Palmetto, a leader in residential solar and energy services, has made a transformational $5 million multi-year commitment to support Solar Sister's core operation of training and supporting women to deliver clean energy directly to homes in rural African communities. Based on the success of their earlier partnership, Palmetto and Solar Sister are committed to creating a lasting impact toward a clean energy future.
Palmetto and Solar Sister believe that everyone should have access to clean energy no matter where they live. Palmetto, a company focused on the democratization of clean technology, and Solar Sister's mission to empower women to bring clean energy to last-mile communities in Africa are deeply aligned in their mission of delivering the benefits of clean energy to everyone, everywhere. Together, they are bridging an inequitable resource gap by bringing global resources to deliver locally-led solutions in the most overlooked and underserved communities.
In sub-Saharan Africa, where over 600 million people have no access to electricity, and over 700 million rely on harmful cooking fuels like firewood and charcoal, it's women who bear the considerable burden of energy poverty and who disproportionately shoulder the detrimental effects of climate change.
Solar Sister believes women are a vital part of the solution to the clean energy challenge to bring the latest solar technology to rural African communities. They provide rural women with clean energy livelihood opportunities, opening the door to greater energy security, financial savings, health, educational opportunities, and climate resilience. Empowering women entrepreneurs in clean energy reaches people who cannot access business-as-usual energy models. With over 6000 entrepreneurs, Solar Sister has reached more than two million people with affordable solar power and offset over 663,661 metric tons of CO2e.
"Climate change and women's economic inequality are the two most pressing issues of our day," said Katherine Lucey, Founder, and CEO of Solar Sister. "Only by working together can we build resiliency, create opportunity, and deliver real hope for a brighter future for all. This commitment by Palmetto is a manifestation of this shared responsibility. Together, Solar Sister and Palmetto will lead the way in making lasting change in the lives of the Solar Sister entrepreneurs, their families, and their communities."
Leading the world towards a clean energy future is the north star that guides Palmetto's team in combining renewable energy with consumer technology to lead the world towards a clean energy future. Palmetto's mission to stop climate change requires significant shifts by entire nations and entire populations. It requires urgency and change on a massive scale.
"Palmetto believes that clean energy should be accessible for everyone. We work under a mission focused on mitigating climate change; a global initiative requiring international partnerships," stated Chris Kemper, Chairman, Founder, and Chief Executive Officer of Palmetto. "Solar Sister's focus on bringing clean energy to last-mile communities in Africa is deeply aligned with our values - it is a true personification of what we at Palmetto are ultimately here to contribute. Together, we can bridge a growing clean energy resource gap by harnessing global technology to deliver locally-led solutions in the most overlooked and underserved communities."
Kemper continued, "Earlier in my career, I worked primarily in developing countries with an aim to deliver clean technologies in an effort to leapfrog an antiquated centralized grid structure. Although Palmetto is currently focused on driving that strategy in the United States, this program reminds us and our customers of our broader global mission."
Before founding Palmetto, CEO Chris Kemper worked in developing countries throughout Asia and Africa on clean technology. This early experience with energy in diverse communities and countries has stayed with Chris.