The HPI team will conduct their comparative field research in semi-grid rural areas around Cape Town and Johannesburg, as well as off-grid rural areas in remote parts of the country. The research results will be presented on July 20th, 2013 at the HPI campus in Potsdam

SOLARKIOSK is very excited about this co-operation and we are looking forward to the results. More information about the HPI School of Design Thinking can be found at their website.

Ngoswani is an off-grid village with a large livestock market, as well as a primary and secondary school. Despite the large number of schoolchildren in the area, there are no computers or access to internet for the kids to use for educational purposes. Most of the lighting in homes is provided by wasteful and dangerous kerosene lamps. Our SOLARKIOSK operators in Ngoswani, Mr. & Mrs. Parmwat, will assist us in trying to spur the development of clean energy and communication in the area.

More photos to come very soon!

Several more SOLARKIOSKS will be up in Kenya in the coming days. We will post photos from the sites and more info about our SOLARKIOSK operators very soon!

Although the report is in German, the video offers an amazing perspective into our efforts in rural off-grid communities in Ethiopia.

We are indebted to our good friend and amazing photographer Georg Schaumberger who took these stunning images.

The CeBit is the world's largest and most international technology trade show and has been the showcase for the latest trends, the driver of new business development and the meeting place for all sectors of the tech industry since 1986. We are very proud to represent our company at such a prestigious event. We encourage all CeBit visitors to come by our stand (Hall 16, Stand D30) and share ideas and opinions with us. We are looking forward to it!

The initial phase of our pilot project will include the deployment of five SOLARKIOSKS in several regions of Kenya. The kiosks will serve communities that do not have a connection to the electricity grid. We hope to encourage local entrepreneurship and the growth of sustainable solar energy solutions in communities that need it the most. More updates from Kenya will be coming very soon.

We have been nominated for the 2013 Index Award which is awarded biennially by the Danish NPO of the same name. It is the world’s biggest reward for design, focusing on the theme of “Design to Improve Life”. Projects selected as Award Finalists will be featured during the Index Award Exhibition World Tour, which covered six major global cities last year.

Furthermore, not only has SOLARKIOSK been selected as one of the nominees for the 2013 CODE_n award as best start-up company — but as a nominee, we are invited to be featured at the world’s leading IT trade show, the 2013 CeBIT in Hanover, Germany.

The CODE_n award is meant to support start ups which are contributing to the innovation and evolution of global clean energy solutions. We are looking forward to it!

Last but not least:

We thank you all for the continuous support and we wish you a lovely Holiday Season and all the best in 2013!

The second SOLARKIOSK in Ethiopia was recently set up in Teppi, a small town in the south-western part of the country. It takes a two-day journey to reach Teppi from the capital Addis Abeba. The Solarkiosk Team is determined in its mission to provide remote and hard-to-reach communities with clean and sustainable energy solutions.

Teppi is located in the region of Ethiopia that is very famous for its coffee, which is the most crucial cash crop in the area, and the town is only reachable via a single dirt road. The tropical conditions and constant bursts of heavy rain have made the narrow road very difficult to traverse. We are proud to be present in this vibrant community and to help pioneer the developmental efforts in the region.

Here are a few photos of the kiosk in Teppi. More SOLARKIOSKS are coming up very soon in various regions of Ethiopia!

SOLARKIOSK received tremendous  interest at the event as it offers a decentralized energy solution for off-grid areas, which are usually rural areas and farmers’ villages. SOLARKIOSK and agriculture are a perfect match and we hope to initiate some sustainable energy and business-enabling projects in the rural communities in Nigeria and Kenya very soon.

Furthermore, SOLARKIOSK was selected as one of the new “Business Models for a Changing Climate” at the 15th International Business Forum  (IBF) in Pretoria, South Africa. The event is part of the dialogue series: “Poverty Reduction and Climate Change”. Participants from around the world discussed new sustainable business models with a focus on the ‘Bottom of the Pyramind’ and ‘Inclusive Business’ approaches. SOLARKIOSK is very proud to be able to contribute to this ambitious forum!