Tag: energy poverty

Our Action Plan

The Problem

It is a well known fact that about 1.3 billion people are forced to live their lives in energy poverty across the globe. That is 17% of the global population living in the dark. This means that these people lack access to basic energy services. Access to energy, means access to education, communication, and income generating opportunities.

Life without electricity is almost unimaginable for some people. Electricity allows us to power the technology we use every day. Now close your eyes & imagine what your life would look like if you had no power or light in the evening or imagine not being able to turn on the central heating/cooling system in your home, use the toilet, preserve food in your fridge/freezer or have clean running water.

Even for most that are connected to the grid, the power supply is epileptic. Every year, thousands of families will experience power cuts due to natural disasters, bad weather or power line faults. A small storm that damages one power line can mean a power outage for hundreds of families and homeowners, causing total disruption in their daily routines.

A place where there is no electricity would suffer great underdevelopment. It sometimes takes a lot for some people to realise that without electricity it isn’t just internet and Wi-Fi that is affected, it also means no cash machines, no lifts, no power to keep the factories going, and no power to charge mobile phones. It is seen as the end of normality as we know it.

Our Solution

The sun is the most abundant and free energy source, when compared with the other alternative and renewable energy sources available for Africa. It’s abundant, sustainable and available everywhere. It’s a solution for everyone that lacks adequate power supply.

Clean, healthy and affordable energy is a basic right of every individual, regardless of the nationality or status; and we are of the opinion that no one should be left behind.

It is our vision to eradicate energy poverty by year 2030, and for every household to partake of clean, safe, sustainable and affordable energy. We want to create a world where there is little or no difference between the well-developed urban areas and the underdeveloped rural places.

We aim to transform the lives of people living in this penurious state by being their energy partner for life. This is why we are offering a line of quality conscious solar products that are built to last. With Salpha Energy Solar Solutions, everybody is able to tap into the sun and enjoy it’s full potential.

This is not a onetime thing; the plan is to ensure every person continuously upgrades their system over time to include the latest Salpha Energy solutions for their home, school, health center or business.

LACK OF ELECTRICITY: A Disease

Across the globe, 1.2 billion people do not have access to electricity, with a very high percentage (57%) of such people being Africans. About 68% percent of these Africans live in sub-saharan Africa and this adds up to about 625 million people without power, according to the International Energy Agency. Cutting close to home, it is quite shocking to discover that only 45% of Nigeria’s population is currently connected to the national grid, yet regular supply is still restricted to just about 25% of the population. The question now is, why are 55% of Nigerians living off the grid? And on a larger scale, why do 1.2 billion people not have access to electricity?

Lack of electricity in most developing countries can be tied to endemic corruption on the parts of the leaders and policy makers, inconsistent government policies, non prioritization of electricity by the government and inadequate gas supply to thermal generation plants/transmission infrastructure. What those in these key positions do not know is that, lack of electricity is the major cause of the underdevelopment that has engulfed Africa.

Without stable power supply, systems cannot work as they should. Development projects, public and private investments cannot run and achieve their intended goals. Lack of electricity has its implications at all levels; from the simple household level to the national and international levels.

SCENARIO ONE:

At the lowest level, which is the household level, a child that has access to stable electricity is productive in everything he does, and this gives him a fair chance at succeeding in all he does. This way, he is useful to his family, friends and society at large.

SCENARIO TWO:

The flipside of scenario one is that, lack of electricity can make a child become a nuisance and if care is not taken, such child becomes a nonentity in the society.

There are several other consequences of lack of electricity and most man-made calamities in African countries can one way or another be linked to lack of electricity.

It is our objective at Salpha Energy to eradicate energy poverty, in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations. In doing this, we are offering easier access to clean energy by first reaching those at the end of the rope (off-grid) at very affordable costs, while educating them on this alternative; a sustainable source of energy, whose benefits are numerous. Our vision is to bridge the gap between the well-developed urban areas and the underdeveloped rural places. We are starting with those at the grassroots; the ones that are easily forgotten, the ones with no access whatsoever to energy. This is why we are introducing cheap and easy-to-use home appliances, so that even the poorest can afford them.

Every person or household is presently at one tier or another. We aim to ensure that every individual or household continuously upgrades to the next tier until everyone reaches the peak and enjoys the full potential of clean energy.