KarmSolar

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CTW.1122.KarmSolar

Africa has 60% of the world’s best global solar resources, according to the International Energy Agency, but only 1% of installed solar energy capacity; many African businesses remain heavily dependent on high-polluting diesel generators. KarmSolar, founded in 2011, was launched to fix that. Its early business focused on helping farmers who weren’t connected to Egypt’s central grid reduce the cost of powering their water pumps. <br />
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In the years since, KarmSolar has expanded to offer energy distribution from solar grids. It has also moved beyond generating and transmitting energy: Its KarmWater arm offers solar-powered water desalination and storage; KarmBuild, meanwhile, designs sustainable architecture, typically with solar arrays and recycled materials at the heart of its projects. Cofounder and CEO Ahmed Zahran tells Fortune that affordability and simplicity, not sustainability, are at the core of the company’s pitch to customers: “We want them to use renewable energy because it’s economically more attractive, and it’s easier to use.”

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