Saft partners with Schneider Electric to deliver off-grid solar energy scheme in Madagascar

The new facility provides Marovato’s 120 residents with clean, safe energy for around six hours per day – mainly in the evenings – as an alternative source of energy to the kerosene and handgathered wood traditionally used by the villagers. It generates peak power of 1,400 W: for comparison, the village currently uses only 490 W. The 24 V battery system, comprising 18 Saft Sunica.plus 920 Ah cells, stores energy generated in the daytime by 24 BP Solar photovoltaic panels with an average output of 7 kWh.

“After access to clean water, access to electricity is one of the top priorities for many people in new economies,” says Gilles Vermot Desroches, Senior Vice President, Sustainable Development at Schneider Electric. “Our BipBop programme brings together forward-thinking partners like Saft to create solutions that disadvantaged communities can take ownership of. By including not just efficient technologies, but also training, knowledge transfer and well-targeted funding, the programme provides a truly sustainable business model. I believe this project is the first step in what will be a very long and successful programme of providing the world’s poor with safe, reliable, efficient, productive and green electricity.”

“We are very proud to be involved in this important initiative in bringing green energy to people around the world who have no access to electricity,” says Xavier Delacroix, the General Manager of Saft’s IBG division.

“Saft is well positioned to support such off-grid rural electrification schemes through our safe, reliable and efficient battery technology.” Sunica.plus batteries are based on Saft’s mature, proven pocket plate Ni-Cd technology. They are optimized for use in PV and wind energy applications where they perform beyond conventional limits. The robust Sunica.plus design ensures 20 years of reliable operation, even in the harshest conditions, with only minimal maintenance.