Pay-as-you-go solar services provider Greenlight Planet, which sells Sun King home energy solutions, has announced partnerships with Vodacom in Tanzania, Orange in Burkina Faso and Telma in Madagascar to tap into a potential 600-million un-electrified consumer market.

In a statement the services provider said full-fledged sales and distribution partnerships have been launched with the three telcos "to enable sales of solar-powered energy solutions through each operator's subscriber base and mobile money channels."

Greenlight Planet has also integrated its PAYG technology platform with leading mobile money providers across sub-Saharan Africa.

Dhaval Radia, senior vice president at Greenlight Planet, said: "The time is right for telecoms to look beyond their traditional revenue earning models and explore innovative partnerships that can lead to a sustained increase in ARPU and customer retention. By expanding to rural consumer segments with value-added services such as PAYG solar products for daily energy and infotainment, telecom operators can help deliver higher value to their customer base."

According to Greenlight Planet recent collaborations between PAYG solar companies and telecom operators have demonstrated that PAYG solar customers are amongst the most active profiles of mobile money users in sub-Saharan Africa, many opening their first mobile money account specifically to purchase a PAYG solar home system.

The service provider added that 98% of its PAYG customers make roughly 60 mobile money payments between US$2 and US$5 each over a period of twelve to twenty-four months to complete their installment payment plans for a PAYG solar device.

According to the company it has processed nearly 40 million mobile money payments from customers in Africa in the last three years.