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Schneider Electric targets powering up 20,000 Africans

By , ITWeb’s Zambian correspondent.
South Africa , 27 Aug 2014

Schneider Electric targets powering up 20,000 Africans

Schneider Electric plans rolling out renewable energy technology to 20,000 Africans by year-end so that they can light up their homes and charge their mobile phones.

At a briefing in South Africa, the company said millions of Africans do not have access to power from the national grid.

The World Bank has previously noted that 600 million Africans do not have access to electricity, putting the majority of the 1.1 billion people on the continent in the dark.

So, Schneider Electric plans distributing a device called ‘Mobiya’: a solar lamp and phone charger solution.

“We have developed partnerships with businesses, funders and non-governmental organisation to establish an electrification model and fund our sustainable solutions which we sell at low cost to off-grid communities,” said Schneider Electric head of sustainable development for Southern Africa Zanelle Dalglish.

Dalglish further told ITWeb Africa at Schneider Electric’s Xperience Efficiency event in Johannesburg, South Africa that the company has also developed renewable energy solutions for mobile phone operators to power their base stations.

A lack of electricity in Africa means mobile operators from the likes of MTN to Etisalat rely heavily on diesel generators to power their base stations in countries such as Nigeria.

Subsequently, Schneider Electric plans implementing its ‘Villasmart’ solution, which is a solar hybrid for base stations, schools and health centres.

Dalglish also said through Schneider’s ‘Business Innovation, and People at the Base of the Pyramid (BipBop)’ programme, the company is working on comprehensive rural electrification, domestic solutions for energy-related needs and business models for these initiatives.

“This means that we offer reliable, affordable and clean solutions, training and business innovation support to help close energy gaps. We have developed solutions adapted to the needs of populations in remote, primarily off-grid communities,” Dalglish said.

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