COP27: A2EI Pledges to Electrify 100 Health Clinics with its Solar Generator

The Access to Energy Institute (A2EI) has announced its pledge to electrify 100 health clinics on the African continent during COP27 in Egypt in support of the HETA initiative. Installing their “Solar Generators” will provide health facilities with powerful low-maintenance energy solutions to ensure modern efficient healthcare while reducing their CO2 footprint.

The A2EI’s Solar Generator, which has already been installed more than 1,000 times in Nigeria, is combining a large solar array, powerful batteries and advanced electronics for health clinics, mostly in rural areas. The electrification of public infrastructure, in particular of healthcare institutions is the perfect fit for the open source hardware solutions of the A2EI to help accelerate clean energy provision at scale. Every installed Solar Generator will be remotely monitored in real time through the A2EI’s data platform, which allows for effective maintenance and precise and digital impact assessment. The installation of the 100 Solar Generators will replace the usage of diesel generators and support effective climate change mitigation by reducing CO2 emissions.

According to the World Bank, more than 70% of the health infrastructure on the African continent does not have access to reliable energy. Not only can vaccines not be stored adequately. The region also has the highest under-five mortality rate in the world, with one in 13 children dying before their fifth birthday. Many of these deaths could be prevented with adequate health infrastructure, such as lighting and medical equipment, that facilitates improved obstetrics and child healthcare.

The A2EI was founded in 2018 with core support from IKEA Foundation, DOEN Foundation and Good Energies Foundation with the specific remit to develop larger solar solutions that can empower small businesses and government institutions. By providing the sector with efficient, reliable and affordable open-source solar hardware, the A2EI strives to contribute notably towards achieving SDG7 – while improving livelihoods and creating jobs and additional income for the world’s most vulnerable. By substituting fossil fuels through solar generators, the quality of life of customers increases, health hazards caused by fumes and noise are reduced, and the efficiency of public institutions can be boosted substantially. The compounded climate effect of replacing fossil energy also mitigates climate change and can generate carbon credits.

During the announcement at COP27, Thomas Gottschalk, CEO and founder of the A2EI declared: “Our remit at the A2EI is to develop innovative and powerful solar solutions such as our solar generator to give health clinics on the African continent the energy they need to provide modern healthcare, reduce child mortality and increase the quality of service to all of their customers, while reducing climate emissions.”

Jolanda van Ginkel, Programme Manager (Renewable Energy) at the IKEA Foundation, said: “The work of the IKEA Foundation is based on our deep conviction that improving livelihoods and protecting the planet are inseparable. The work of the A2EI is a good example of our partners providing innovative solutions that does exactly this: improving lives of doctors, nurses and midwives and the patients they serve while contributing to a healthier environment.“

Note to editors

About Access to Energy Institute

A2EI is the first not-for-profit and collaborative research and development institute aiming to advance renewable energy access in emerging economies. It provides broad, reliable open-source data, as well as on-the-ground research and analysis of solar solutions, and software platforms to administer these. Additionally, A2EI develops and procures solar system and appliance prototypes and initiates pilot projects – aiming to provide widely scalable sustainable energy research and solutions as a common good.

Learn more at: www.a2ei.org

About IKEA Foundation

The IKEA Foundation is a strategic philanthropy that focuses its grant making efforts on tackling the two biggest threats to children’s futures: poverty and climate change. It currently grants more than €200 million per year to help improve family incomes and quality of life while protecting the planet from climate change. Since 2009, the IKEA Foundation has granted more than €1.5 billion to create a better future for children and their families. In 2021 the Board of the IKEA Foundation decided to make an additional €1 billion available over the next five years to accelerate the reduction of Greenhouse Gas emissions.

Learn more at: www.ikeafoundation.org

Media contacts:

Access to Energy Institute:

Thomas Duveau, +49 1633232023, thomas.duveau@a2ei.org

IKEA Foundation:

Lotika Mehta, +31 621650748, lotika.mehta@ikeafoundation.org