Beyond light, solar startup seeks to plug in rural homes in Africa: HumSub.TV
Beyond light, solar startup seeks to plug in rural homes in Africa: HumSub.TV: Azuri Technologies’ entry level solar system – for which customers pay a one-off installation fee, then use scratch cards or mobile phone payments to top up on a weekly or monthly basis – provides eight hours of lighting each day.
Having power at home for the first time encourages customers to also buy mobile phones, radios and televisions, giving them regular access to the media and the internet, said Simon Bransfield-Garth, chief executive officer of UK-based Azuri.
“This is about so much more than just providing light,” Bransfield-Garth told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone. “It is about changing expectations, raising aspirations, and empowering people to become part of the knowledge economy.
“One thing you can be sure of is that once people have solar power in their lives, they’ll never go back to kerosene,” he said.
Some 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa – nearly two-thirds of the population – are estimated to be living without access to the main electricity grid, one in 10 of whom are using off-grid clean energy, said the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
Home solar systems not only provide electricity to hard-to-reach households, but do so at a far lower cost than using diesel or kerosene for energy.
Swapping kerosene for home solar energy can cut African families’ spending on lighting to two per cent from nine per cent of their household income, according to a 2016 report by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), a UK-based think-tank.
The pay-as-you go approach for home solar systems has proved successful as mobile money services are rapidly growing across Africa, allowing those without bank accounts to use their phones for everything from receiving remittances to paying bills.
While upfront costs are high compared to traditional fuels, the cost of producing power from solar mini-grids is expected to fall by at least 60 per cent in the next 20 years.
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“Solar has the power to completely transform the nature of the rural economy in sub-Saharan Africa,” Bransfield-Garth said.
Rather than charge for the solar system and accessories such as radios upfront – which would be unaffordable for many people – Azuri offers its services on a pay as you go basis, with the users ultimately owning the equipment after about 18 months.
“People start off small with our service, but they soon want more technology – to be more connected,” Bransfield-Garth said.
“By being online more often, and following the media, people can really boost their businesses,” he said, adding how a person with satellite television in their household could make money by charging others to watch films or live sports matches.
Azuri also plans to launch pay-as-you go solar irrigation systems to help farmers grow more, and higher-value, crops.
Such ambitions may be restricted by the limited capacity of solar home systems – which are unable to supply enough power for heating, cooking and small businesses, according to Oxfam.
A fledgling industry just a few years ago, off-grid solar technology is now estimated to provide power to at least 500,000 households in East Africa, according to IRENA.
Industry experts predict that figure will soar continent-wide as solar costs tumble and West African nations invest more in renewable energy to catch up with countries in the east.
Solar home systems have fallen in cost by as much as 80 percent since 2010, while investments in off-grid solar systems globally grew by 15 times between 2012 and 2015, with $276 million spent on them in 2015, according to data from IRENA.
Renewable energy could therefore be key to helping sub-Saharan Africa meet a global goal of providing universal access to electricity by 2030, experts say.
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About HumSub TV
Introduction
HumSub TV is Pakistan’s leading forwarding-thinking, edutainment channel, aimed at promoting and upholding peace, interfaith harmony and social responsibility within Pakistan through informative and insightful programmes and documentaries; analytical interviews on issues pertaining to social, economic, legal and environmental set-up; dedicated shows to canvass and thereby promote the culture and heritage of Pakistan and in-depth coverage of national and international news.
HumSub TV is the first channel and thus a pioneer within its own right that mainly focuses on emphasising the “Rights” as well as the “Obligations” of the citizens in light of the Constitution of Pakistan, numerous International declarations signed by the Government and various laws that have been promulgated over the years but are not in the knowledge of the common citizen.
HumSub TV also aims to enter into bilateral agreements with other countries to promote not only their culture, heritage and tourism, but also their educational and medical facilities.
Following the successful launch of HumSub TV’s head office in Blue Area, Islamabad; the bureau office has been set up in Lahore.
Vision
To project positive image building of Pakistan and inculcate nationalism, as per the vision of the founder of the nation, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
Mission
HumSub TV is resolute about the promotion of a pluralistic, inclusive and egalitarian society in Pakistan where all citizens are allowed to contribute to promote interfaith harmony, peace and collective wisdom in the social, political and economic development of Pakistan and to encourage critical and lateral thinking in the society. HumSub TV strives to make a positive contribution to this end.
HumSub TV’s Theme
HumSub TV, Pakistan’s first EDUTAINMENT Channel, has been set up for not only those audience residing in Pakistan or overseas but the international community on the whole. The vision of the channel is to project positive image building of Pakistan and inculcate nationalism as per the vision of the founder of the nation.
HumSub TV strives to make a positive contribution to this end by promoting pluralism, inclusiveness and egality in Pakistan and give voice to the suppressed. It endeavors to act as a positive catalyst for social change and Pakistani nationalism. It envisions providing a platform for airing critical and lateral thinking and collective wisdom by inviting positive minded intellectuals and opinion forming individuals for the promotion of interfaith harmony and peace in the social, political and economic development of Pakistan.
Whereas the channel airs upbeat edutainment programmes, it, nonetheless, has the primary objective of countering negative anti-Pakistan regional and international propaganda as well as advancing fundamental rights as encapsulated in the Constitution of Pakistan.
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