9 May 2008

G24 Innovations (G24i) has been announced as a winner of the prestigious 2008 ‘Lighting Africa Development Marketplace' awards, at a ceremony in Accra, Ghana. Established by the World Bank in 1998, this year's award set out to acknowledge and reward the development of products which provide the most innovative, off-grid lighting solutions for the 500 million people without electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa.

G24i was recognised by an international panel of experts for the creation of a cutting edge solar powered LED light which utilises their proprietary Dye Sensitised Thin Film solar cells. Silicon free, the cells are extremely lightweight and durable, making them ideal for rugged conditions. They are able to generate electricity in poorly lit and indoor conditions, providing users with low cost, high quality light when and where it is needed.

G24i, with support from LED lighting manufacturer Lemnis, will receive a grant of $200,000 to further develop the light and to set up large scale distribution in the launch country, Rwanda. It will be G24i's second product following the launch of their solar powered mobile phone charger in 2007. The mobile phone chargers are also designed for the developing world, where mobile phone sales are already growing at a rapid rate, despite widespread lack of access to electricity.

"Lack of access to affordable and reliable energy is a main contributor to poverty today. More than 1.6 billion people worldwide are without access to electricity and the problem is most acute in sub Saharan Africa", said Anil Cabraal, World Bank Lead Energy Specialist. "People there are forced to rely upon kerosene or even lower quality forms of energy to obtain inferior quality lighting that is also a cause of serious indoor pollution. They also have, in aggregate, a substantial carbon footprint. G24 Innovation's light will help solve these problems and we are delighted to be sponsoring it as one of our winners for 2008."

Robert Hertzberg, Chairman of G24 Innovations, said: "It is a great honour to be recognised with this award. We believe that our technology has the potential to revolutionise personal energy, materially improving the lives of a huge number of people across the globe. This prize will make a real difference in helping us to provide a reliable and high-quality source of light for the developing world which does not damage the environment."

Background Information


Africa at night

What is Lighting Africa?

Lighting Africa is a World Bank Group initiative aimed at providing up to 250 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa with access to non-fossil fuel based, low cost, safe, and reliable lighting products with associated basic energy services by the year 2030.

Watch the video on the need for off-grid lighting in Africa:

Linking Lighting and Development

Modern lighting can

• Extend the working day for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) thus expanding production, enriching income opportunities, improving working conditions, and increasing customers
• Enhance safety and security via outdoor lighting for personal, business, and community activities
• Create conditions to attract teachers, retain students, expand time for student reading and studying, and improve grades and school retention rates
• Provide opportunities for adult literacy and higher education programs
• Improve health services delivery and thus reduce productivity loss due to illnesses

Family Using LED lighting

Family Using Fuel Based Lighting

Why Lighting Africa? Why Now?

Currently, 1.7 billion people worldwide are without electricity. The problem is most acute in Sub-Saharan Africa where over 500 million people presently lack modern energy, with rural electricity access rates as low as 2%.

Among the poorest of the poor, lighting is often the most expensive item among their energy uses, typically accounting for 10-15% of total household income. Yet, while consuming a large share of scarce income, fuel based lighting provides little in return.

New advancements in lighting technology, such as compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and light emitting diodes (LEDs), promise clean, portable, durable, lower cost, and higher quality lighting. The challenge is to make these products accessible to the half billion "lighting poor" in Africa. With expenditures on fuel based lighting estimated at US$38 billion annually, the potential exists to engage the international lighting industry in this new market area, while serving consumers, bolstering local commerce, creating jobs, enhancing incomes, cleaning the air, and improving health, safety, and quality of life.

Lighting Africa Development Marketplace Selects 16 Winners

After receiving over 400 proposals on innovative solutions for off-grid lighting for Africa from 54 countries, including 38 African countries, the Development Marketplace's team of international assessors selected 54 projects to compete for the winning titles.

The next stage of the competition took the finalists to Accra, Ghana to attend Lighting Africa 2008, the first global business conference for off-grid lighting in Africa. The conference is part of the World Bank Group's Lighting Africa program, which aims to mobilize the private sector to provide modern off-grid lighting to more than 250 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa by the year 2030.

An international juror panel met with the finalists during the Lighting Africa Development Marketplace competition, and selected 16 winners who will receive up to $200,000 in seed funding to develop and implement their ideas. The projects were judged using five criteria: innovation, measurability of outcomes, organizational and financial sustainability, growth potential, and realism. The winning companies will use the funds to implement their projects in several African countries, including Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Tanzania.

"The ideas and concepts presented during this competition were far beyond our expectations, and this level of innovation and creativity is exactly what Africa needs. We are looking forward to seeing the winners implement their projects," said Anil Cabraal, World Bank Lead Energy Specialist.

One of the winning projects will use cassava waste to produce biogas for lighting about 2,250 rural homes. Another project introduced a revolutionary type of energy efficient solar cell product for light emitting diodes that can also be used as a mobile phone and energy charger and a source of energy for radio. The people's choice award went to a project that aims to use the Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies, a network of solar technicians in Tanzania, and reasonably priced solar systems to reach remote areas.

"This has been one the most fruitful Development Marketplace competitions. All of the finalists were able to meet with businesses and NGOs that are relevant to their day-to-day activities. This will help broaden their reach and impact," said Monika Weber-Fahr, IFC Manager for the Sustainable Business Innovator.

The competition took place during Lighting Africa 2008, the first global business conference for off-grid lighting in Africa, held in Accra, Ghana, from May 6 to 8, 2008.

Some market products illuminated with LED lighting

Same products illuminated with fuel based lighting