Solar powered refrigerators are boosting business and reducing food waste in Nigeria, which is good for people, planet, and profit. CLASP investigates the role solar is playing in boosting the country’s rural communities.
For over 86 million Nigerians without reliable electricity, the struggle to keep businesses running means often relying on costly, polluting diesel generators. This added expense and the uncertainty brought on by regular power cuts place a significant burden on the country’s people, economy, and environment. Affordable, solar-powered refrigerators are an elegant solution with the potential to transform small businesses in Nigeria’s rural, off- or weak-grid communities.
Solar appliances for any wallet
Solar refrigerators are efficient and effective but high costs and limited financing keep them out of reach for many Nigerians who could benefit from their impact. Recognising this gap, CLASP’s Productive Use Financing Facility (PUFF) stepped in, offering grants, subsidies, and business support to companies such as Consistent Energy Limited to put affordable, life-changing technologies into the hands of those who need them most.
“The grant that was given to us by CLASP under this project really helped us building our capacity to reach last-mile distribution chain. The landed costs of the fridge to a customer in Nigeria will have been very high if not for the subsidy that we received,” says Segun Adaju, the CEO of Consistent Energy.
Solar refrigerators: A boon for businesses and customers
Solar refrigerators keep food cool, safe, and marketable, and reduces waste. Without reliable refrigeration, shopkeepers spend more time and money on temporary cooling options such as ice and coolers and are forced to raise prices to do so, hurting both the business and their customers. This cycle was no longer viable for small business owners like Abibat in Nigeria.
“We were buying ice blocks which led us to some debt, and after a while, the block would melt. We no longer had cold items for sale,” says Abibat Akinwale, a shopkeeper and Consistent Energy client. “The solar fridge has really increased sales. Business is very good now because I’m able to sell cold drinks.”
Consistent cooling creates opportunities for growth
Reliable, long-term cooling keeps food prices stable, meaning that Akinwale’s customers have good reason to return to their shop. In Nigeria, the appeal of solar refrigerators lies in their reliability, a quality that resonates with businesses that refuse to “carry last.”
In a country where every Naira counts, solar-powered refrigerators are a game changer for small business owners in Nigeria. Because they are powered by renewable energy, solar refrigerators provide cooling without the cost of constant refuelling. This switch to solar means that entrepreneurs save thousands each month that would otherwise be spent on generator costs, fuel, and maintenance. Instead, they can channel those funds to more productive uses and fully participate in the country’s growing economy.
Such opportunities for growth are especially important for women like Helen Obina, who make up a large percentage of the small business owners in Nigeria. For her, business was “not really moving” because she relied on the grid and generators. Installing her solar refrigerator relegated those worries to the past. “Having a solar fridge has really changed my business. The sales have really increased, and the business is moving,” she shared. Obina’s story is not isolated, it is an example of a growing trend for those who are able to access life-changing solar appliances.
Refrigerators are an essential appliance for sustainable development, but 60% of the population in Africa does not own one. For nearly a decade, CLASP has been working to bridge this energy access gap by improving access to efficient appliances that work in off-grid or weak-grid areas.
“Over 600 million Africans don’t have access to electricity. Efficient appliances are an affordable and clean option for these cut-off communities who are otherwise forced to use polluting and expensive alternatives to maintain a good standard of living and actively participate in their economies,” says Ruth Kimani, a senior associate at CLASP.
These productive-use appliances (PUAs), such as solar-powered refrigerators, solar water pumps, and solar milling machines are technologies that have a direct, transformative impact on local communities, small businesses, and people’s livelihoods. They are also a necessary shift toward clean energy and reduced reliance on diesel-powered generators.
Shift to solar signals promising future
CLASP and companies such as Consistent Energy have helped small business owners in Nigeria gain independence from unreliable and costly energy sources through renewable appliances. They are now free to chase their dreams and ambitions with renewed fervour, which will have a positive impact on the economy, people, and the planet.
