ADDIS ABABA: Solar power in Ethiopia is on the rise and a German company is assisting the East African company to make solar power a reality. Berlin-based Solarkiosk has developed a solar powered vending kiosk and it has launched the first units in Ethiopia, as part of the company's pilot program to bring solar power to the country. According to the German company, “it is going where established businesses have not yet gone.” It added that “every kiosk is designed as a kit of parts, only to be assembled upon arrival at its target location. The packages are lightweight, do not require a container and are thus easily transportable to remote, off-road areas – in extreme cases, on the back of donkeys.” Much of the kiosks are to be manufactured centrally in Germany to ensure quality and “durability,” others will be made locally in Ethiopia, using local goods such as bamboo, wood, adobe, stone, metal and recycled producs. “After assembly, despite its light weight, the kiosk is safe and secure, an essential quality in communities where even the smallest products are of comparably high value. The entire structure is firmly anchored in the ground. Special detailing of all joints and assembly points on the inside of the building shell makes tinkering with the kiosk from the outside difficult,” the company said. Solarkiosk added that this solar vending stand “is aimed at the kind of places where people sometimes have to travel for days to charge their mobile phones.” Solar panels on the stand's roof produce electricity to provide enough power for solar lighting, mobile phone and car-battery charging, a computer and even a solar fridge.
