Lighting Africa 2010 in the news

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Daily Nation – June 8, 2010

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Recently Nairobi saw a highly successful conference on off-grid lighting for Africa. Successful because the attendance outstripped expectation and because of the quality of the dialogue. […] At Lighting Africa 2010, there were plenty of pragmatic, commercially minded people. People committed to combining social improvement with profit. The subject matter was of course focused on how to bring light (and therefore better security, more productivity, and more sustained educational opportunities) to the millions of African homes that will never have mains electricity. This is an IFC and World Bank initiative.

Marketers are duty-bound to place themselves inside the consumer's head, and heart. What Lighting Africa seeks to offer people is not limited to a "value for money solar lantern"; it's a new way of life after dark. For this to succeed, we need to create the brands that will drive the new reality.

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Voice of America (VOA News.com) – May 20, 2010

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[...] Although $40 is a large sum of money for the majority of Africans, the saving of fuel makes these products more affordable in the long term. [...] "So, while the upfront cost of a modern lighting product is higher, the repayments through the savings of Kerosene can actually make the product economically attractive in a matter of months. Microfinance can really help to address this by allowing consumers to pay over time." Lighting Africa is exploring ways in which providing small loans to community groups can help pay for the systems. The program also hopes to eventually bring down the cost of these products, which [Mr. Patrick] Avato [Lighting Africa Global Program Manager, IFC] says retail for half as much in developing nations such as India. Lighting Africa plans to work with African countries to eliminate trade inefficiencies, such as tariffs, to make modern lighting more attractive to exporters and consumers alike.

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The East African – May 31, 2010

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[…] Off grid lighting industry holds huge potential in African economies. "It could have the same transformative effect that the mobile phone technology had in Africa," said Mr Sturm. [Head, Sustainable Energy, Advisory Services, IFC] Besides being cheaper than electricity, solar kits are environmentally friendly and lack the health risks associated with inhaling soot from the tin lamps.

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The Financial Post – May 24-29, 2010

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Efforts have always been concentrated in energy production but at the same time the produced energy has not been offered at affordable rates to the majority of rural people […]. To encourage faster development of project by private sector energy ministry has established several instruments including the feed-in tariffs policy. This policy aims at attracting private sector investments in electricity generation from renewable energy.

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Reuters – May 18, 2010

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The World Bank and IFC have budgeted $12 million to begin weaning Africa's off-grid energy market away from its dependence on expensive fuel-based lighting, an official said on Tuesday. […] The cost of solar-based technologies has dropped significantly since 2008 and has become an increasingly viable option for manufacturers of consumer products.

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Business Daily – May 27, 2010

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Manufacturers and importers have noted the business opportunity and are coming up with products that they say will fill the gap. They are focusing on affordability, the green agenda, and renewability of power sources. Because Kenya relies on hydro-generation of power, electricity costs have continued to climb, especially when the alternative is thermal sources. Only 5.2 per cent of the poor use electricity, compared to 20 per cent of middle-class, majority of whom stay in the urban areas. Identifying how to introduce low-cost lighting solutions has become a major industry focus over the last few months. Kenya has set a deadline of 2017 to go green in power generation and is setting up to invest in renewable sources to replace the expensive and environmentally damaging charcoal, firewood, kerosene and battery.

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Business Daily - May 19, 2010

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Plans by private players to invest in lighting systems that target low income earners could see a larger number of Kenyans access electricity and reduce use of harmful kerosene and wood to light their homes. Prospective investors said they want to tap into the growing market of off-grind lighting systems like solar, wind and mini-hydro electricity that offer opportunity to increase Kenya's access to electricity to beyond 20 per cent of the population.

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Business Journal

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More than 600 participants and 50 exhibitors attended the second Lighting Africa conference and trade fair, which is introducing a new generation of affordable and better quality off-grid lighting products targeting low-income consumers. Quality products will allow them to realize significant cost savings, gains in productivity to raise their living standards and be less exposed health risks by moving from kerosene to modern off-grid lighting.

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The Star – May 20, 2010

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Zachary Ayieko, Chief Executive of the Rural Electrification Authority, said that local entrepreneurs should take advantage of the zero tax to manufacture solar lamps adding, this would make them cheaper for the local market. Solar power is among the clean energy sources that Kenya is currently exploring in order to reduce dependence on hydropower and expensive fuel-based energy. An ordinary Kenyan household spends over Sh7,500 every year on kerosene. However, there is optimism that costs will decrease over time. "As the technology matures, the cost of the lamps will come down," said Ogunlade Davidson, minister of energy and water of Sierra Leone who attended the conference.