Yingli Green Energy joins SolarAid to spread light for learning in Africa

CHINA: Yingli Green Energy Holding Co., in a statement jointly released with Solar Roof Systems, Kingspan and Atama Solar Energy, announced that they have raised a total of 24,000 Euro for SolarAid, the London based charity using solar power to help education in Africa.

The fundraising will support SolarAid's 'Lighter Learning' programme to improve the education of children in Africa by providing lighting for classrooms in 12 schools across Zambia.

Only 9 percent of rural sub-Saharan dwellers in Africa have access to electricity, with the average family of the remaining 91 percent of the population spending up to 25 percent of their income on toxic kerosene for lighting. SolarAid's aim is to eradicate the kerosene lamp from Africa by 2020 and to provide clean light in every home in Africa, improving the health, education and wealth of Africa's 110 million households without access to electricity.

SolarAid does not give solar lights away, but sells them to help create a market for solar and maintains them to ensure communities value them. Using micro-solar systems, the cost of SolarAid's procuring, installing and promoting lighting kits for a school is just EUR 2,000; the solar lighting lengthens learning hours, improves education quality and reduces reliance on expensive and toxic kerosene lamps.

SolarAid also promotes the benefit of solar lamps through schools. Children tell their parents who are then convinced to buy a light to help their child to study. Demand for solar lights is rising dramatically. A total of 294,033 solar lights were funded and distributed by SolarAid in 2012 and the organization is aiming to make it a million in 2013.