Power to the people

Our strategy


We believe that the two most significant threats facing humanity today are climate change and global poverty. SolarAid was launched in 2006 to combat both. We enable the world's poorest people to have access to clean and affordable power, and we're doing this in two ways: through microsolar and macrosolar.

Microsolar
SunnyMoney is the name given to our microsolar franchise. We recruit entrepreneurs who we train in sales and marketing to manage their own SunnyMoney businesses, and generate an independent income by selling solar-powered products to their local community.


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Customers who buy SunnyMoney products benefit from clean and affordable light. In some cases families can save up to 70% of their income by using these products. And the health benefits of living free from the toxic gasses, emitted by burning kerosene, are even greater.

Macrosolar
Macrosolar is the installation of larger solar panels, which bring power to schools, hospitals, health clinics, orphanages and community centres. It also gives public access to mobile phone charging and after-dark learning facilities. And it instils a sense of pride amongst the community too. To ensure the longevity of these solar installations we train participants in how to properly care for and maintain the systems.


macro-dusk-wide.jpgPhoto by Andy Bodycombe.


Micro and macro implementation

  • We have a network of entrepreneurs and work with microloan foundations and NGOs. This allows us to benefit from synergies as we develop a programme of activity that is geographically focused.

  • We focus mainly on the rural poor, who are the most impoverished and are marginalised from energy networks. We work with poor communities in peri-urban areas too, if their access to the grid is limited or non-existent.

  • We ensure programme sustainability through a micro-business approach that encourages beneficiaries to generate income from the use of their solar system. This could include offering a mobile phone charging facility, hosting evening screenings of films and documentaries or holding adult literacy classes.

  • We monitor and evaluate our work to maximise the output and maintain best practice.

  • We maintain gender equality when recruiting SunnyMoney entrepreneurs through a democratic and equi-gender process.