Kenya is the biggest exporter of roses to Europe, transporting almost 160,000 tonnes of cut flowers in 2017. The country’s climate is perfect for growing flowers, its proximity to the equator providing daily sunshine and mild temperatures year-round. But an increasing awareness of the virtues of buying locally is sparking a debate around importing such goods: isn’t it better to grow them at home? Intuitively, this might make sense, but a dive into the figures shows what’s really more sustainable when it comes to flower farming. Kenyan roses are by far the greener option Food, flowers and other agricultural products…
Questions from the Crowd: Working conditions and employee rights at Rift Valley Roses
In our Questions from the Crowd series, we address questions from crowdinvestors about our projects and business model in open blog articles. Got a question? Write to us here. The following question is regarding the 75 kWp solar system project for Rift Valley Roses flower farm in Kenya, which is currently being financed on the crowdinvesting platform www.ecoligo.investments. Question from a crowdinvestor (Paraphrased) The flower farm industry in Kenya is known for poor working conditions. What makes Rift Valley Roses different? Rift Valley Roses’ response: We value our employees very highly and work hard to ensure that they have rewarding, safe…
ecoligo and SMA Sunbelt partner to provide high-quality components for ecoligo’s solar installations in Ghana
Accra, Berlin and Niestetal, 10 July 2018: ecoligo GmbH and SMA Sunbelt Energy GmbH have formed a new partnership in Ghana to develop solar projects using SMA inverters and other high-quality equipment procured by SMA Sunbelt. The cooperation, which brings the German manufacturer’s trusted technology together with ecoligo’s solar-as-a-service solution, will ensure the durability and reliability of ecoligo’s solar projects. The move is also a signal of quality to the crowdinvestors who finance ecoligo’s projects on the platform ecoligo.investments. The first project to be included in the partnership is a set of solar power systems for Stanbic Bank’s Dansoman, Kasoa…
Questions from the Crowd: Does Rift Valley Roses impact water levels at Lake Naivasha?
In our Questions from the Crowd series, we address questions from crowdinvestors about our projects and business model in open blog articles. Got a question? Write to us here. Question from a crowdinvestor (Paraphrased) Flower farming around Lake Naivasha has been said to have a negative impact on the lake’s water levels and ecosystem. Can you tell me what Rift Valley Roses is doing to combat this? Rift Valley Roses’ response: Rift Valley Roses is situated around 10km from Lake Naivasha and 400 meters higher, on the shoulder of the Aberdare mountain range. Consequently, the farm does not use any…
95 kWp solar system for Las Lomas vineyard in Chile successfully financed on ecoligo.investments
The latest project on the ecoligo.investments crowdinvesting platform has been funded in 26 days! The project will power the irrigation of Las Lomas vineyard in central Chile with clean energy, saving over 57.8 tonnes of CO2 per year. The vineyard is owned by quality wine producer Cono Sur, whose operations are built on the principles of sustainability and innovation and have won many awards for their environmentally friendly practices. Crowdinvestors raised 130,000 € to finance the project and receive a return of 5.00 % over 5 years. The project is the first to come from a collaboration between ecoligo and leading global…
Solar’s potential to clean up agriculture in Chile
With a diverse landscape reaching from the tropics to just north of the Antarctic, Chile is rich in natural resources that have long been utilised to create a strong agricultural sector. Exports, including products such as fruit and wine, account for almost 30% of the country’s GDP. Yet despite the positive economic impact, these industries are also energy-intensive and account for a high percentage of the country’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions – which are growing at the third fastest rate of all OECD countries. Industries, particularly those that rely heavily on the natural environment, are looking for more sustainable ways…
ecoligo.investments funds latest solar project in just 11 hours as German crowd investors show their support for Ghanaian entrepreneurship
Thursday 22nd March 2018 FRANKFURT / BERLIN / ACCRA – German crowdinvestors have shown their support for Ghanaian entrepreneurship after a project to power the Impact Hub in Accra was financed in record time on the ecoligo.investments platform. The financing volume of €14,000 was raised by in just 11 hours by private investors, who will receive 5.50 % interest over a period of 7 years. The project will see the Hub, which fosters innovation and entrepreneurship in Ghana’s capital, become the first business in the West African country to benefit from ecoligo’s fully financed solar-as-a-service solution. The solar plus storage…
Interview with William Senyo from Impact Hub Accra
The latest project to be launched on the ecoligo.investments crowdinvesting platform is to finance a solar system for the Impact Hub in Accra, Ghana. The system has a capacity of 8.8 kWp with a 25 kWh battery system that can provide reliable, clean electricity to the Impact Hub Accra during the night or when there is a power cut. We spoke to William Senyo, the co-founder and CEO of the Impact Hub Accra, to find out what goes on there, how solar will help Ghana’s entrepreneurs and what it means to the Hub to run on solar power. Check…
Now is the time to invest in solar
Want to be part of the solution? Right now, you can invest in solar projects for businesses in Kenya and the Philippines on the crowdinvesting platform ecoligo.investments. Investments start at 500€ and not only provide attractive returns, but save CO2 emissions and support the local economy. As solar energy becomes cheaper, it becomes an increasingly important source of clean energy in the energy mix. It can be competitive without subsidies and is now even cost-competitive when combined with energy storage in some application sectors. With both environmental and economic sustainability, investments into solar energy are obviously attractive. But as prices drop…
Why the ecotourism industry must embrace clean energy solutions
People are traveling more than ever. A growing global middle class is giving rise to a ‘traveling class’; those who view travel as an essential part of life, rather than a luxury. While much of this is business travel, we are also taking holidays to increasingly far-flung destinations. This comes at the expense of our environment, and at a time when environmental awareness and the pursuit of a sustainable lifestyle is growing, many are seeking to consolidate their love of long-haul travel with their environmental concerns. This has made way for a rise in ecotourism. It is hailed as a…