Keeling Curve

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Project Summary / Description:

Globally, 700 million people do not have access to electricity.  Malawi has one of the lowest electricity access rates in the world, with only 18% of the population having access to the national grid. As of 2023, an estimated 15.4 million Malawians have no access to electricity. 

To cope with this problem, a large majority of households rely on a mix of kerosene lamps, LED acid battery torches, and candles for daily lighting for their homes. These lighting choices produce poor light, contribute to indoor air pollution, are expensive in the long-term and remain a major cause of house fires while remaining damaging to the environment.

Solar Lamps and Solar Home Systems (SHS) have been proven to be a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable option for delivering quality electric lighting to households that do not have connection to the grid. For a minimum monthly payment of $5, households can access a solar lamp or solar home system for their use. The alternative is to use candles, purchase battery-powered torches and pay a person to charge their phone, but for the same price, a SHS meets these needs and provides up to twenty times more lighting.

We distribute these products through a network of local sales agents that we have recruited on a commission-only basis. Agents are responsible for giving in-person demonstrations to potential customers, making sales and engaging in marketing campaigns. Our sales agents earn a commission of 8-11% based on the volume of sales made, and we support them by conducting marketing campaigns both online and offline through social media advertising, local radio advertising and physical sales drives in their area. 

So far, our business has achieved the following milestones: 
•	August 2020: Won $14,000 D-Prize Award to pilot Solar PAYGo model. 
•	September 2020: Launched Pilot with goal to distribute 200 Solar Lamps 
•	December 2020: Concluded Pilot, with 100 Solar Lamps Distributed 
•	March 2021: Raised $5,000 Recoverable Grant from Vista Ventures 
•	September 2021: Joined Segal Family Foundation Social Impact Incubator
•	December 2021: Successfully distributed 350+ Solar Lamps and SHSs
•	August 2022: Signed formal partnership with SFF and $15,000 Grant 
•	December 2022: Recorded 500+ Units Distributed 

We plan to scale up our operations by increasing the districts we distribute our products in by establishing more sales outlets and recruiting sales agents in the Southern, Eastern and Northern parts of Malawi. 

We intend to build a profitable business that is self-sustaining, not only expanding geographically but also introducing a new range of products and services. In 5 years, our goal is to distribute 5,000 Units annually and establish at least 150 sales outlets nationwide. We also plan to deliver clean cooking solutions, solar cooling solutions for agriculture and solar for healthcare and education.

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How Project Affects Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions:

The use of kerosene lighting emits pollutants that are not only harmful to the health of the household members, but also contribute to greenhouse gases (GHG). Solar lighting enables households to use electric lamps instead of using other conventional lighting, leading to better lighting quality, providing a pleasant environment for working and studying and improved indoor air quality at home. 

By distributing solar lighting that is more affordable than daily kerosene purchases, we are substituting the greenhouse gas emissions that would have been generated with clean power.

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Impact on Underrepresented Groups:

Economic Opportunity - Our business model is highly scalable as anyone with good customer relationship skills and a smartphone can become a Sollys Energy Agent, and earn a 8-10% Sales Commission. All our sales agents are based in the communities they serve, and 5 of our 11 sales agents are women, representing 45%. We plan to have a 50% gender representation as we expand our sales network. 

Environmental Sustainability - We are raising awareness to the benefits of solar lighting in homes and businesses, and diverting use from options such as kerosene lamps which are harmful to the environment and contribute to global warming. 

Household savings on lighting - Using prior research and customer interviews, we established that our solar lamps and solar home systems result in household savings on lighting ranging from $40-$100 annually as households cut spending on kerosene, LED acid batteries and torch replacements. 

Additional hours spent on education - Lastly, our focus is on young students from these communities, who have been left behind in their studies, compared to their counterparts who are able to study late in the night because they have electricity, or money to power torches through the night. Access to a solar lamp increases their chances of excelling in their studies, and ultimately helping their family out of poverty.

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