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SunFunder Completes New Round Of Funding
SunFunder, the US crowdfunding company dedicated to funding off-grid solar projects in developing countries, announced Wednesday that it had completed its Series A equity round of funding, raising $2.5 million. The announcement came following investments from Schneider Electric, Better Ventures, and a private family foundation based in Palo Alto. This latest announcement follows on from an original Series A investment made by Khosla Impact and a group of existing angel investors.
- Tags
- crowdfunding, solar, venture capital
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Bangladesh installs 3 million residential solar systems
Bangladesh’s Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (Idcol) last week marked the installation of 3 million residential solar systems in the country.According to Bangladeshi newspaper The Daily Star, the 3 million systems installed under the Idcol program in off-grid areas have a combined capacity of 135 MW.
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- solar
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This backpack designed for poor kids does so much more than carry books
South Africans Thato Kgatlhanye and Rea Ngwane are co-founders of the business Rethaka. Their brand of Repurposed Schoolbags are made from recycled and reinforced plastic shopping bags. Recipients are all poor. But it’s so much more than a bag. Because the kids often live in shacks and remote areas with no electricity, Repurposed Schoolbags are built with some other smart features. On the outside of the flap is a pocket for a solar panel, which charges on the long walk to and from school.
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- solar
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WakaWaka Power gets a big brother with the new solar-powered ‘first aid kit’
This solar gadget innovator is back with a new model, the WakaWaka Base, which includes either a 5,000 or 10,000 mAh battery pack, and the device is designed to be charged with the company's 7.5 or 10 watt portable solar panel. Along with the solar panel and battery pack module, WakaWaka is also offering two small LED lamps, one of which is powered by plugging it into the Base, and one which has an internal battery that can be recharged via the panel and battery pack.
- Categories
- Energy
- Tags
- solar
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SolarAid Releases Second Impact Report on Rural Solar
This week SolarAid release their second ever Impact Report. The report is packed with information on how the charity does what they do, why they do it, the impact of that, and what they’re working towards. In the last year the charity, who's goal is to eradicate the kerosene lamp from Africa by 2020, had some great progress.
- Categories
- Energy
- Tags
- solar
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How Indoor Stoves Can Help Solve Global Poverty
Clean cooking and better sources of energy can have a domino effect on health and education.
- Categories
- Energy, Health Care, Technology
- Tags
- solar
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Bringing Solar Power To Remote Hospitals Is Saving Lives
One startup working in Nepal learned that delivering high-quality health care often means having to innovate in unexpected ways--such as building new energy systems.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment, Health Care
- Tags
- solar
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NexThought Monday – Solving the Energy Access Problem: In-house distribution + in-house product design
Patrick Walsh founded Greenlight Planet to offer rural, low-income families a clean, affordable, and safe alternative to traditional kerosene lamps. But he and his team quickly discovered that producing a great product got them only halfway home. Walsh says bringing Greenlight’s distribution chain in house, along with its product design, has made all the difference for the for-profit firm.
- Categories
- Energy
- Tags
- distribution, solar, supply chains
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