Solarlife: Cooking is going clean

Every year, more than 600,000 Africans die from air pollution caused by the use of wood or charcoal for cooking. Faced with this situation, the Cameroonian start-up SOLARLIFE decided to democratize solar homes, clean cooking equipment to protect the health of users but also the environment.

SOLARLIFE cooking kit

The start-up SOLARLIFE is a social enterprise for micro-credit distribution of solar cooking equipment.

At the head of this company, Eock MBARGA Sylvain, expert in solar photovoltaic systems and clean cooking techniques. The start-up is based in Douala, Cameroon and is made up of ten technicians trained and motivated to raise awareness and advise customers on solar energy and energy efficiency.

Providing access to the greatest number through micro-credit

Solarlife’s objective is to provide Cameroonian households with quite revolutionary cooking equipment: solar cooking kits.

Each kit is an appliance that allows cooking inside and outside the house: it produces smokeless fire through a gasification process that converts plant material (coal, wood) into combustible synthesis gas.

The solar cooking kit also provides access to electricity. The kit consists of a solar panel, a light bulb, and allows the possibility of recharging several electronic devices safely.

The benefits are therefore multiple: reduces the health risks associated with the inhalation of smoke, the consumption of wood or charcoal is reduced by 70%, very economical and fast.

Solarlife understood this. The problem of clean energy in Africa is primarily linked to costs: households have a relatively low investment capacity. The start-up therefore offers its customers to purchase its kits on credit for a refund over 12 or 24 months depending on their payment capacity. The company has surrounded itself with partners such as micro-finance institutions and banks.

Access to clean energy, Africa’s main project

In Sub-Saharan Africa, four in five people use firewood or charcoal for cooking. This is the case in Cameroon in particular. With serious consequences on the environment, health, and the economy: deforestation, global warming, respiratory diseases, death…

Cooking equipment is rarely of good quality, although it is cheaper to buy, but it does not perform well and is not very durable. This means more spending on households in the long run. 

Solarlife shows its commitment to change things. Thanks to their equipment, the start-up reduces CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, reduces household expenses, bringing them more comfort and well-being.

Solarlife is currently seeking to raise 34 million CFA francs (about 51,000 euros) to expand its activities. A crowdfunding campaign is currently underway on the Guanxi platform, Cameroon’s first equity crowdfunding platform. You can help democratize access to clean energy in Africa and the fight against climate change by supporting them.

Photo credit: Solarlife