Making Energy Access a Right, Not a Privilege
At Specialized Solar Systems (SSS), we believe energy is more than a utility – it’s a pathway to empowerment.
Since 2008, SSS has been electrifying communities across Africa, transforming lives and building economic resilience where power was once a distant dream.
With each project, we don’t just bring light; we bring dignity, opportunity, and hope for a thriving future.
Aligned with our mission to serve under-resourced communities, we are committed to making sustainable energy accessible for those most in need. This vision calls for creative financial models, including subsidies and donations, to navigate the complex challenges of this underserved market.
Our Mission & Vision
Mission
To empower Africa’s underserved communities through sustainable solar energy, creating self-reliant, dignified futures.
Vision
A world where clean energy access is a right, enabling growth, equity, and opportunity for all.
Our Impact: Transforming Lives Through Solar Power
Our projects power not just households but essential community hubs – supermarkets, churches, healthcare centers, soup kitchens, and daycares – ensuring that children, seniors, and vulnerable families have reliable energy for their everyday needs.
By collaborating closely with community leaders, we secure vital infrastructure that communities are invested in protecting and sustaining.
- Community-Led Ownership: SSS partners with local leaders, gaining strong community support that protects our solar infrastructure.
- Empowering Essential Services: Our solar installations fuel critical services, from educational centers to healthcare clinics, supporting a holistic improvement in quality of life.
Key Project Highlights
Since 2010, Specialized Solar Systems has led innovative solar electrification projects that uplift disconnected communities across Africa. Our solutions provide clean, affordable energy access while supporting remote management, switching, and billing for seamless user experience. Here’s a look at our incredible journey over the years:
2010-Current: 12V DC SHS Electrification
Launched in 2010, the 12V DC Solar Home System (SHS) was SSS’s first step toward bringing reliable power to unelectrified households. In 2013, the Enkanini pilot project, in partnership with the Sustainability Institute, pioneered a web-based customer and management system, creating the foundation for scalable remote management. This platform grew to support over 20,000 installations, providing efficient, remotely managed solar power to disconnected communities. Today, these standalone SHS units, with modular lithium batteries offer essential and reliable power for lighting, refrigeration, and entertainment, meeting diverse needs affordably.
2016–Current: 24V DC Solar Tower Electrification
Building on the success of the 12V SHS, SSS introduced the DC Solar Towers, a 24V DC Minigrid system to meet the needs of larger, and congested communities. Each 24V DC Solar Tower supports 16 households, providing reliable power for essential appliances and lighting while integrating street lighting for enhanced community safety. These off-grid solar towers are fully managed remotely, enabling real-time monitoring, automated billing, and optimized power distribution.
Currently serving over 7,000 homes, the DC Solar Towers project continues to expand its reach, providing a sustainable, secure, and long-term electrification solution in informal settlements. This infrastructure embodies SSS’s commitment to sustainable energy access, with advanced energy management systems that ensure efficiency and accessibility for underserved communities.
2024-Current: 230V AC Solar EnergyPod Electrification
SSS’s latest project, the Thembalethu AC Solar Electrification Pilot completed in March 2024, brings centralized mingrid AC solar power to the community. This innovative Energypod-based system provides grid-like, pay-as-you-go AC power to households while meeting the highest safety standard. With overhead power poles and street lighting, this project not only ensures safe, reliable energy access but also integrates remote billing, energy monitoring, customer notifications display, and system management, enhancing power control and accessibility for all users.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Impact
Our commitment extends beyond energy access. By aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we drive change in areas that support poverty reduction, education, and economic growth. Here’s how SSS contributes to global sustainability:
- SDG 1: No Poverty – Higher income and long term energy savings will help reduce poverty.
- SDG 2: Zero Hunger – Enabling food preservation, which reduces waste and strengthens food security.
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being – Reducing indoor pollution and enhancing family well-being.
- SDG 4: Quality Education – Providing stable lighting for extended study time.
- SDG 5: Gender Equality – Improving access to information, including news and emergency updates.
- SDG 7: Affordable & Clean Energy – Directly supports the goal of universal energy access by providing off-grid energy products that enhance welfare and economic opportunities, ensuring accessibility for all.
- SDG 8: Decent Work & Economic Growth – Increased economic activity, connectivity, enterprises & employment.
- SDG 13: Climate Action – Eliminating kerosene use, reducing carbon emissions.
- SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions – Reducing crime through street lighting initiatives.
Affordable, Flexible Energy Packages
SSS offers energy solutions tailored to community needs, providing low-cost, scalable options for households and small businesses. Our three core systems deliver flexibility, affordability, and sustainable energy for various situations:
- DC Solar Home System (SHS): Standalone systems designed for remote households, ensuring autonomy for essential DC appliances, lighting, and refrigeration.Â
- DC Solar Towers: Cost-effective, low-voltage DC power with daily energy Wh thresholds bundles, daily payment management and automated switching for DC appliances, lighting, and refrigeration.
- The AC Solar EnergyPod : An AC-powered solution for urban areas, offering grid-like power options with daily energy thresholds, monthly payment management, customer display notifications and automated switching for AC appliances, lighting, and refrigeration.
Voices of the Community
“Since the project began, my children can finally do their homework at night with proper lighting. It’s a relief not to worry about our food spoiling anymore. We also feel much safer now that the areas are lit at night. Our community needed this project and I hope it can be made available for all!”
“Our children now have light to study by, and our health clinic can run in the evenings, providing care we couldn’t offer before.”
“With solar power, our businesses are stronger, and we can all feel the change this energy brings to our lives.”
Join Us in Building a Brighter Future
Specialized Solar Systems is on a mission to expand solar access throughout Africa, creating lasting impact through sustainable electrification. By supporting our work, you help us make clean energy accessible to even more communities, supporting a legacy of resilience, dignity, and empowerment. Contact one of our energy distribution experts today.
