SZ company lights up 1.78M African households

A lean team of 30 people in Bao’an District is making a massive impact across the African continent. Shenzhen Solar Run Energy Co. Ltd. has successfully sold 2.6 million solar lamps, bringing clean electricity to 1.78 million families in off-grid and under-connected regions.

A man installs a solar lighting system developed by Shenzhen Solar Run Energy Co. Ltd. in Africa. Courtesy of the company

Founded in 2016, the company has leveraged Shenzhen’s robust supply chain to address a critical energy gap. Despite the East African plateau receiving eight to 10 hours of sunlight daily, many families remain disconnected from the power grid. For them, nightfall often means reliance on expensive and hazardous kerosene lamps or candles — lighting sources that can cost more in a single week than a one-time investment in a solar lamp.

According to Li Xia, the company’s founder, Solar Run’s journey began with a breakthrough in Ethiopia, where the company first introduced its flagship solar lamps. Today, its products are used in 42 African countries.

“Our understanding of ‘light’ goes beyond improving living conditions. We want to help them generate income,” Li explained.

Li Changhong, the company’s sales director, recalled a mother in Tanzania who previously lived in extreme frugality to afford kerosene. After purchasing a solar reading lamp, her children could study at night, and she began crafting handicrafts in the evening to supplement the family’s earnings.

The environmental and economic scale of the project is significant. To date, Solar Run’s products have helped local residents save an estimated US$213 million in energy costs and have reduced carbon emissions by 2.39 million tons.

Beyond lighting, the company is bridging the “last mile” of education. Their solar-powered media players have enabled multimedia distance learning for households in areas where traditional schools are inaccessible.

Solar Run’s footprint now spans over 60 countries and regions, benefiting 9.77 million people.

Industry observers point to the company as a prime example of Shenzhen’s maturing new energy sector. By exporting high-tech solutions, firms like Solar Run are playing a pivotal role in global carbon reduction efforts and the development of the international clean energy industry.