The mission of Affordable Solar for Villagers

is to provide solar products that are lower cost, higher quality, and higher benefit than what is typically available in the market, and to make sure that the products are useful, robust and long lasting so that low-income rural Malawi villagers can maximize the benefits that they receive from this new, green technology.

 

The specific objective of this non-governmental organization is to provide a variety of affordable solar products to low-income Malawi villagers. Products are imported, assembled, and sold to villagers at discounted prices typically ranging from 30% to 70% of total cost, with international donors providing the difference. Products are distributed to and sold through a network of women-led village solar shops (ten shops are operating as of November 2027, with two more being established).

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The NGO also conducts research to quantify and optimize the benefits of these technologies.

 

Solar products include, but are not limited to:

 

1. solar lights and solar batteries

2. solar pump irrigation systems

3. solar electric cookers

4. solar panels (photovoltaic modules)

Societal benefits include, but are not limited to:

1. poverty reduction/increased income by growing irrigated dry season crops (solar pumps)

 

2. improved indoor air quality, improved respiratory health by avoiding wood- or charcoal fueled cooking (solar electric cookers)

 

3. household cost savings (solar lights and batteries)

 

4. improved quality of life (all products)

 

5. reduced reliance on costly imported carbon-based fuels (all solar products)

 

6. reduced consumption of costly wood and charcoal fuels for cooking, and associated protection of Malawi's trees (solar electric cookers)

 

7. carbon-free economic development (no CO2 emissions from all solar products)

 

8. women's empowerment (women-led village solar shops, and women's groups that share the purchase and ownership of solar irrigation pump systems)

 

9. village education in solar technologies (all solar products)