Between 2015 and 2020, around 8 million people globally gained energy access with PAYG solar models. Off-grid solar products in 2017 also improved energy access for a further 83.7 million people, making a big difference to people’s lives.
At Smiling Through Light enhancing customer experience and offering products of optimal quality is extremely important. With that in mind, we are constantly looking for new ideas to improve the quality of our products. Last year we underwent a tender process to select the best manufacturers, and we are now working with two new manufacturers: Fosera and NIWA. The products from these manufacturers arrived on February 3rd and we have already started the onboarding process with Solaris - our technology provider; we have begun piloting their pay-as-you-go products.
Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) solar products are critical because providing on-grid energy access is not possible to all areas, as it can be costly and unfeasible. The PAYG model has proven to be a reliable and affordable way of providing energy access to those who live in remote areas that may be off-grid or on an unreliable grid. Our new PAYG products provide a microgrid that can provide energy access at an individual level.
The use of mobile money through PAYG systems allows end-users to pay for their solar technology in small instalments via their mobile phones. This helps ameliorate several areas of market failure in developing economies including lower transaction costs, improved transparency, savings, and privacy & women empowerment. We would like to deepen our understanding of how to effectively implement and create a best in class PAYG system suitable for the Sierra Leonean market.
Children with PAYG solar home products on average spend more time doing homework in the evenings. Not only do these solar products represent a much healthier and sustainable alternative to diesel or kerosene lamps, but they are also more cost-effective systems. The impact that PAYG solar products can have on people’s lives cannot be understated, likewise, the positive impact that turning away from diesel or kerosene lamps can have on the environment is also crucial.
At Smiling Through Light, we believe that the increased use of PAYG solar models is one of the keys to more sustainable development.
Fosera is a German-based manufacturer of high-quality solar home systems that shares Smiling Through Light’s goal of bringing reliable solar energy access to off-grid areas through PAYG models. One of the new products that we have introduced to our product range is the Fosera Spark 20. The Fosera Spark 20 is a PAYG system that contains bright and highly efficient LED lamps, USB ports to charge phones and high runtime batteries that have superior protection. They are designed to provide our customers with a reliable long-lasting service as well as a high-quality experience.
We are also trialling NIWA’s products, a Hong Kong based manufacturer who is committed to providing Sub-Saharan Africa with ‘the same comfort of life as in the rest of the world by fully sustainable solar solutions’. We are piloting their Multi 300 XL, this premium portable solar LED and phone charger is water and dust protected, is able to produce up to 70 hours of light runtime and has enough backup power for rainy days. This product is also durable and supplies the same battery life as the Fosera Spark 20. We are also piloting NIWA UNO 50 and Starlight One. At Smiling Through Light, we take pride in offering the best products on the market and so only work with high-quality solar home systems that have been verified by the Lighting Global programme.
Trialling these products allows us to expand our business and hopefully boost the effect that our products have on our customers. It is our mission to always source the best quality products to ensure a good customer experience. Smiling Through Light is excited to see the impact that these new high calibre products will have on the Sierra Leonean communities.
