Greenlight Planet, the global market leader in the rapidly expanding pay-as-you-go (PAYG) solar industry has powered more than two and a half million lives in Ethiopia through access to clean, affordable, and reliable energy. Working with a strong network of established Ethiopian distribution companies such as Lydetco P.L.C., Universal Electronics amongst others, Sun King products are now in 500,000 Ethiopian households and have offset more than 600,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas, enabling savings of more than 1.7 billion Ethiopian Birr ($53 million) for customers in Ethiopia.
Throughout the last decade, the Government of Ethiopia has led one of the most successful electrification programs in sub-Saharan Africa, expanding the electric grid to nearly 60 percent of the country, now covering 6,000 towns and villages, compared with only 667 ten years ago. However, the rural household electrification rate remains at just 29% percent. Understanding that affordable and reliable access to electricity is essential to reducing poverty, the Government of Ethiopia has committed to achieving universal energy access by 2025. Through this plan, sixty-five percent of the population will gain energy access through the national grid, and the other thirty-five percent will access energy through off-grid technologies, including stand-alone solar systems and mini-grids.
Since 2011, Greenlight Planet has sold more than 500,000 life-changing Sun King solar solutions in Ethiopia with the help of distribution partners. Those distributors sell into Ethiopia’s expansive, multi-tiered retail distribution network, allowing consumers to purchase Sun King products from nearby retail markets upfront, in cash. The Sun King solutions offer customers premium quality at an affordable price along with after-sales service. Speaking on Greenlight Planet's journey in Ethiopia so far, Mr. Dhaval Radia, Senior Vice President says, “The quality and reliability of Sun King solar home systems have made customers realize that they could own a reliable energy source that would not need them to make recurrent purchases with several customers experiencing dramatic improvements in household savings, increased productivity for their small businesses and additional study-time for their children. We have built strong partnerships ranging from microfinance institutions and telecoms to solar distributors to serve the energy needs of Ethiopians living in the remotest locations.”
To educate customers about the benefits of solar and increase brand awareness, the company has launched a marketing campaign. This campaign will cover Amhara, Tigray, South, and Oromia areas.
“We are extremely delighted by the acceptance our products have received so far and believe that this is just the beginning towards transforming Ethiopia’s rural energy consumption. We aim to transform another 25 million lives in Ethiopia with clean and reliable solar energy solutions by 2025”, expressed Mr. Radia.
About Greenlight Planet
Greenlight Planet has sold over 12 million Sun King™ solar home energy products to off-grid households around the world. Greenlight Planet reaches remote, off-grid customers through a unique business model involving a vast network of micro-entrepreneurs, more than 300 global strategic distribution partners, and its proprietary EasyBuy (“pay-as-you-go”) installment payment technology that makes safe, high-quality solar energy products affordable for all. Greenlight Planet’s Sun King™ products are currently installed in 65+ countries and serve more than 50 million beneficiaries. Find out more at https://www.greenlightplanet.com .
Media Contact:
Cassandra Barua- media@greenlightplanet.com
