASAVE Energy is working with local communities, national and regional partners identifying hundreds of appropriate locations for the SONGs using a range of technical, geographical, socio-economic and livelihood criteria.
Speaking on the project, Dr Murray Simpson, Senior Visiting Fellow, University of Oxford, Department of Engineering Science, and Chief Executive Officer of INTASAVE-CARIBSAVE Group, said: “Our approach is scalable, sustainable and recognises the real world needs and desires of people. It’s not a short-term fix or a handout, it’s genuinely empowering people to make their lives better. It is vitally important to us that each installation becomes a self-sustaining beneficial enterprise for the families and the local communities and this is why our project is going to succeed where other attempts have struggled to deliver.”
The INTASAVE Energy Indiegogo campaign is now live. All project backers will be recognised with a ‘perk’, ranging from information packs to a team-building trip to Kenya. Contributions can be made here - https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/solar-nano-grids-songs-power-to-the-people#/
About INTASAVE Energy
INTASAVE Energy is part of the INTASAVE-CARIBSAVE Group, a global not-for-profit and environmental enterprise. INTASAVE Energy exists to create a brighter future for the 1.2 billion people living without electricity in extreme poverty around the world. The team delivers innovation, bright ideas and practical solutions which provide dual wins for people and the planet. INTASAVE Energy provides lighting and power, with wider benefits to health, economies, environment, empowerment and education.
INTASAVE Energy focuses on off-grid power generation within Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Asia-Pacific using renewable energy to electrify rural communities. They have designed a number of solar-based energy products including nano-grids and central recharging hubs, which offer a full range of solutions for community based power, with a strong focus on agri-processing (grain grinding machinery and irrigation) and refrigeration for medicines and milk. INTASAVE Energy is also able to offer non-solar generation, and is currently working on micro-hydro power in Guyana and Lesotho, as well as grid-connected recharging hubs in Kenyan schools. For more information about INTASAVE Energy please visit http://www.intasave.org/What-We-Do_Low-Carbon-Development-and-Renewable-Energy.html
About The INTASAVE-CARIBSAVE Group
The INTASAVE-CARIBSAVE Group is a global not-for-profit and environmental enterprise that innovates, connects and implements practical solutions for sustainable development and climate change. At the heart of what we do lies our in-depth understanding and appreciation of the unique cultural, political, environmental and social context of the countries in which we work. For more information about INTASAVE-CARIBSAVE please visit www.intasave.org.
We have offices in the following geographical areas:
INTASAVE Africa
INTASAVE Asia-Pacific
INTASAVE Caribbean (CARIBSAVE)
INTASAVE UK-Europe