Rwandan firms or individual entrepreneurs with ideas on how to tap into the potential presented by renewable energy, particularly solar energy, stand a chance to win Rwf1 million.

Last week, Impact Hub Kigali launched a nationwide search for the most ingenious innovation in solar energy, aimed at identifying the company or individual entrepreneur with the most innovative solar solution, product, or hack that can inspire further innovation and adoption of renewable energy.

According to a statement released last week, the campaign is part of a pan-African programme that kicked off in 2017 in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and aims to support the marketplace for solar energy in Africa.

"Solar energy adoption is increasing at a rate of 200 per cent every year owing to increased competition in the market and reduced global input prices. This campaign is designed to accelerate this growth even further by inspiring further innovation and entrepreneurship in the space,” reads the statement in part

Apart from the Innovation search campaign, Impact Hub Kigali and the WWF have provided training to university students on ideation, pitching and business modelling. The programme has so far reached as many as 500 students, they say.

The programme will culminate in a celebration of solar energy on June 5, during the World Environment Day which will be commemorated under the theme "Beat Plastic Pollution. If you can’t reuse it, refuse it”.

The Solar Innovation Award will also feature students who will pitch their solutions for a chance to win prize money and working space at Impact Hub. Impact Hub is a community-based innovation hub.

Organisers said that a job fair will also be held as a side event where young entrepreneurs will be able to meet the major solar energy companies in the market.

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