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Firm unveils solar solutions to bridge energy gaps in Nigeria

By Femi Adekoya
20 June 2019   |   4:05 am
With International Energy Agency (IEA) reports, revealing that over 600 million people in Africa will not have access to grid electricity by 2030...

Solar power

With International Energy Agency (IEA) reports, revealing that over 600 million people in Africa will not have access to grid electricity by 2030, a manufacturer of off-grid power generation systems, Shenzhen Lemi Technology Development Company Limited, has unveiled new solar solutions to the Nigerian market to bridge energy gaps.

The Founder, Lemi Technology, Joyce Chen, said the firm is seeking to reach every household with lighting global solar products certified by the World Bank and International Finance Corporation (IFC), while also building the confidence of Nigerians in the products.

Chen, at the launch of Lemi solar products, admitted that some manufacturers have sold low-quality and low price products to gain a large market share, but those products have hurt the end-users’ interest and ruined their confidence in solar products.

She said as a result of this challenge, the World Bank and IFC initiated the lighting global quality certification to boost confidence of end-users in solar products as well as promoting fair and orderly development of the market.

According to her, to cooperate more closely with other countries and develop together, the Chinese Government formulated an ambitious plan called, One Belt, One Road.

“Hence, to respond and support the belt and road initiative and lighting global programme, as well as Lemi development programme, we came to Africa’s biggest market,” she said.

She noted that through technological advancement and cost reduction of solar modules and energy storage batteries, the price of solar products is falling, adding that in many other climes, cost is already lower than traditional electricity, which enables people to solve the demand for power other than from the grid.

“Both solar off-grid and micro-grid power are becoming more and more cost-effective, environmental friendly, and energy saving,” she added.

Also speaking at the event, Programme Lead Lighting Africa, Nigeria, IFC, Allwell Nwankwo, said penetration of solar product is still less than four per cent against the required 30 per cent, saying there is still lot to be achieved in Nigeria’s solar market.

He said plans are ongoing to reach 1.2 million household with its lighting global initiative, which ends in June.

He said quality is still a barrier in the industry, as the initial exposure of solar products to consumers did not work out fine due to lack of quality.

“So to address this, in 2008, we put in place a quality assurance mechanism to ensure that only products that meet specific minimum requirements will be supported by the World Bank,” he said.

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