RISE

Lighting up remote rural communities with solar power
2015 SEED Africa Award; European Union
Clean Energy
Tanzania

RISE imports high-quality, modular solar systems that are designed to provide light and mobile charging, and transports them to remote rural trading posts. Working with complementary partners, the enterprise offers innovative consumer financing, and utilises existing distribution networks in rural areas.

RISE trains local sales agents in business and sales skills, and on benefits, uses, and technical aspects of solar technology. Thus, the agents are able to successfully market the products while creating awareness in local communities.

RISE reduces the cost of electricity allowing children to study longer, shops to remain open later, and mobile devices to charge faster. The switch to solar energy in communities lowers health problems and safety risks related to burning fossil fuels, and reduces greenhouses gas emissions.

Eco-Inclusive Impacts
RISE Tanzania reduces the cost of electricity allowing children to study longer, shops to remain open later, and mobile devices to charge faster. This lowers health problems and safety risks related to burning fossil fuels and reduces greenhouses gas emissions.
  • Increasing educational attainment and commercial activity through solar lighting that allows children to study at night and shops to remain open later.
  • Reducing household safety risks from burning fossil fuels such as fires, and lowering health hazards from smoke pollution.
  • Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by over 790 tons of carbon equivalent in the first 12 months by targeting consumers who currently use fossil fuels for lighting

 

 

  • Generating income for 500 local community members, estimating an average of up to 240 USD per month per full-time RISE sales agent in the first two years of operation.
  • Spurring economic development in rural villages by providing access to electricity. 

Partners

RISE is a solar power distribution partnership between an experienced rural renewable energy product distributor, and one of Tanzania's largest agricultural commodity traders. With the goal of making renewable energy services available and affordable to consumers, the enterprise is lighting up communities in the most rural of Africa’s eastern regions while generating income for local sales agents.

RISE leverages consumer financing provided by Sollatek Tanzania and the extensive distribution network of Olam Tanzania to sell solar products to smallholder farmers in rural Tanzania.

Sollatek Tanzania is an experienced rural renewable energy distributor and has led the planning, partnership formation, and implementation of RISE since late 2014.

Olam Tanzania is one of Tanzania’s largest agricultural commodity traders and contributing access to its extensive network of rural trading posts and smallholder farmer trading partners.

NIWA is RISE's first supplier partner, and has made the bulk of its product line available to RISE on terms that will enable Sollatek to affordably finance their distribution.