Uganda - Business creation project

Describe your project or startup in a few words

Solarnos operates a self-sustaining approach of local sales agents named Solarnos Agents(SAs) to distribute proved solar lanterns to underserved rural villages and facilitating payments for the solar lights using a PAYGo technology.

01.01 Describe your project in more detail

Solarnos Energie will operate a sustainable distribution model of solar lamps in last mile communities. The company run as a distributor and coordinator in the selling of well curated range of high-quality solar lanterns through our skilled village sales agents and facilitating payments for the lanterns via a PAYGo platform. Customers buy a solar lantern with an initial upfront deposit of $10 through our distribution network of sales agents, and served customer carefully choose favorable payment plan to complete purchased lantern in installments between 12 weeks. The lanterns are programmed to go off when the payment is due, where customers will need to bring lanterns to our sales agents for reactivation on our PAYGo platform after receiving a cash payment for the installment. Upon completion, the lantern will be later unlocked to be fully owned for lifetime use.

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

Growing up in an off-grid family in Masindi district, my mother always spent 10% of her income on expensive and intoxicated kerosene. Over 27.5 million households in rural Uganda still use kerosene as a lighting source (UBOS, 2019). A typical off-grid family in Uganda, don’t have cash handy at the same time to buy solar products upright. Households earn 18$ per week, and burn 2 dollars just to buy kerosene which is 8% of their income spent on inefficient and toxic light. Kerosene dependent households struggle to see from unclear kerosene lamps as they suffocate from unpleasant indoor pollutions, where children don’t study a night (World Bank,2019). Uganda losses millions due to indoor emissions, each year over 250 people die due to use of local lighting sources such as candles where children are most susceptible. This is exacerbated by limited funds to purchase solar products outright and lack of more flexible PAYGO systems and distribution models to access these products.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your project intends to provide (at least 3).

Solarnos’s distribution approach has the potential to have a significant impact on individuals and households ranging from improved quality of life, health benefits, economic empowerment, environmental sustainability, enhanced education and learning opportunities. Our monitoring and evaluation will be run assessing the collected data per individual served. • Reduced household’s expenses kerosene • Extension in study time using safe light for children in served families. • Improved quality of life for and health benefits • Growth in household’s income and reduce health risks.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your project is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

We are targeting Mirya village in Masindi western Uganda; Masindi is among the poorest districts in Uganda with over 51.4% of the population living on less than on $1.20/day. The district has a population of 337,500 people and severely lack access to reliable energy sources, effected by natural calamities especially droughts and its geography insolated.

01.05 When did you start working on your project?

2023-07-15

01.06 How many other partners are associated with your business venture?

3

01.07 Among the other partners, how many are female?

2

01.08 Please describe the profile of each of the other partners (skills, experience, etc.)

Nagilinya Ruth - Finance/Accounting Manager, her expertise in financial sustainability and strategic planning will be instrumental in ensuring the long-term viability of our organization's operations. She will manage accounts, monitoring daily sales and tracking customer payments. Aisa Nalunga - Chief Operations Officer, will be working with sales agents to ensure they complete their tasks on schedule in distributing the solar lamps using PAYgo technology. Mark will be handling project activities including sales annals, generating business performance key on creating new sales approaches and support and leveraging monitoring platform.

01.09 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link here:

01.10 Which industry best describes your project?

a) Energy (equipment, services, sustainable energy and fuel)

02.01.01 My project contributes to the No poverty goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification

Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) Technology: Solarnos’s PAYG platform enables consumers in off-grid areas to afford solar energy systems through small, incremental payments. This approach makes solar energy systems financially accessible to low-income households who cannot afford the upfront costs of traditional energy solutions. Our solution enables businesses and entrepreneurs in off-grid areas to operate more effectively, extending business hours and improving productivity with reliable energy access. By providing access to affordable energy, Solarnos empowers women and marginalized groups who often bear the brunt of energy poverty.

02.02.01 My project contributes to the Zero hunger goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification

02.03.01 My project contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

4

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification

Solarnos promotes good health and well-being by providing clean energy, reducing reliance on harmful fuels, improving indoor air quality, and enabling reliable power for medical facilities and refrigeration of medicines.

02.04.01 My project contributes to the Quality education goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification

Solarnos enhances quality education by providing reliable lighting, enabling study after dark, powering educational technologies, and improving learning environments in off-grid areas, leading to better educational outcomes.

02.05.01 My project contributes to the Gender equality goal

4

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification

Solarnos promotes gender equality by reducing the time women spend on fuel collection, enabling them to pursue education and income-generating activities, and supporting women entrepreneurs through accessible energy solutions

02.06.01 My project contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

2

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification

02.07.01 My project contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification

Solarnos provides affordable and clean energy by offering pay-as-you-go solar solutions, making renewable energy accessible to low-income households, and reducing reliance on harmful and expensive traditional fuels.

02.08.01 My project contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

2

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification

02.09.01 My project contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

3

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification

02.10.01 My project contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification

Solarnos reduces inequalities by providing affordable energy solutions to underserved and low-income communities, ensuring equitable access to clean energy, and empowering marginalized groups through inclusive financing and distribution models

02.11.01 My project contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

6

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification

Solarnos contributes to sustainable cities and communities by delivering renewable energy solutions that reduce environmental impact, enhance energy resilience, and support sustainable economic development in urban and rural areas.

02.12.01 My project contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

6

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification

Solarnos promotes responsible consumption and production by enabling the use of renewable energy, reducing reliance on non-renewable resources, and encouraging sustainable energy practices through affordable, clean energy solutions.

02.13.01 My project contributes to the Climate action goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification

Solarnos supports climate action by providing clean energy alternatives, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from traditional fuels, and promoting sustainable energy usage, thereby mitigating the impact of climate change

02.14.01 My project contributes to the Life below water goal

2

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification

02.15.01 My project contributes to the Life on land goal

2

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification

02.16.01 My project contributes to the Peace justice and strong institutions goal

2

02.16.02 Peace justice and strong institutions - Justification

02.17.01 My project contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

5

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification

Solarnos collaborates with partners across sectors to achieve sustainable development goals, fostering partnerships for innovative energy solutions, capacity-building, and inclusive development, advancing progress towards shared global objectives

05.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.02 The product/service we envision creating represents an entirely new type of product/service.

4

05.03 The product/service we envision creating could be described as a new technology.

4

05.04 The product/service we envision creating is an improvement on an existing product or service.

1 - Strongly Disagree

05.05 The product/service we envision creating could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

6

05.06 The product/service we envision creating responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.07 The product/service we envision creating is a new version of an old product/service.

3

05.08 Justification

Solarnos innovatively empowers local communities by training and employing sales agents to distribute energy solutions in off-grid markets. Their inclusive approach, coupled with technology integration and capacity-building programs, fosters sustainable employment and economic empowerment.

05.09 Who are your main potential competitors and what makes you stand out from them?

Our potential competitors could include other pay-as-you-go solar companies, such as M-KOPA Solar, Azuri Technologies, and Off Grid Electric. Solarnos stands out due to its flexible financing options, innovative technology solutions, emphasis on local partnerships, and commitment to social impact and empowerment, setting it apart in the market

10.06 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?

Our work support female entrepreneurs through mentorship, networking, funding access, and specialized training, fostering diversity, innovation, and economic empowerment for women in entrepreneurship.