The Guardian (Nigeria)

Firm plans to power one million houses in Nigeria

- From Kingsley Jeremiah, Abuja

WISOLAR,a green digital energy provider based in South Africa, is seeking to provide simplified solar solutions that can power over one million houses in Nigeria.

Nigeria has been grappling with the problem of erratic electricit­y supply for decades, with only 50 per cent of the population having access to electricit­y.

An unreliable power supply has hindered economic growth and developmen­t, leaving many households and businesses struggling to access affordable energy.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Wisolar, Tonye Irims, said the company is concerned about the electricit­y challenges the masses in Nigerians are faced with and is ready to step in to provide affordable and green digital energy.

Irims noted that the interventi­on would come at noupfront payment by Nigerians as the company would install the solar system for homeowners.

“Wisolar’s mission is to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy in Nigeria and other parts of Africa by providing affordable and reliable solar solutions. The company aims to help address the energy access gap in Nigeria, which has left over 90 million people without access to electricit­y.

“The on- demand service focuses primarily on a power purchase agreement ( PPA) business model where Wisolar installs and maintains a solar system on a customer’s home, then sells power to the customer via the app as required per kwh for a 20- or 25- year term. This business model allows property owners to install solar at no upfront cost,” Irims said.

Irims also said that the company is targeting qualifying residentia­l estates and affordable housing communitie­s in Nigeria for prepaid solar electricit­y adding that the system will reduce the pressure of residentia­l loads on the national grid and also be lowcost to users.

“The company uses a combinatio­n of solar panels, energy storage, and smart energy management systems to provide clean and sustainabl­e energy to its customers.

“Developers and home builders of new and existing homes can talk to us with regards to installing our prepaid solar electricit­y systems at their residentia­l clusters,” Irims said.

To achieve its goal of powering over one million houses in Nigeria, Wisolar will partner with local communitie­s, businesses, and government­s to deploy its solar solutions. The project will demonstrat­e the potential of solar solutions to provide reliable and affordable electricit­y to households and businesses.

In addition to providing solar solutions, Wisolar is also investing in local training and capacity- building programmes to help create jobs and promote entreprene­urship in the renewable energy sector. The company aims to empower local communitie­s to become self- sufficient in energy production and management, which can have significan­t economic and social benefits.

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