Member - African Clean Energy

ACE is a social enterprise enabling clean energy access for rural households in Sub-Saharan Africa and South-East Asia.

Type Company
Founded 2011
Company Size 375
Member Type
innovator
Founders Ruben Walker and Stephen Walker
Headquarters 1018 BC Amsterdam, Netherlands
Social network
African Clean Energy

About

At African Clean Energy (ACE), we specialise in manufacturing and distributing the data-enabled ACE One Energy System, a high quality solar-biomass hybrid enabling users to cook using significantly less fuel and offering access to electricity for mobile charging and lighting. We distribute by employing in-house sales teams and building last-mile distribution channels in the developing world which can facilitate remote households to gain access not only to the ACE One, but also to maintenance services, financial support and clean fuels. ACE is headquartered in Amsterdam, our flagship factory is in Lesotho, and we have ground operations selling B2C in Lesotho, Cambodia and Uganda. The ACE One provides a solution that addresses the full spectrum of Base-of-Pyramid energy needs. The device symbiotically pairs thermal and electric generation by using a solar-charged LiFePO4 battery to not only give users access to electricity, but also to power the ventilator needed to create a truly clean biomass combustion. This enables the product to have the cross-sectoral positive impact of a cookstove, with the business model of a solar home system. The data that ACE is able to collect through a proprietary Android-mobile based integration allows real time insight into all usage, as well as highly robust underwriting of any impact claims, including those for carbon credits, which ACE sells at premium pricing. The ACE One is built with durable materials (8-12 years life cycle), uses 50-85% less fuel, burns any type of solid biomass (wood, charcoal, corn cobs, cow dung), and minimises smoke emissions to a negligible level to protect users' health. It is sold on a 12 month micro-loan and customers use the energy savings achieved with the product to pay back the investment. With this model, ACE is likely the only company that can give $2-a-day people access to a $100+ product.
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Headquarters 1018 BC Amsterdam, Netherlands

SDG’s of application

The Sustainable Development Goals are a call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure peace and prosperity everywhere.
SDG 6
Clean water and sanitation
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SDG 7
Affordable and clean energy
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SDG 9
Industry, innovation and infrastructure
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SDG 11
Sustainable cities and communities
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SDG 12
Responsible consumption and production
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Efficient Solutions

Labelled Solutions from African Clean Energy

The Solar Impulse Efficient Solution label seeks to bridge the gap between ecology and economy, bringing together protection of the environment and financial viability to show that these solutions are not expensive fixes to problems, but rather opportunities for clean economic growth.

The information set out above, is solely for the purposes of information and the Solar Impulse Foundation does not provide any guarantee as to its authenticity, completeness or accuracy. To validate the Membership to the World Alliance for Efficient Solutions, the Solar Impulse Foundation only verifies that each entity is registered and has signed our principles and values stated in the following World Alliance for Efficient Solutions charter. For those Members who are also solution providers, this information does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation to buy into, transact or to enter into any agreement with any of the parties or persons mentioned above. Potential investors or interested parties are solely responsible for their investment or business decisions and for performing any due diligence required by the circumstances.