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Are Financial Returns Starting to Compete with Social Goals? An Impact Investor Assesses its Involvement in Off-Grid Solar
In the second of two posts, Oikocredit's Laura de Bresser assesses the social and environmental value of its off-grid solar investments: Is achieving financial returns starting to compete with social impact? Here's what the investment firm discovered about whether it's really helping people and the planet – and whether it should continue investing in this market.
- Categories
- Energy, Impact Assessment, Investing, Social Enterprise
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Impact Investing and the Profitability Challenge in Off-Grid Solar: Oikocredit Joins the Debate
The debate around impact investing in off-grid solar has sparked surprising passion, and now Oikocredit joins the discussion with a two-post series. In this first post, Laura de Bresser tackles the question of how (and whether) off-grid solar companies can become operationally profitable and less dependent on equity and debt.
- Categories
- Energy, Investing, Social Enterprise
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Linking renewables to economic growth: The case for climate-centered SDGs
Presenting research findings during a panel session on how we can all profit from the low carbon transition, Argyriou highlighted findings from Southeast Asia and the Pacific that demonstrate the decoupling of economic growth and emissions growth is both achievable and beneficial.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment
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$1.5 Billion Microgrid Market Opportunity Emerges in Kenya
A confluence of innovation, risk taking, and public and private effort has created a five-year, $1.5 billion microgrid market opportunity in Kenya, leading Germany’s TFE Consulting to dub the East African nation, “The World’s Microgrid Lab.”
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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People Are Cooking With Human Poo — and That’s a Good Thing
In Kenya, the future of sanitation may entail turning human waste into fuel.
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Solar & Renewable Energy Pioneer Kingo Announces $8.0 Million Series B Financing Round
Kingo, through its innovative prepaid solar energy service, turns lives ON for off-grid households at the bottom of the economic pyramid (BoP).
- Categories
- Energy, Environment, Investing
- Region
- Latin America
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Loans for solar systems make power affordable in rural Kenya
Until recently, Njoroge’s home northwest of Kenya's capital, Nairobi, was poorly lit at night. Most people in Ndabibi are not connected to mains electricity, and rely on kerosene or small solar lamps to light their homes.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Cell Phones Bring Power to Africans Living Off the Grid
Fenix International, a San Francisco startup making solar-power systems for people with no access to electricity grids, is expanding in Africa through a partnership with the continent’s largest wireless carrier.
- Categories
- Energy, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa