Trina Solar, an integrated manufacturer of solar photovoltaic (PV) products, has donated solar modules to three medical centers in Malawi, servicing over 85,000 people.
The project is also supported by Innovation: Africa, with the two companies supplying electricity to remote care centres, including one that handles HIV/Aids patients.
“We are pleased to support local communities in need with our technology,” said Ben Hill, Head of Trina Solar Europe. “Looking forward, our aim is to continue to bring solar power to improve the quality of life of people who live without access to electricity.”
This is not the first time Innovation: Africa is partnering with Trina Solar in the continent. In May 2011 the two provided solar installations at Visezi Medical Clinic in the Bagamoyo District of Tanzania. The medical clinic serves a community of 2,770 people and they relied on lighting by kerosene and gave bad visibility at night.
With a solar energy system, Visezi Medical Clinic can now offer 24-hour care in sanitary, well-lit conditions, the company stated.
Sivan Ya’ari, Founder and President of Innovation: Africa explained: “Trina Solar has been an ideal partner in our work to uplift African communities. With their solar panel donations, we are able to spend our resources where they are needed most: identifying communities without energy and working with them to build sustainable solar projects. We have ambitious goals, and with Trina’s support, we hope to double our impact in the next year.”
It is said that of the 1.3 billion people on the planet who live without electricity, 600 million of them reside in Africa, posing a challenge for governments and other organisations to provide cheap and accessible energy source.
