Greenlight Planet dedicates itself to delivering affordable solar energy products, such as indoor and outdoor lighting and lamps, to more than 2 billion people living off grid. The Ashden International Award for Increasing Energy Access is one of the world’s most prestigious green awards, recognising excellence in sustainable energy and Greenlight Planet’s achievements in increasing energy access through micro-financing in disadvantaged communities.
Through its Sun King brand, Greenlight Planet has sold more than 5 million reliable solar lighting products across 54 countries, allowing millions light for the first time. True to its mission of delivering clean energy at affordable prices, Greenlight Planet is helping to redefine the industry’s approach to fulfilling the needs of off-grid families. This includes revolutionising access to solar lighting by offering its pay-as-you-go payment option, Easy Buy. This in turn helps to empower community members, so that they can be proud of being able to purchase their own products where they could not have done so before. These payments, as little as fifteen cents per day, go directly towards the overall purchase of the product, allowing disadvantaged households and businesses to continue benefiting from solar lighting. Greenlight Planet will receive a monetary prize from Ashden International that will go towards the scaling of its business.
“For those living off the electric grid, kerosene, wood or coal-powered lighting are often considered the only options available – but each of these come with notable health risks, not to mention detrimental impacts on the environment” said T. Patrick Walsh, Greenlight Planet Founder and CEO. “By developing safe and affordable solar energy products, we aim to show remote communities that there are other options available so they can live brighter and more productive lives. We are incredibly honoured to receive this recognition from Ashden, and look forward to continuing our efforts to increase the development of solar technologies for remote dwellers worldwide.”
The idea for Greenlight Planet took shape in a University of Illinois dorm room, when founder T. Patrick Walsh realized that residents in rural villages had a need for healthy, affordable and sustainable energy options. In 2007, Mayank Sekhsaria and Anish Thakkar joined Patrick to develop that vision through smart solar design. By micro-financing its solutions, Greenlight Planet is able to bring its affordable solar products to global audiences.
So far, Greenlight Planet has reached over 5 million off-grid households while its products are used by over 20 million people worldwide and are available in 54 countries. The company has created over 6,000 micro-entrepreneurs and over 100 strategic partnerships. A quarter (25 percent) of Greenlight Planet customers reported an increase in household income while 75 percent have benefitted from an increase in study time. 84 percent of customers reported better quality and 48 percent fewer breathing problems while 94 percent said they feel safer. The company’s products have also displaced 9 million tons of CO2 pollution per year and prevented over 10,000 deadly house fires.
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