Arnergy rolls out Pay-As-You-Go Solar Rental Systems in Nigeria

Two award winning Nigerian innovators, Femi Adeyemo, and Kunle Odebunmi, co-founders of Arnergy; a Lagos based Renewable energy company, have launched a new line of products within the renewable energy sector in Nigeria. With aspirational targets that include powering millions of households in peri-urban and rural communities across Africa, stimulating economic and social development, contributing to global environmental protection and striving towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the company has joined the league of global innovators that are poised to solve the continent’s perennial energy crises. Across Nigeria, several small businesses have been forced to abruptly cease operations due to epileptic power supply. In addition, crippling operating expenses have made it increasingly difficult for the small business owners to finance and sustain their enterprises.

The company’s most recent innovation, Arnergy SOLAR RENTAL SYSTEM (SRS), is designed to enable millions of consumers in off-grid and weak grid communities to rent uninterrupted electricity units, and only pay for the energy consumed – daily or monthly.

The revolutionary technology is a Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) system that allows customers to purchase and recharge electricity units using RANA™ (Arnergy’s proprietary mobile electricity app), or via registered Arnergy agents, in the case of consumers that reside in areas without a reliable mobile network. RANA™synchronizes with ARNERGY’s cloud based server infrastructure to unlock the physical solar power units, and supply electricity through a PIN- protected interface.

Product Categories

Arnergy SOLAR RENTAL SYSTEMS (SRS) are available in three (3) different sizes to match the varying electricity needs and payment abilities of different customer groups:

• ARNERGY 60,
• ARNERGY 300 and,
• ARNERGY 500.

The ARNERGY 60 can provide sufficient daily wattage for LED light bulbs for three average sized rooms, a bundled radio, mobile phone charging, DC television and a DC Fan. Arnergy’s ARNERGY 500 is the company’s solution to ensuring that small businesses across Africa enjoy uninterrupted, on-demand electricity to run their businesses sustainably. The product is uniquely designed to power a variety of consumer devices including televisions, fans, lights, office equipment and communication devices. Across all three product categories, service is customized to the consumer’s need, and critical features like flexible payments, service level adjustment and a growing network of Arnergy agents, are tailored to ensure that Arnergy customers enjoy the most benefits.

Arnergy Centers

The company is also setting up ARNERGY CENTERS in numerous states across Nigeria. These centers are strategically positioned to provide distribution and support services to Arnergy’s customers, and also serve as local resource centers for energy efficient home appliances that can substantially help willing customers to live completely off-grid. Historically, Nigeria has lagged as a nation in adopting clean technologies and embracing overall energy efficiency. With ARNERGY CENTERS spread across the country, the rural poor and middle class Nigerians can now boast of a unique and indigenous alternative to their energy woes. Interested customers can sign up on Arnergy’s website, subscribe to daily or monthly solar rental packages pick up the kits at the ARNERGY CENTERS and set up the plug and play solar kits themselves. Alternatively, the company also has a league of ARNERGY SOLAR ANGELS that are trained to provide installation and engineering support. Arnergy’s innovative business model also takes into account the low and somewhat volatile income levels of consumers at the bottom of the pyramid. The company believes that by removing financial and institutional barriers to obtaining solar energy through flexible payment solutions, target customers can enjoy Arnergy’s services conveniently. ARNERGY’s products and services present significant macroeconomic potential across Africa, and this rollout is tailored to transform Nigeria’s electricity sector, with functional utility and overall simplicity. Designed to meet Nigerian situational constraints, this innovative suite of products present scalable industrial, agricultural and small business opportunities. In parallel, Arnergy is currently in advanced discussions towards a local assembly plant in Northern Nigeria to meet the expected surge in demand for the solar rental products.

Award Winning Brilliance

The company continues to be recognized for innovative advancements.  In December 2015, the Solar Nigeria Programme, an Initiative of the UK’s Government Department for International Development (DfID), and implemented by Adam Smith International (ASI), awarded ARNERGY, a £100,000 (US$146,000) grant to expand the company’s operations in Northern Nigeria. In July 2015 – the duo of Femi Adeyemo and Kunle Odebunmi emerged the final winners of the Bank of Industry’s (BOI) Request for low-cost rural solar energy proposals. With their innovative solutions for confronting the energy problems crippling the country, ARNERGY partnered with BOI to provide uninterrupted electricity to 600 homes and small businesses across three states in Nigeria. The company plans to replicate this model across the country, with a target of powering 100,000 homes and small businesses over the next few years.

HOW DOES SRS WORK?

An easily mountable solar panel takes about the same effort as unboxing a new TV set. Arnergy’s solar panels come with proprietary integrated electronic control systems, an in-built, long lasting Lithium–ion battery, and cloud-based software to manage all operations. Subscribers can pay a token signup fee to have it installed by accredited Solar Angels (micro entrepreneurs) and all the units are managed as a permanent property of ARNERGY. For a low fee of 50 naira daily ($0.25/day), customers will receive an electricity token to unlock the solar kit. The solar kits are totally independent of mobile networks or internet protocol.