Fundraising for new renewable energy projects
EKOenergy promotes sustainable renewable energy in many ways. For example, via our Climate Fund, we collect funds to finance renewable energy projects in developing countries. These projects fight energy poverty and contribute to multiple Sustainable Development Goals.
For each EKOenergy-labelled MWh, EKOenergy’s authorised sellers contribute 0.10€ to these projects. All financed projects are selected through a transparent selection process and with the support of an independent jury of experts.
EKOenergy’s Climate Fund is an internationally recognised tool to create additional impact. Our Climate Fund is explicitly mentioned in the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Scope 2 Guidance as a tool for companies to do more. Our fundraising model was also recently highlighted by a UN Department for Social and Economic Affairs publication.
On the Climate Fund page of our website, you can find a map with an overview of all 79 projects that we have financed since 2015.
11 new projects
Our Board has now selected 11 new projects, for a total sum of 315,728 €. This brings the total sum of all grants this year (2022) to 425,728 €. Hereafter we give a short description of the selected projects. In the coming months, we will keep you informed about the different stages of implementation and of the final results, particularly via our various social media channels.
Solar power to strengthen livelihoods and improve food security in the community of Jiffarong, Gambia
Dodo, a Finnish environmental NGO, and their Gambian partner organization, Freedom from Hunger Campaign (FFHC), get 15,000 € to:
- build a solar powered pump and drip irrigation system for the community vegetable garden,
- repair a solar energy system at a school,
- train users in drip irrigation and solar power knowledge.
Improving schooling conditions for deprived children in Madagascar through solar energy
We grant 30,000 € to Electriciens Sans Frontières, to equip 4 schools in Northern Madagascar with solar installations for a total installed capacity of 5778 Wp:
- The primary school of Ampagorina will be equipped with a total capacity of 925 w through 6 300w solar panels and 12 2V batteries (620A/h). This capacity is designed to provide electricity to 4 classes, as well as lighting at the entrance of the building to secure it at night.
- A similar project will take place at the secondary school of Ampagorina.
- The primary and secondary schools of Anjiabe will get a solar installation of a maximum capacity of 1030W. This capacity is designed to provide electricity to 6 classes, as well as lighting at the entrance of the building to secure it at night.
- The primary school of Antamoto will be equipped with a total capacity of 880 w. This capacity is designed to provide electricity to 3 classes, 2 teachers’ lodgings as well as lighting at the entrance of the building.
Clean Energy for Health (E4H), Kenya
The UK-based organisation Renewable World has installed solar energy systems in 15 clinics in Nepal and will now expand this approach to their work in Kenya. To this end, they have established a partnership with the Kajiado County Department of Health to provide clean power to clinics in this region, commencing with four clinics in urgent need in 2022/23. Working jointly with the Department of Health over the life of the project, they want to build evidence on the efficacy of solar power for improved health provision and advocate for its integration and resourcing across the county. EKOenergy donates 33,000 € to this project.
Reducing maternal mortality rates in Malawi through solar-powered electricity
Renew’N’Able Malawi is a non-profit organisation that is actively working in the renewable energy sector in Malawi. The project will install solar-powered electricity in 4 rural health centres across 2 districts in the southern part of Malawi; and will additionally drill boreholes to supply water to 1 health centre in each district. The selected health centres are: Gogo Nazombe health centre and Chiringa health centre in Traditional Authority Nazombe in the district of Phalombe and Nkhataubere health centre and Mapanga health centre in Traditional Authority Nsabwe in the district of Thyolo. The 4 health centres serve a total combined population size of 96,877 and are all located in rural remote areas that are more than 10 kilometers away from the national electricity grid. EKOenergy grants 38,990 € to this project.
Energising healthcare in rural Uganda
EKOenergy grants 30,000 € to Green Empowerment, as co-financing for a solar installation at the Biira Health Clinic. The project’s aim is to increase access to and improve the quality of maternal and child health services for over 24,000 people in Uganda, primarily refugee and host communities. Currently, this facility has limited electricity access (roughly 6 hours per day) from a diesel generator. This project will provide electricity for powering key equipment for quality health services; IT and communications to streamline patient records and save on medical staff time; cold chain storage for vaccines and medicines; water pumping for clean water access; and lighting and thermal protection for babies. Biira Health Clinic’s target population includes both Uganda nationals and post-civil war South Sudanese refugee communities consisting of internally displaced people in need of reliable healthcare services.
Solar power for Marawa Village, Nigeria
EKOenergy grants 29,700 € for the installation of PV panels in Marawa Village, Nigeria. Centre for Renewable Energy and Action on Climate Change (CREACC-NG) will install thirty 350Wp Mono-Crystalline panels and battery storage. This will bring electricity to the village for the first time.
Marawa village recently experienced cholera outbreak where more than 50 people died, over 600 were hospitalized and the village lost half of their livestock to cholera. The PV system will power a hand washing facility and pump 4,000 litres of clean water per day, for human and animal consumption. A drinking trough will be constructed where cows and other animals will have water to drink. Part of the water be used for a tree nursery. The PV panels will power a classroom too, for 70 pupils from the age of 5. This will allow to hold night and morning classes (which is useful, because of the village’s culture of letting children go to farms/herd during the day). CREACC-NG will also install a solar mobile phone charging boot.
Improving livelihoods of rural Communities through solar-powered lift irrigation systems, Nepal
Local Initiatives for Biodiversity, Research and Development (LI-BIRD – www.libird.org), is a not for profit, non-governmental organisation established in 1995. LI-BIRD’s overarching goal is to ‘contribute to reducing poverty by strengthening resilient livelihood systems, improving ecosystem health and services, and ensuring food, nutrition and income security of smallholder
farmers, especially women and youths’. EKOenergy grants them 35,000 € to install a solar-powered water pumping system in Pali Village, Ward # 3, Dullu Municipality of Dailekh district in Karnali Province. The site is 6 km away from the local Dullu Bazar and has no access to national electricity grid.
The soil in this area is productive but water for irrigation is the main limiting factor to improving local food production. The scheme will irrigate approximately 30 hectares of land year-round benefitting over 245 households, of which, 90 households are Dalits and ethnic minorities. A locally acceptable water use/service fee system will be used for the repair and maintenance of the scheme. Additionally, selected local people, especially women will be trained on the repair and maintenance of the scheme, including the management of the fund.
Clean energy for clean water, Tanzania
This project is part of a larger three-year project named KISIMA “Strengthening of the WASH services in the Districts of Kiteto and Simanjiro, Region of Manyara” (2019-2022), co-funded by the Italian Agency for Development and Cooperation (AICS). The intervention aims to guarantee and increase equitable access and economically sustainable rural water schemes in two districts (Kiteto and Simanjiro). EKOenergy’s support will contribute ensure the achievement of one of the project’s outcomes: replacing diesel pumping systems with solar pumps.
The community will be involved in the installation work, by delivering them technical training and engaging and supporting them to develop participatory management of the systems aimed at reducing energy and water waste, thus promoting participation and ownership by the community.
EKOenergy grants 20,000 € to the project organisers, Istituto Oikos and Oikos East Africa, mainly for the purchase of PV panels and solar-powered pumps and accessories.
Solarising primary health care service for marginalised and tribal communities in Karnataka state, India
EKOenergy grants 34,038 € to the Indian Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), to bring solar energy to several health centres.
This project aims to facilitate seamless health services to remote, forest fringe villages by commissioning solar PV system as a power backup in Primary Health Centres (PHCs) to address the issue of erratic electricity supply in Hanur taluk, Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka state in India. The project is proposed in five Government PHCs, namely Bandalli, Hoogya (Kudlur), Hanur
taluka, Minya (Meenyam), and Lokkanahalli.
Provision of roof-top solar energy systems in Khuzdar, Pakistan
We grant 25,000 € to the organisation Health And Rural Development (HARD) Balochistan.
This grant will enable HARD to install rooftop home solar energy systems as a way to bring electricity to 100 households, 4 schools, and 4 rural health centres in 4 hard-to-reach villages.
With this project, they want to show that solar is the most cost-effective way of bringing electricity to these remote areas.
The project wants to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy to marginalized and deprived communities and increase energy access to healthcare and educational services thus improving the consistency and quality of the services.
Access to solar energy in 3 health centres and 3 schools in villages affected by armed conflict in South-Kivu Province, Eastern DR Congo
We grant 25,000 € to a solar project of Initiative Humanitaire pour le Développement (IHD). EKOenergy’s grant will be used to bring electricity to 3 health centers and 3 schools (Purchase and installation of solar panels, batteries, converter, and other equipment).
The primary aim of the project is to improve the conditions for nocturnal delivery in three rural health clinics, improve quality health care at night, fight against rape and sexual violence in the streets and to facilitate the educational access and success of children and young victims of armed conflicts.
Thanks
Thanks a lot to all consumers and sellers of EKOenergy-labelled energy. Projects such as these wouldn’t be possible without your support. Also thanks to all those involved in the selection process!
Published on 18 June 2022
