While remote villages in Africa may not be the most expected place to find solar, IndiGo is shining light on unheard of locations through a "Pay As You Go" solar programme which allows rural villagers to generate their own power via a photovoltaic panel and battery pack. They can then purchase the produced energy for as little as $1 a week.
This unique programme has caught the eye of Soluxe Solar, a Connecticut-based solar company. The IndiGo programme receives this week's Soluxe "Solar Flare" – a weekly honour the company bestows on an individual or company making great strides in the world of solar advancement.
"Each day we are seeing solar develop and create opportunities never before thought possible," says Soluxe Solar CEO Jeffrey Mayer. "The creativity behind the IndiGo programme, which not only has tremendous potential to improve the lives of people in these remote locations but also have a positive impact on our environment as well is fantastic. We felt this was the perfect choice for this week's Solar Flare."
The company behind IndiGo, eight19, says that the business model provides a way of combining mobile phone technology with solar power to offer pay as you go solar. "Users buy scratchcards to pay for their solar power using the money they save on kerosene. In fact, in Kenya, IndiGo deployments are so cost-effective that users spend half as much on their IndiGo solutions that they previously did on kerosene," says the company.
But this is only half the story. Today a user may purchase an entry-level IndiGo system capable of lighting two rooms and charging one mobile phone. But over time, that person’s requirements will grow. They may want more lights, to power a radio or TV or even power a sewing machine to enable them to make more money. IndiGo grows with these needs allowing customers to ride the “energy escalator,” as eight19 explains, by which products are progressively upgraded over time to grow from simple systems to full home electrification.
For additional information:
