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Powerhive Is Bringing Clean Energy to the Developing World—With Prepaid Solar
The remote village of Monomoni, Kenya, is too far from cities and too sparsely populated to be part of the national grid. Now, however, it's possible for a family of cow herders or a small business to buy prepaid solar power through a mobile phone.
- Categories
- Energy
- Tags
- renewable energy, solar
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Weekly Roundup: Acumen’s SolarAid Acquisition, Davos Deja Vu , the Grumpy Gates Critics
This week we explore Acumen's purchase of the SolarAide research arm, ruminate on the Davos script and do a little defending of the Gates Foundation.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
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East African Company Moving From Selling Only Solar Energy to ‘Everything’
For the last four years Kenya-based consumer finance company M-KOPA has enabled 300,000 low-income earners in East Africa to acquire home solar energy systems using its pay-as-you-go model.
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- renewable energy, solar
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Acumen Acquire SolarAid’s Off Grid Energy Research and Impact Division
Acumen, the global social impact organization, announced today its acquisition of the award-winning Research and Impact division of SolarAid, the international nonprofit and leading impact practitioner in the solar energy sector. In acquiring SolarAid’s research arm, Acumen builds on its decade of investing in off-grid energy, further deepening its understanding of the energy needs of low-income populations while measuring the social impact of newly electrified individuals and households. Acumen began investing in off-grid energy solutions in 2007 and today has the largest portfolio of companies committed to serving the poor.
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Why This $5 Million May Matter Most for Off Grid Electric
When it received a $5 million award from the U.S. Agency for International Development last month, Off Grid Electric became the first company to receive all three rounds of funding from the Development Innovation Ventures program.
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- renewable energy, solar
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Electrifying India, With the Sun and Small Loans
A few years ago, the hundred or so residents of Paradeshappanamatha, a secluded hamlet in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, gathered along the central pathway between their 22 densely clustered homes, and watched as government workers hoisted a solar-powered streetlamp. As the first display of electricity in the town, it was an object of mild interest, but, being outside, the light didn’t help anyone cook or study, and only attracted moths.
- Region
- South Asia
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After $19M equity round, Kenya’s M-Kopa is set to deliver solar power to a million homes
This month the company closed a $19 million financing round led by Generation Investment Management, and revealed plans to reach one million homes in East Africa by the end of 2017.
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Vancouver-Based Social Enterprise Plastic Bank Wins Big at COP21
Vancouver-based social enterprise Plastic Bank won the Sustania award at the COP21 Paris climate talks in Paris. The award is based on 10 top sustainability solutions and projects from around the world, from which one winner is selected.
- Categories
- Environment
- Tags
- social enterprise, solar