Orb Energy has partnered with climate and development experts ClimateCare, to widen access to solar energy in rural and semi-urban areas in India, where awareness and uptake remains low.
The programme uses climate finance to support sales, installation and critical after-sales service for solar energy systems across India. Access to affordable finance also helps overcome initial up-front investment costs, and local sales teams work with households and commercial businesses to find the best system to meet their energy needs; whether that’s heating water, or powering lights, fans, refrigeration, or even full factories.
High quality product installation and regular preventative maintenance visits are provided by Orb’s country-wide network of technicians, to ensure householders know how to use their solar energy systems and where to reach in case of any problems.
“This programme has already helped to create 400 skilled jobs, particularly in rural areas, and led to the sale of more than 100,000 solar energy systems.
Orb’s approach of establishing branches closer to our customers and providing regular preventative maintenance visits has paid off in terms of customer satisfaction, and positive word of mouth, and we appreciate the key role that the Gold Standard and Climate Care have played in helping us finance this unique infrastructure” says Damian Miller, CEO of Orb Energy.
Carbon reductions under this project have been measured and independently verified by Gold Standard, which has today issued more than 61,000 Gold Standard VER credits, now available to purchase exclusively through ClimateCare.
“This project relies on income from companies who purchase carbon credits to offset their own carbon footprint.
By purchasing credits, companies will not only reduce global carbon emissions, they will invest in a world leading community impact project that delivers against multiple Sustainable Development Goals – creating employment, tackling fuel poverty and reducing household air pollution.” explains ClimateCare’s Partnerships Manager for India, Komal Sinha.
Solar energy gives homes and enterprises greater control over their own energy supplies and at the same time reduces reliance on fossil fuels, helping to tackle climate change.
By investing in a solar solution, Orb customers save money on their energy bills – for example household electricity bills can be reduced by more than 50% when solar water heating is installed, while SMEs can achieve a 3 to 4 year payback on a complete rooftop solar solution that powers their entire operations.
ClimateCare expects this project to appeal to international companies with operations or supply chains in India, and local organisations, who want to support a community impact project that is delivering positive outcomes for India’s people and the economy, as well as the planet.
“Supporting this Orb Energy project provides an opportunity for sustainability-minded companies to make a meaningful contribution to the urgently needed low-carbon transition, while changing lives in some of India’s most rural communities. A shining example of the multidimensional impacts of Gold Standard projects”, says Marion Verles, CEO, Gold Standard.
Interested companies should contact the ClimateCare team on +44(0)1865 591000 or email business@climatecare.org
Notes to editors
ClimateCare
A certified B Corporation, we believe that to tackle climate change, poverty and create sustainable development, we need interventions that deliver on a holistic basis.
We help the public and private sector work together to create award-winning Climate+Care programmes designed to tackle poverty, improve health and protect the environment, whilst delivering value for the organisations involved.
We unlock new sources of finance by helping corporates take full responsibility for their social and environmental impacts and helping the public sector deliver more efficiency for its spend.
Leveraging mainstream funding, we profitably deliver some of the largest, most successful sustainability initiatives in the world. To date we have worked with hundreds of partners to cut over 20.6 million tonnes of CO2 and at the same time, improved the lives of 16.5 million people.
Find out more at www.climatecare.org
Follow ClimateCare on twitter: @ClimateCare
Orb Energy
To find out more about Orb Energy, please visit www.orbenergy.com, or contact br.gururaj@orbenergy,com
Gold Standard
Gold Standard works to catalyse more ambitious action for climate security and sustainable development. Our robust standard, Gold Standard for the Global Goals, enables activities that protect the climate and empower local communities to maximise, quantify, and verify their impacts. Gold Standard was established in 2003 by WWF and other international NGOs as a best practice standard to ensure projects that reduced carbon emissions under the UN’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) also delivered on the dual mandate to foster sustainable development. Now with more than 80 NGO supporters and 1200+ projects in over 70 countries, Gold Standard projects have created billions of dollars of shared value from climate and development action worldwide
For more information on Gold Standard please contact: Sarah Leugers, Director of Communications, Gold Standard
Email : sarah.leugers@goldstandard.org
Press enquiries and image requests
Please contact: Sophie Brooks, ClimateCare
Tel: +44 (0)1865 591000
Email: sophie.brooks@climatecare.org
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