Founded in 2010 by CEO Olusegun Odunaiya, Havenhill focuses on improving access to electricity in rural areas using mini-grids. The company also offers renewable energy services for businesses in Nigeria’s industrial and commercial hubs.
Havenhill’s solar mini-grid solution promises to connect up to 70,000 people as well as establishments in various communities to clean and reliable energy.
Havenhill Synergy Limited is a clean-tech utility company committed to improving energy access in rural and urban Nigeria using clean energy sources. In rural areas, Havenhill deploys smart solar mini-grids to commercially viable off-grid rural communities.
In urban areas, Havenhill helps businesses (like factories, large farms, etc) reduce their energy cost and provide them with more reliable energy access through its Commercial & Industrial (C & I) solar offering.
Havenhill is currently pioneering a new structure for powering healthcare facilities through the electrification of 23 healthcare facilities under its Energizing Healthcare Initiative in partnership with USAIDs’ Power Africa Off-Grid Project (PAOP) and the United States African Development Foundation (USADF).
With a population of over 200 million people, access to reliable electricity in Nigeria is relatively low with an electrification rate hovering around 39% – leaving about 61% of Nigerians without access to electricity.
The clean-tech utility company uses renewable (solar) sources to generate clean, cost-effective, and durable electricity in urban and rural Nigeria.
The project hopes to connect 70,000 people along with other establishments in the host communities to a reliable energy supply.
How it Works
Energy Management and Audit
An energy audit is an inspection, survey, and analysis of energy flows, for energy conservation in a building, process, or system to reduce the amount of energy input into the system without negatively affecting the output(s).
In commercial and industrial real estate, an energy audit is the first step in identifying opportunities to reduce energy expenses and carbon footprints.
Before they carry out any installation, they, first of all, carry out an audit to know what you currently consume, how much they can help you save from the new installation, and the payback period. This is very important for an effective and efficient installation.
Rural Electrification
About 80 million Nigerians don’t have access to electricity in Nigeria. A majority of that population lives in rural communities.
These rural communities are not connected to the national electricity grid. Most of them lack clean portable water supply, and basic amenities and even rely on kerosene lanterns to live and conduct business activities.
In a bid to end blackouts in Nigeria and subsequently, the world, Havenhill Synergy Limited set up solar mini-grids to provide rural communities with independent power plant electricity stations that have a minimum of 20kW generating capacity.
Using micro-grid inverters, battery banks, charge controllers, PV panels, and other accessories, the mini-grids will have the capacity to provide power supply to a minimum of 150 households and more depending on their size.
Solar Powered Street Lighting Systems
Their high-quality solar street lights are for residential streets, parking lots, and security lighting. The applications for solar-powered outdoor lighting systems are endless.
These units can be used for: Security and safety lighting, rural area lighting, Parking lot lighting, Street lighting, outdoor area lighting, and so on.
The costs of trenching and installing underground wiring, especially in an environment where electricity is a scarce commodity often make a solar street lighting system economically feasible.
Solar Powered Water Pumping Systems
Running water pumps (Boreholes) during the day and at night is very important and crucial, as the success of your venture depends on this and how well it functions. But the economic side of it is demanding.
Solar water pumps are the most economical and reliable solution for all grid or off-grid water supply demands. These solar water pumps can pump water from as deep as 250 meters than any other pump in the market.
This becomes more effective as a D.C pump is made use of instead of the conventional A.C pumps.
Their solar water pumps are a complete solution to the irregular power supply.
The efficient microprocessor automatically activates from sunrise to sunset by pumping water all through the day when there is sunlight with an in-built water sensor that regulates the pumping of water when storage is full or empty.
No pollution, no noise, no fumes, environment friendly, and cuts down your expenses on diesel or petrol while you are maximizing much more profits.
Founders
Olusegun Odunaiya
Olusegun Odunaiya is a social entrepreneur, renewable energy professional, multifaceted consultant, project manager, and a fellow of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders who is passionate about improving lives.
He is also an expert in the design, construction, and operation of off-grid energy systems (Mini-Grids).
As the founder and CEO of Havenhill Synergy Limited, he leads a team of innovative, enthusiastic, and committed young people in providing clean, cost-effective, and sustainable solutions to curb the electricity menace in Nigeria.
Over the years, he has steered the organization in the direction of making an impact.
He has positioned the organization to attract partnerships and funding from international organizations including the United States African Development Foundation, The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Africa Development Bank, the United States Trade and Development Agency, Inensus, Department for International Development (DFID) amongst others.
Havenhill focuses on rural development by improving access to electricity using mini-grids and providing reliable electricity in the Commercial and Industrial sectors in Nigeria using renewable energy sources.
Olusegun believes that whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing to the best of one’s human ability.
Investors & Funding Rounds
Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund (NIDF)
Havenhill Synergy Limited has raised $4.6m from Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund (NDIF) to aid the construction of 22 smart solar mini-grids in Nigeria.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), access to electricity in Nigeria is still low and its rural electrification rate still stands at 39%.
In 2019, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimated this gap costs Nigeria an estimated $29 billion annually.
So far, the Nigerian government has taken steps to develop the solar power sector, but there are still some questionable aspects of its rural electrification plans.
It is noteworthy that cleantech is increasingly becoming an attractive investment destination as Briter Bridges reports that only fintech outperformed cleantech startups in attracting funding in 2020.
Main Competitors
Doral Renewables: This is a joint venture of Doral Group and Clean Air Generation. Doral develops utility-scale renewable energy projects.
Viridity Energy: It is enabling software that turns energy profiles into financial returns.
Aquion Energy: This is a company that manufactures sodium ion batteries and energy storage systems.
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