d.light, the global provider of transformational household solar products and affordable finance for low-income households, is partnering with SOL! Groupe, an international provider of tailor-made solar products and services for emerging markets, to bring its range of affordable solar-powered household appliances plus its low-cost “PayGo” personal finance service to low-income families and communities in the west and central African countries of Chad, the Central African Republic (CAR) and Niger.
The new partnership expands d.light’s footprint into new markets in sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to Chad and Central African Republic, SOL! Groupe operates now in Niger and Burundi. It is also expanding to French Polynesia in the South Pacific.
d.light will supply solar-powered portable lanterns, solar home systems, inverters, plus associated appliances including fans and televisions for the SOL! Group to sell across the markets in which it operates. SOL! Groupe’s established distribution networks and in-country agents solve the challenge of how to bring d.light’s off-grid solar products to hard-to-reach rural communities without access to a regular electricity supply.
Countries in the Sahel region of Africa have some of the lowest electricity access rates in the world. According to USAid, in Niger, 14 percent percent of the population have access to electricity, compared to an average of 48 percent in Sub-Saharan Africa. People rely on diesel-powered generators for electricity while in rural areas, households must burn wood and other solid fuels for cooking and heat.
Commenting on the partnership, Baptiste Piveteau, d.light’s head of business development for Africa, said, “The lack of access to safe, reliable electricity is a massive obstacle for social development and economic growth at both a grassroots and a nationwide level in Africa and elsewhere. It significantly restricts the prospects of people to lift themselves out of poverty and also obstructs the proper functioning of vitally important facilities such as healthcare clinics, schools, and other public buildings. And on a day-to-day level, kerosene-burning lanterns and cookstoves are unsafe to use and environmentally harmful in terms of their emissions.
“d.light seeks to remove these obstacles by providing people and communities with safe, affordable and clean off-grid solar-powered products and systems that have a positive impact on their lives and create new opportunities.
“SOL! Groupe is a valuable and agile partner whose reach and distribution networks open up new and previously inaccessible regions so that more people can purchase d.light products and transform their daily lives,” added M. Piveteau.
Olivier Margraff, Group CTO at SOL! Groupe, said, “As Technical Director of SOL! Groupe, I manage a rigorous selection process for quality solar solutions. Our tests guarantee the reliability and relevance of our products to local needs. The customer experience is essential for products that aim to improve the lives of users. d.light has been crucial to our success in Niger, thanks to its understanding of local needs. Our partnership aims to revitalize the off-grid household market in Niger, with sustainable solutions that improve customers’ lives.”
Nadjitensengar Ngarledji, Country Managing Directeur of SOL! Niger, said, ‘‘Solar energy is the industry of transforming life and unlocking potential by providing access to essential products and services, being in the middle of people’s life and he also mentioned that, particular in Niger, some effort still needed to touch more life in terms of solar energy, that’s why I do believe with this new partnership between SOL! Groupe and d.light, we will give happiness to households in Niger.”
Tanguy François, Group CFO at SOL! Groupe, said, “Today, SOL! provides high-quality solar products and services to a range of customers – including individuals, households, businesses, NGOs, and whole communities. In keeping with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal #7 of ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all, we share d.light’s commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of the millions of people who need access to electricity by providing clean, low-carbon, sustainable energy in a way that is affordable and corresponds to their income.”
