Solar Power Continues to Provide Electricity to Rural Residents in Africa

Digi International Digi International
April 08, 2016

Devergy Logo 300pxIn a previous blog post, we shared Devergy and the work they're doing to connect underserved areas to reliable and affordable electricity. The company was founded in 2012 and has quickly grown a customer base that loves their affordable and clean energy solution.

In short, Devergy is installing solar grids to power remote villages in Tanzania. The solution involves Digi XBee® to connect the entire grid to measure energy consumption, enable remote monitoring, and through a Digi XBee Gateway, connect to the global cellular network.

Access to solar energy allows residents to stop spending significant amounts of money on kerosene for lighting, phone charging and dry-cell batteries for radios. Saving money isn't the only benefit; the solar electricity improves air quality and provides businesses the opportunity to operate for longer hours.

We last checked in with Devergy a few years ago and since then, they have continued to find success and grow a sustainable business. They acquired funding from Acumen, OPES Impact Fund and HERi Africa, which is crucial to fund their expanding operations. Their customer base is growing with new villages in Tanzania. Currently, the Devergy solar solution is operating in 12 villages: six in the region of Mbeya (with expansion happening daily), five villages in the Morogoro region, and Matipwili (the first village).

The team is growing too. The full-time staff has quadrupled since 2012, and they are constantly hiring in the villages to help with sales, installations, and maintain a close relationship with the communities they serve. By the end of 2016, the plan is to have 7,000 households connected!

To get more technical details on how wireless technology like Digi XBee is helping Devergy provide energy across Tanzania, read their customer story. 

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