By investing in this project you will provide entrepreneurs and families in Matero, Zambia, with access to electricity and the chance to move up the energy ladder by getting solar home systems (SHS). Your investment will enable the spread of clean solar energy by providing affordable finance to VITALITE, our local solar partner. UK Aid is also providing a 25% first-loss protection on your investment. The loan tenor is 2 years and the expected return is 5.73% p.a. VITALITE’s mission is to make modern renewable energy accessible and affordable to all Zambian households. The company, founded in 2013 in Lusaka, operates in rural and peri-urban areas in order to reach the 80% of the population that do not have access to electricity or have unreliable access. They are the first company in Zambia to distribute solar home systems by letting customers use pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) technology. PAYGO finance helps to overcome customer’s credit and liquidity constraints and allows modern energy access for those at the base of the pyramid. People like Maxwell will get electricity. He is a shop owner that has had a SHS since February 2016. He said that the system has been working well but he felt like the charging capacity of his SHS has decreased. After inspecting his setup, the VITALITE personnel concluded that he had not cleaned his solar panel properly. For Maxwell the light of the system is great as he can keep the shop open longer, expanding his opening time from 18.00 to 22.00. Access to solar energy means that he can sell more and in the end increase his income. His shop is even connected to the grid but it rarely ever works when he needs it as the electricity is often cut off for 8 hours per day – so he often had to close early when there has been a blackout before he got the SHS. Once he closes the shop, he brings the portable lamp of the system home to provide light for him and his family. Frida, another of VITALITE's customers, replaced her battery driven torches with a solar home system. She saw it first on a friend’s roof and immediately knew she wanted one as well. Frida's kids can now study in the evening and she already considers getting "a bigger SHS to be able to have a TV.” Five of her friends immediately expressed an interest in buying the system and are now in the process of getting their own SHS. VITALITE will use the loan to purchase and distribute over 1 500 SHS with 6W each from Fosera. Their agents will sell the systems to people and businesses in Matero, an urban compound within Lusaka. The system consists of a 6W solar panel, that powers a 7000 mAh battery. Together they power two lights with 100 lumen each, charge phones and a radio. So far, this project has raised 85 050 € More information can be found on the project page.

Visit the project webpage:

TRINE

The TRINE Way 1.2 billion people around the world currently lack access to electricity. TRINE seeks to solve this problem by closing the gap between private capital in developed countries and local solar partners in emerging markets. At TRINE we believe in profit with purpose. Our commitment to this principle stems from TRINE's founding goal: ending energy poverty. We realize that in order to end energy poverty, finding a sustainable long-term solution is key. The for-profit nature of TRINE as a business and our projects as investments means that our projects are economically viable and thereby ensures that together we can have a social and environmental impact in the long run. TRINE-financed projects will reduce CO2 emissions, reduce health costs, increase knowledge levels and reduce poverty. We've seen voting/democratic participation increase due to villagers being able to get accurate and swift information on election dates and locations. New entrepreneurial ventures pop up connected to the introduction of energy in the villages - such as fertilizer production and water sanitation. Today, we have 7 fully funded projects (350k EURO). Our success rate is 100% to-date.

Visit the webpage:

INVEST FROM

Austria , Belgium , Denmark , Finland , France , Germany , Greece , Hungary , Iceland , Italy , Liechtenstein , Luxembourg , Malta , Monaco , Netherlands , Norway , Poland , Portugal , Slovakia , Slovenia , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland , United Kingdom

GALLERY