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BBOXX receives largest crowdfunded debt raise in history of solar energy in Africa
BBOXX and Trine’s funding initiative has hit the €6 million mark – in what is the largest crowd-funded debt raise in the history of solar energy in Africa. Mansoor Hamayun, CEO and Co-Founder of BBOXX comments: “Hundreds of millions of people in Africa still live without electricity. Collaborating with Trine has allowed us to tap into retail investors who share our vision for transforming people’s lives through sustainable energy provision."
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Zola Electric Announces Expansion into Nigeria
The expansion, according to the statement, was focused on improving environmental, health and economic outcomes while driving the transition to clean, renewable energy.
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- renewable energy
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Freeing the Data to Build the Off-Grid Energy Sector: A Case Study from Tanzania
Mini-grids and solar home systems are showing promise in many parts of Tanzania and other countries. But Christopher Arderne at the World Bank and Pepukaye Bardouille at the IFC flag a key challenge: Lack of coordination and information-sharing between government and the private sector means off-grid developers may target sites that will become grid-connected before they can recover their investments. Arderne and Bardouille share some free new data tools that blend local participation and infrastructure mapping to help off-grid players avoid this risk.
- Categories
- Energy, Technology
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Mastercard and Angaza shine for payments in emerging markets
San Francisco-based Angaza provides a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) embedded metering and monitoring technology, while Mastercard brings its digital payment solutions and infrastructure including QR technology.
- Categories
- Energy, Finance, Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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Why Health Benefits Could Drive Customer Value for Solar Lighting and Clean Cookstoves
Solar lighting and improved cookstoves have multiple benefits. But according to a new FINCA International survey of end-users in Uganda, the benefits customers value most involve the products' perceived contributions to a cleaner, healthier household. Scott Graham and Anahit Tevosyan at FINCA explore how highlighting these benefits can help product manufacturers and distributors – and the donors and investors who support them – to strengthen the uptake and usage of off-grid products.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment
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Machine Learning in PAYGo: What You Need to Know Before You Jump In
Machine learning is an exciting technology with plenty of potential applications in social impact business. But as Jacob Winiecki at BFA points out, the hype around the approach may make it tempting to jump in without first determining if it's the right tool for the job. He offers a clear run-down of how machine learning actually works in practice, along with three concrete steps for how a PAYGo enterprise can implement the technology, based on the work BFA’s FIBR Project has done with ZOLA, a leading PAYGo solar operator in Africa.
- Categories
- Energy, Finance, Technology
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Press release: OPIC Provides Initial Financing to SunFunder’s Solar Energy Transformation Fund to Expand Access to Beyond the Grid Solar
The Solar Energy Transformation Fund is one of a group of investment vehicles managed by SunFunder, a solar energy finance business with offices in the U.S., London and Nairobi working to scale up clean energy access in Africa and Asia by financing solar companies active in off-grid and weak-grid communities.
- Source
- Press release
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Three Key Trends in Social Impact: Announcing NextBillion’s Special Series for 2019
NextBillion is pleased to announce the topics of our three special series for 2019: “By Women, For Women: Leaders and Innovations in Gender Equity,” “Scaling Up Without Selling Out,” and “New Frontiers in Renewable Energy.” Each series will be managed by a different member of NextBillion’s editorial team: Check out the descriptions and email the appropriate editor if you’d like to explore a potential guest post on any of these topics. We’re looking forward to seeing how the discussion in these series will develop in the coming months.
- Categories
- Energy, Finance, Investing, Social Enterprise
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