GAM-Solar Development Platform

Development Platform

Overview

• Solar power has enormous potential as an energy source in sub-Saharan Africa, where a large part of the population lacks access to electricity and safe drinking water
• Cost of solar photovoltaic technology has fallen and is dropping through worldwide large-scale application
• Climate change affects our planet, solar PV technology can substantially reduce CO2 emissions
• A “historic” global climate agreement was agreed by 195 countries in Paris in December 2015; as a result Climate Funds are being formed to keep global temperatures “well below” 2⁰C of pre-industrial times
• Solar PV projects must be identified to reduce CO2 emissions and at the same time improve the living conditions for the rural poor; this is where the Gambian GAM-Solar Energy company comes in by initiating a “Solar Development Platform” as a new development financing model, whereby commercially viable solar project proposals are proposed to funding organizations against a modest return on investment.

How it can work:

• GAM-Solar procures quality solar products, system installation and maintenance and is preparing a solar franchise concept to establish employment in rural villages through trained franchise taker outlets providing solar energy services, clean water, electricity and irrigation for agricultural food production
•  We propose large-scale solar projects through its Solar Development Platform concept to major international financiers and by using ‘Lease To Own’, ‘Pay As You Go’ (PAYG) and eWater technology and payment methods through the internet and GSM networks
• Energy and water projects can in part be financed on grant basis as can be available through donor organizations, and co-funded by crowdfunding and investors on basis of a modest return on investment guaranteed through electronic payment methods as proven successful in East-Africa and Asian countries
• Rural communities, NGOs and investors submit their Project demands to GAM-Solar as the technical consultants carrying out project surveys at the project sites to determine the technical requirements
• Based on the outcome of the survey a financial budget and affordable micro credit loan agreements with the beneficiaries are put in place as basis for financing the project, including costs to sustain the investment
• Solar water pumping and solar electricity projects will be bundled to an overall budget and submitted to international financiers of Climate Fund related financing, including carbon credits and crowdfunding.

Target areas:

1. Solar water pumping for communities (to date GAM-Solar realized approx. 300 rural village systems)
2. Solar water pumping for irrigation of horticultural gardens (~40 gardens of 1-5 hectares realized to date)
3. Solar Water Heating for hotels, hospitals, clinics and private homes
4. Solar Home Systems for electricity to private homes
5. Grid connected solar power systems for offices, schools, institutions, etc.
6. Large-scale solar power generation for utility grids and hybrid systems
7. Replacing high consumption conventional streetlights with solar powered LED light fixtures

Innovative technologies

• ‘Net-metering’ by inverters pushing access power to the national grid, especially interesting for offices, schools and hotels to create income during weekends, holidays and off-season when no electricity is needed
• Pay As You Go, ‘Lease to Own’ and eWater concept, whereby villagers can recharge their solar systems at the GAM-Solar community franchise and/or through mobile phone networks to pay for water and solar electricity
• Innovative financing through a revolving ‘Solar Fund’ whereby monetary savings on energy and water bills pay for the investment in solar systems.

The bottom line is that with our solar experience in Gambia since 1998 and with the latest innovative technologies, GAM-Solar develops innovative financial and technical engineering for solar applications, providing safe drinking water, electricity supplies and food production in a community based franchise concept, reducing CO2 emissions, creating new economy, jobs, sustainability and stability.