- Solarkiosk Solutions (SKS) and East African Power (EAP) launches a joint venture to build solar-powered multi-service centres.
- The Pulse will expand to other countries in the Great Lakes region.
Solarkiosk Solutions (SKS), a company based in Berlin, Germany, and East African Power (EAP), a regional energy provider based in Kigali, Rwanda, launched The Pulse joint venture to exploit the potential of solar energy in rural areas and boost the productivity of solar energy in Rwanda.
“The Pulse” will construct solar-powered shopping malls in remote locations. This multi-service centre will have a hair salon, a movie theatre, and a retail store. Additionally, it is anticipated to offer other services crucial for rural life, such as clean cooking, electric transportation, cold storage for crop management, and access to clean water.
Additionally, small-scale farmers will have the chance to process and market their produce. As the surrounding communities develop and naturally adopt energy, each The Pulse Center will be scalable thanks to its modular architecture. It can serve as the anchor load for decentralized mini-grids, claims SKS.
A pilot centre will be constructed in the town of Ruhunda in Rwanda’s Eastern Province. A 10 kWp solar photovoltaic system will power the centre’s appliances, which will be used by “10 local entrepreneurs and multinational service providers.” 69 “The Pulse” centres will be established by SKS and EAP in Rwanda. Beyond facilitating access to power, these solutions are anticipated to impact rural Rwanda’s socioeconomic advancement, where, according to Power Africa, 56% of the population still lacks access to electricity.