News January 2024
Sunna Design, a leader and pioneer in solar lighting, proudly announces the successful deployment of 30,000 streetlights in Togo as part of the PEP’S Rural project (Program for Solar Public Lighting), aimed at expanding the country’s public lighting infrastructure.
This ambitious project, resulting from a public-private partnership with support from the French Treasury Directorate, encompasses the supply, installation, and long-term maintenance of 50,000 smart and connected solar streetlights. It aligns with the Togolese Presidency’s National Development Plan. While access to light remained limited in many rural areas of Togo, Mila Aziable, the Minister Delegate for Energy and Mines in the Togolese government, launched the PEP’S Rural project through the Togolese Agency for Rural Electrification and Renewable Energies (AT2ER). The goal was to improve the living conditions of the Togolese population in 4,600 remote rural areas without access to the electrical grid.
With a strong track record in large-scale solar solutions deployment, especially in Africa, Sunna Design was immediately prepared to tackle the challenge of solar public lighting in Togo. Sunna Design manufactures and ships 500 solar streetlights weekly from their factory near Bordeaux to Togo. An on-ground team was established in Lomé, where about ten Sunna Design employees collaborate with local operators (CH2000, ACERMIITEE, GEMAS, BATIR PLUS, etc.) for the installation and 12-year maintenance of the streetlights, creating hundreds of direct and indirect jobs. The operational deployment was facilitated by pre-project infrastructure mapping conducted by the Mitsio Motu company to maximize the economic and social impact of solar lighting for the population.
Over 30,000 Sunna Design solar streetlights out of the planned 50,000 have been successfully installed, particularly in the Savanes and Kara regions. The change is noticeable in daily life, as these new lighting solutions play a significant role in the day-to-day activities of the Togolese people, facilitating transportation, work, nighttime learning, or simply ensuring safe nighttime movement. They also help limit rural exodus by deploying sustainable and decentralized infrastructure in revitalized and more attractive areas.
This initial milestone in Togo, with its long-term model for rural population access to lighting, represents a significant step toward achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7, which aims to ensure universal access to clean and sustainable energy by 2030. Ignace de Prest, President of the Executive Board of Sunna Design, emphasized this:
“Our mission at Sunna Design is to illuminate and connect the world sustainably, particularly in unelectrified rural areas, where solar lighting has a major impact on the population. We firmly believe in innovation, proximity, and impact. Our commitment to Togo is a concrete example of how Sunna Design combines technological innovation with a local approach to create meaningful change for the people. In this regard, we are proud of the results achieved by AT2ER, which carries out our project. The installation of these 30,000 solar streetlights represents a significant advancement toward overall lighting and sustainable economic development in Togo.”
Beyond its commitment to accessibility and energy sustainability, Sunna Design strives to share the value created by its projects by partnering with local entities, providing training to the population, and offering employment opportunities within the rural communities it serves. This aligns with Sunna Design’s vision to contribute to the inclusive development of these regions by harnessing solar energy to improve the quality of life for residents.
Sunna Design and the Togolese Republic are determined to continue their joint efforts to successfully complete the PEP’S project and achieve the goal of deploying 50,000 solar streetlights in Togo by 2024, thereby contributing to a brighter and more sustainable future for the country.
