Why Solar Energy?

Why focus on solar energy in Africa? How can poor Africans afford it? Isn’t everyone starving? Shouldn’t we just take pity and keep giving to these people?

Reality of it is Africa is a gigantic continent. Aid has been flowing into the continent for years and it ceases to grow because of it. And while, yes I agree, there are some countries in need of aid during certain times of hardships such as famines and political unrest, not every African is poor and starving. Foreign aid is something Africa expects now. It has been pumped into the continent for so long and is taken for granted. It is hindering development. People are not taking the initiative needed to help progress and advance forward. People can work hard and make their own money. It’s a matter of how you choose to spend this money. Where are Africans priorities? Is it in building and expanding your home? Is it in having more children? Is it in energy? Security? Clean water? Food? When money is made, where is it going?

This is where Solar Benin Energy comes in. This is where we are unique. We want people to see energy as an utmost priority. Solar energy is a clean and renewable energy. It brings light so people can stay up longer hours. People have access to television and use of computers and thus news and information, which leads to knowledge. There is no such thing as a solar electricity outage or a monthly solar electricity bill. Solar energy benefits everyone. It benefits those who live in bigger cities with electricity to those living in off grid in small villages.

We are Africans helping Africans. We are not here to give handouts. We are here to show people that they can live better lives. We are here to help people see where their priorities should be. We have solar products that are affordable and available to all. Everyone should have solar energy. So there is no excuse why Africans can’t develop themselves.

 

 

Car Trouble

My first village visit with the S.B.E. Gratos team:  Lahotan, mid-June.

Just a few kilometers from Lahotan. So close yet so far!

Our car needed a few tire replacements.

And look at us now!  Mid-August and going strong.

On the road to Dagadoho.

Solar Lights in Aglamidjodji

Yesterday afternoon, Solar Benin Energy traveled to Aglamidjodji, a small village about half an hour away from Savalou, the capital of the Colline region in Benin and the seat of Novi headquarters. We brought a 7-lamp system and a 2-light system, and went to take the first step in our distribution strategy – visiting the village, talking to the village leaders as well as showing our products to everyone. We went first to the C.A. (Chef D’Arrondissement), who was very receptive, and saw the need for an energy alternative as much as we did. A hunter was there, who joked about using it as a headlamp, which could potentially be feasible, since after charge the lamps are powered only by the battery.

After talking to the C.A. and getting permission to work further with the village, we set up the 7-light system. A crowd gathered, both watching and asking questions. We set it up while the sun was still up, and then left to visit more parts of the village. When we came back, it was a stunning sight in this completely dark village. We had only set up three lights, but it was amazing what those three lights did.

In addition to light, people often ask about solar-powered televisions, fridges, and fans. Those products are not available in Benin yet, but they exist and are going to be coming soon. For me, it was an example of assuming, and not listening to, people’s needs. I had assumed that light and phone charge must be the most important, but many people are relatively uninterested in that aspect and want only a television that doesn’t have to run on a generator or drive the electricity bill up. Being able to serve all energy needs is important, especially as energy demand increases. If the whole demand can be met by solar, there never needs to come a resource crunch when whatever non-renewable source is being used runs out. But for many people, light is first priority.

Another thing we saw was a lot of battery-powered lights. To me they seemed a lot safer than kerosene, but I was told that they have mercury in them, which is getting into the ecosystem and making shrimp inedible. Benin now imports its shrimp. Thinking about the repercussions if al of the different energy sources is fascinating, especially in light of US energy consumption. Here, since there is such a lack of viable options, it seems like renewable energy has a chance. But what about in countries with a more entrenched way of dealing with energy demand?

This time of year, it is the women who have the financial resources to invest in solar systems, because they have finished transforming manioc into gari, a ubiquitous grain here. The men’s incomes will come in January and February. Therefore, we’re going to concentrate on the women, which is exciting. It’s interesting when women are the ones who have the purchasing power, since in so many situations they have no power whatsoever.

We will be coming back a few days before market day next week, to recruit information agents to spread awareness on market day, when the whole village comes out. From there, we will pick a sales agent, and train technicians. It will be great to return!

Author: Idun Klakegg

Sales Agent Training!

Today we completed our first training of the solar agents who will be selling the solar products in their villages. We had three men from Lokossa, a town in Southern Benin joining us, and we took them through a two day training. First, we explained the goals of Novi and SBE Gratos, and described solar power and its benefits as opposed to other sources of light. We then moved onto training them as sales agents, stressing that they were becoming social change agents, not just businessmen. Although selling solar home systems is important because if the demand for them, being an active member of the community, and forming relationships with clients, both before and after the sale of the product, or even if no sale takes place, is the most important thing. Nobody should be forcing solar energy on anyone, but instead responding to the stated needs of the people you meet. The trainees were very receptive, and training on such an intimate scale was very good, since we were able to make personal connections. Bryce, a sales agent in Lahotan, joined us and shared his experiences on the field. He described working with a microfinance organization to help people afford the product, fielding questions, and interacting with people. We demonstrated some of our products, Barefoot Power’s PowaPack Junior, which has so far been our most popular product (it has two lights and can charge cell phones and radios) and Barefoot Power’s Village Kit (7 lights). Hervé and Bryce took them apart and put them back together, showing all the different components along the way. Everyone got involved, and the trainees asked lots of questions. It was a very informal session, but there was a lot of information shared and it seemed like the trainees took it all in. Hervé wrote a lot down, and they received the outline of the training at the end.

Today they practiced installing the lights themselves, which went very well. They are taking two PowaPack Junior systems back to Lokossa, and signed discharge forms and got checklists and manuals for installation and use. It was a good training, and a good template for future ones. Below are some pictures

The Team!

Spreading Solar Awareness in Lahotan

Last Thursday, Solar Benin Energy went to Lahotan, a village about an hour away from Savalou, where SBE and Novi are based. Lahotan does nor have electricity, and relies on kerosene lamps, or generators powered by motor oil. Hervé Binazon, Novi’s program coordinator; Sophia Cioccia, another intern; and I all went to spread awareness about the availability of solar-powered energy alternatives. We spoke first with the CA (Chef d’Arrondissement) of the village, who had a solar light in his home brought from Europe. He was very receptive, and saw the need in his village. Hervé did most of the talking, in Mahi, the local language of Lahotan. The next stop was meeting with a collection of important people in the village, who were having a meeting that evening. On the way, though, we stopped to talk to some men who were playing dominos, the name of a game that looks a little like mancala. They got really excited about it too. When we got to the meeting, we all introduced ourselves in French, but Hervé spoke to them in Mahi about the product. At the end, however, they turned to me and had someone tell me in French, “thank you so much for bringing this product to us.” They continued to thank me, although I had done nothing, said nothing, and was merely an intern tagging along. Just because I was American like the product, I must be the one bringing the product, instead of the Beninese NGO I’m working for. This happened a few more times, and each time I found it very strange. I was told that I was a bridge between the foreign product and the people in the village, since consumers are very conservative, and my presence led credence to the product. It was a strange reality to be faced with.

The visit was very successful. Reaching the important people in the village is an important first step to reaching the rest of the village, since they spread the word. Some of the men we spoke to are religious leaders, which is a powerful resource because of the very religious nature of Benin. Churches will also be helpful for recruiting young people to act as information agents. Some people we talked to already wanted lights, so we ended up installing two systems. Below are some pictures of our trip:

Author: Idun Klakegg

The Need for Solar Power in Benin

Benin is a beautiful country. People take pains to dress impeccably, which makes the underlying poverty more difficult to see. 90% of the population, however, does not have access to electricity. Their houses may be ready for it, they may be ready to pay, but the infrastructure is missing. There are almost no street lights, and gas is sold from jugs on the side of the road. Even for people who are lucky enough to have electricity, the power cuts out constantly and unexpectedly, and people who rely on refrigerators to keep their goods fresh may lose their entire stock because of a power outage. The alternative to electricity is kerosene, widely used in villages and extremely dangerous. A flame left burning can easily burn down a house, and stories abound about deaths of people who could not get out. Kerosene also contributes to asthma, and other respiratory diseases. According to the World Bank, “breathing kerosene fumes is the equivalent of smoking two packets of cigarettes a day and two-thirds of adult females with lung cancer in developing nations are non-smokers” (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18262217). Burning kerosene is also inefficient and pollutes the environment.

Not having electricity cuts down the day dramatically. In Benin, where it is already often too hot to do much in the middle of the day, at least during the hot season, so much time is lost when the day ends when the sun goes down. People who could otherwise be continuing to work must stop, and children cannot study.

Solar energy is an elegant solution. It does not require any infrastructure, and based on the need, the number of lights can be scaled up or down. Some families may only need two, whereas for some eight may be better. The systems are easy to install, and last for 10 years. The light is surprisingly bright. People can suddenly work, study and socialize much more easily in the evening. Additionally, each solar home system comes with one or more phone chargers. Phones are the main form of communication in Benin. Most people do not have personal access to the Internet, and use their phones for everything from entertainment (listening to music or watching music videos) to business calls, to staying in touch. Beninese phones are always ringing, and people love to talk. Charging the phones, however, can be difficult, and may take place at communal centers via generator, or at a lucky neighbor with electricity. All in all, the lack of reliable sources of electricity and light undermines the people of Benin’s ability to realize their capabilities. Solar power provides clean, safe energy that cuts out spending on electricity bills or kerosene completely.

Author: Idun Klakegg

Installing a Solar Home System in Savalou, Benin

On the Road: Installing Solar Home Systems in Glo and Bohicon

Although Solar Benin Energy (SBE) has not fully rolled out its distribution system, people are hearing about the products, so we have been installing systems on a small scale. We installed two sets of two-light systems in Savalou, for a mechanic whose house was fitted for electricity, complete with light switches, wires, and light bulbs, but who did not have access to the electric current. Only 10% of the population does, but most houses are built fully equipped, in the hopes that one day the government will have the infrastructure to meet the need. We installed two two-light systems, four in all. Each system comes with a phone charger, which is also vital here, where mobile phones are the most common form of communication, business, and entertainment. In the evening we returned, and the lights were so bright that a few of them had to be repositioned. Everyone was very happy.

Next we went to Bohicon, to install a two-light system for a family there. The son became very excited about the whole project, and wanted to install the lights himself so he could be an installer for future light systems in Bohicon. We talked to the father, who was also intrigued, and who wanted to be a sales agent for Bohicon. He called us back later the same day and said that he had already found 25 people in Bohicon who wanted to buy systems!

After Bohicon came Glo, a smaller town, where we first went to a Catholic school, L’École Sainte-Marcelle, who wanted two two-light systems for its dormitories. We also were going to install a seven-lamp system, but the client was away so instead we showed another young man how to install the lights, so that he could be an installation agent in Glo. In this way, the system can become self-sustaining, with local people in the villages able to serve their own community.

What was most striking traveling through Benin was that even the most casual conversations with people along our way excited interest when SBE came up. We passed a toll agent on the road, who stopped us and at first was rather stern, but when he found out what we were doing became very animated. Power cuts at the toll station were frequent, and everyone was immensely frustrated. Solar powered lights would be perfect. He was not the only one. When the battery in the car died, the mechanic who came wanted to be a sales agent for Allada, his town. A woman who rode part of the way with us also complained about the constant power outages, and took a flyer. There is clearly such a widespread need and demand for it, both with those who are lucky enough to have electricity, and those who do not. It was amazing that even in chance meetings, everyone seemed to see the utility of solar energy.

Author: Idun Klakegg