The Sun Fund builds solar and battery systems at schools and health centres. Each one gets free electricity, and each site becomes a hub for growing food and creating opportunities for young people.
What is the Sun Fund?
The Problem
Solar power and battery storage cut energy costs and carbon emissions and create jobs. But in South Africa, those benefits mostly go to well-resourced private schools and businesses. Meanwhile, poor communities in towns and rural areas face food insecurity and unemployment. Young people have too few local projects to get excited about.
What we do
Every Sun Fund site delivers three things:
Clean, free power. We build a solar PV and battery system on the school or clinic's grounds and supply it with free electricity.
Food security. The solar installation hosts a community food garden or aquaculture (fish farming) system.
Youth opportunity. The site becomes a learning and economic resource centre where young people can find information, skills training and networks.
How it works
We lease unused roof, land or car park space from the institution. We then finance, build and own the solar asset. The power the school or clinic uses is offset against the lease, so it costs the institution nothing. Surplus electricity is sold to the municipality or private buyers, which makes each project self-sustaining.
The Sun Fund is also registering as a non-profit (NPO). It will accept donations from individuals and companies to grow its food and youth programmes, and will publish an annual impact report.
Where we're starting
Our first projects will be at schools in Cape Town.
By the end of 2029 we aim to have built 30 projects (25 schools and 5 health centres) with a combined 10 MW of clean power.
"A new type of thinking is essential if mankind is to survive and move toward higher levels." — Albert Einstein, 1946