Now it's up to Alex Melzer (CEO) to pitch to the audience Zolar, a platform that provides residential solar systems.
"The reason why we started Zolar is that we wanted to create an impact, we wanted to do something for our environment", Melzer says.
"When I started working with solar systems 12 years ago, it was still totally unprofitable, way too expensive. This changed significantly, today investing in a solar system is way cheaper than just relying on the conventional electricity providers", Melzer explains while showing revenue statistics. 

On the B2C level, Zolar helps customers to generate reasonable priced, eco-friendly energy which makes them more independent from energy suppliers and their rising prices. 
"The biggest problem for consumers used to be the planning of a solar system. They were all first-time buyers, no one had bought a solar system before, they just didn't know how to do it", Melzer says. The Zolar Online-Configurator helps customers with exactly that and provides them with a tool that makes the planning process very easy.
But Zolar also operates on the B2C level. The Zolar Project Center equips local installation partners to install the solar systems at the customer's home – "We do the planning and our partners can concentrate on what they do best: installing".

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Josephien Albrecht

Thomas Huth (Founder & CEO) explains now, how Village Power is empowering people in Africa through access to electricity.
"80% of the people in Africa have a mobile phone, but only 20% have access to electricity", Huth reads the data of his presentation. 
Village Power makes clean, reliable electricity accessible and affordable by building and installing Home Solar Systems, energy efficient appliances and related products and services. To make this accessible for their customers in Africa they offer flexible payment options by 1-year financing. With 14 local shops that employ technicians, Village Power also engages with the community.

"Energy access is the key driver for leapfrogging development", Huth explains and reminds the audience of the simple fact that kids can't even study after dark without electricity and with education comes development. According to the UN "Internet access is a basic Human Right", companies like Google or Facebook are working on bringing the internet to most remote areas in the world. "But without access to electricity that's impossible", Huth makes clear.

"So far, we provided more than 12.000 households in Uganda with electricity, that are more than 70.000 people", Thomas Huth emphazises the successes Village Power made so far and hopes for way more to come. 

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Josephien Albrecht