Schneider Electric unveils Villasol, its village electrification solution for the Base of the Pyramid

Rueil-Malmaison (France) – Schneider Electric presented Villasol, a solution for village electrification, during the inauguration of the pilot project of the rural community of Asore, in Nigeria. The inauguration took place on September 29, 2011, with representatives of Nigerian state’s ministry of special duties, Energy commission of Nigeria and Ogun state government.

The Villasol solution is a solar-powered micro off-grid facility for decentralised rural electrification. This standardised solution consists in photovoltaic panels, a battery bank and a battery charging station that enable a communal recharge system. The facility supplies domestic, entrepreneurial and community needs such as schools, health centres, water supply, public lightings for around 100 households, without connection to the national grid.

“Thanks to Villasol, Schneider Electric gives access to electricity without depending on the national grid for Nigerians at the base of the pyramid, said Marcel Hochet, President of Schneider Electric Nigeria. In Nigeria, 100 million people are heavily impacted by the lack of access to the electricity inducing endangers peoples’ health, strong brake on development, and increasing environmental damages and slum inhabitants. Villasol comprehensive solution will help drive improvement in the living conditions of these people.”

Relying on their first experiences in Madagascar, Indonesia and Vietnam, Schneider Electric teams in Asore built a tailored solution adapted to the needs of the village:

24hr continuous service for lighting and electrical connections for the only school in the village as well as the solar powerhouse. These facilities have direct connection to the Villasol battery station to guarantee power availability at any time;
Fulfilment of the basic households’ lighting needs with a portable lamp and battery system that villagers can recharge. As villagers pay for recharging their battery, they pay more attention to their consumption. This lamp and battery system comes from In-Diya, a solar home lighting system already commercialised by Schneider Electric in India and Bangladesh.

Together, Villasol and In-Diya provide a green end to end solution for rural electrification. The payback of the Villasol installation in Asore is evaluated around 5 years thanks to optimised cabling costs and the battery charging station business model. Villasol and In-Diya are developed in the frame of the BipBop¹ energy access programme of Schneider Electric.

¹Acronym for Business, Innovation & People at the Base Of the Pyramid.

About Schneider Electric
As a global specialist in energy management with operations in more than 100 countries, Schneider Electric offers integrated solutions across multiple market segments, including leadership positions in Utilities & Infrastructures, Industries & Machine manufacturers, Non-residential buildings, Data centers & Networks, and in Residential. Focused on making energy safe, reliable, efficient, productive and green, the Group’s 110,000 plus employees achieved sales of 20 billion euros in 2010, through an active commitment to help individuals and organizations make the most of their energy.
www.schneider-electric.com/bipbop