The 2024 Ashden Award winners were chosen from 500 applicants by panels of expert judges including academics, business leaders, investors and journalists. Winners receive publicity and a grant up to £25,000. Four African organisations – two from Uganda, one from Nigeria and one from Tanzania – were all awarded. And three more prizes were given in UK-focused categories.

Introducing the winners of the international category, Ashden CEO Dr Ashok Sinha emphasised the strategic importance of these initiatives: ‘Made-in-Africa solutions are addressing some of the continent’s biggest challenges; challenges like creating good jobs and preparing communities for the growing danger posed by extreme weather. These solutions are crafted with and for communities – that’s one reason they’ve been so successful. The power of African innovation is there for all to see. Now I urge politicians and investors from every corner of the world to get behind these solutions. Doing so will drive green economic growth, and address the fact that Africa’s communities face the greatest climate dangers – despite bearing least responsibility for the climate crisis.’

The winners are profiled below.

‘Made-in-Africa solutions are addressing some of the continent’s biggest challenges; challenges like creating good jobs and preparing communities for the growing danger posed by extreme weather.’ – Ashden CEO Dr Ashok Sinha

Salpha (Nigeria), a producer of made-in-Africa solar home systems that helps households and businesses switch on to clean power by giving customers access to fair loans and finance, has won the Ashden Award for Energy Innovation (Global South).

As 600 million people in Africa still go without access to electricity, Salpha Energy’s homegrown, low-cost solution is described as having the power to change lives. Salpha manufactures high-quality energy products in Cross River, Nigeria – and offers affordable pay-as-you go finance, so that even consumers on lower incomes can buy them.  

These products include solar home systems that power lights, fridges, fans, TVs and laptops, farming tools, and more. The systems can be charged up by grid power when it is available – and replace dirty and expensive diesel generators. Nigeria is a major fossil fuel producer, but energy costs have soared in recent years and just 45% of its people currently have access to electricity. Salpha works with micro-finance suppliers and co-operatives to bring its products to more people.

Founded and run by Sandra Chukwudozie, Salpha is also creating opportunities for women in the energy sector. The company’s factory in Cross River has capacity to produce 250,000 systems a year – as a local alternative to systems imported from outside the continent.

The company is targeting many of its products at small businesses, like tailors and hairdressers – more than half of Salpha customers use their new energy supply to make a living. The results include longer opening hours for 18% of these businesses.   

The Ashden Awards judges said that Salpha’s effort to create jobs and economic opportunity, as well as widening energy access, will accelerate the just transition to a sustainable future.

Sandra Chukwudozie, founder and CEO at Salpha Energy, with engineers working in the background. Salpha produces made-in-Africa solar home systems, and helps households and businesses switch on to clean power, by giving customers access to affordable loans and finance. 

Photo: Emeke Obanor/Ashden Awards

To the east, GOGO Electric of Uganda has won the Ashden Award for Powering Futures in Clean Energy. The company, formerly known as Bodawerk, handles the skilling of managers, technicians and motorcycle operators in the Ugandan e-mobility sector.

GOGO Electric’s motorbikes are greening travel in Uganda. This includes a big effort to help its engineers and technicians get to grips with new sustainable technology. Courses cover how to safely convert bikes to an electric power supply, and how to maintain the bikes and their batteries. Many trainees are employed at the company’s swap stations, where self-employed electric motorbike drivers can quickly switch run-down batteries for a fully charged replacement.

The company also offers a detailed training programme for its managers. Drivers of the bikes are not GOGO staff, but the company offers them training too. This covers the technical features of the bikes they lease from GOGO, and also financial literacy so they can manage the affordable loan needed to access the bikes.  

Many of GOGO’s vehicles are used in the capital, Kampala, whose streets are used by 1 million motorbikes. The switch to electric vehicles will be a major creator of green jobs in the years ahead.

The Ashden judges were impressed by GOGO’s enormous ambition. The company is looking to expand across Africa. Its inclusive approach to training and career development sets it apart from others too. Across the renewable energy sector, the shortage of women in technical and managerial roles is a major problem. Without change, a just transition to a sustainable future is impossible. A pro-active approach – like the one taken by GOGO Electric – is essential, says Ashen Awards.

Linnet Kusiima, one of the young women working GOGO Electric’s battery department. GOGO contributes to the skilling and employability of managers, technicians and motorcycle operators in the Ugandan e-mobility sector, fostering a green transition in the transport industry.    
Photo: Miriam Watsemba/Ashden Awards 

Also working in Uganda is Patapia (see headline image), an organisation founded and led by refugees, which has won the Ashden Award for Energising Refugees and Displaced People. Patapia helps refugee women in Uganda launch and grow businesses powered by clean energy. With support to open snack kiosks, hair salons and other enterprises, displaced women have more chances to build a better future.

Clean energy can spark new or higher earnings for refugee entrepreneurs. But buying equipment such as solar panels, lights, fridges and electric tools is often difficult. Many banks are reluctant to lend to refugees, and don’t understand the economic potential of clean energy.

Patapia tackles poverty and gender inequality with affordable loans for clean power products. Patapia technicians check what energy supply and equipment customers will need, and also gives training in using and maintaining it. Women can manage the loans on their phones, and there’s no need for a bank account, collateral or credit history. The organisation also helps women form ‘business families’, entrepreneur groups with five to 10 members who provide guarantees and support for each other.

There are 108 million refugees worldwide, and climate change threatens to displace millions more people in the years ahead. Bringing clean energy to these communities is an urgent and growing challenge. With the right support, refugees themselves can lead the way, says Ashden Awards.

The other Global South winner was Ujamaa Community Resource Team in Tanzania, which work with pastoralists and other indigenous groups to defend their land rights and earn a sustainable living in the face of climate change.

UK winners       
Three more prizes were given in UK-focused categories.

Tepeo won the Ashden Award for Energy Innovation. Its Zero Emission Boiler is a plug-and-play replacement for existing fossil fuel boilers, which works with a hot water tank to deliver low-carbon and low-cost home heating. The system is powered by electricity, and its highly insulated core stores energy like a battery. Smart technology helps it draw on the grid when power is cheapest and puts consumers in control. It can be installed in a day or two, with minimal changes to plumbing and heating systems.

This growing company employs 68 people, engineering and manufacturing its product in the UK. With fossil fuel boilers banned in new homes from 2025, and millions of existing homes needing efficiency upgrades, scaling up different solutions is key.  

Ashden chose Tepeo because decarbonising heating is one of the UK’s biggest climate challenges – and as no two homes are the same, we’ll need a wide range of technologies to address it. This includes products for homes where a heat pump is currently not viable. The Ashden judges also admired Tepeo’s work to educate consumers, and its commitment to building green skills in the plumbing industry.

Johan du Plessis, CEO of Tepeo. The company makes low-cost, low-carbon zero emission electric boilers from its factory in Wokingham, UK. It has designed and created the ZEB (zero emissions boiler) which is easy to install and can replace fossil fuel burning gas boilers without any additional changes to home heating infrastructure.   
Photo: Andy Aitchison/Ashden Awards

To the north, Energise Barnsley has won the Ashden Award for People’s Energy. The partnership is lowering bills for older people in social housing, using solar power.

The organisation was set up by Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, to support community clean energy projects in and around the Yorkshire town. Working with housing provider Berneslai Homes and charity Age UK, Energise Barnsley has installed solar panels on 321 council-owned homes and recently added battery systems in 75 of these properties. Residents in these homes, can now store the energy they generate, and use it when doing so will deliver the biggest savings.

Smart tech like this makes financial sense, but the installation costs often price out lower income households. In an area where 19% of people find it challenging to afford their fuel bills, Energise Barnsley has lowered fuel costs by up to 50%. The battery project has supported residents who are retired, carers, or have a disability. All these groups are more likely to spend time at home, so help with fuel bills is particularly important.

Age UK support residents through the scheme with face-to-face visits. These include giving advice on how to manage their energy use and bills electronically. And the housing association’s own electricians have been trained to install and maintain the technology.

Ashden chose Energise Barnsley because in the last few years, government policy changes have made it harder to bring solar energy to low-income communities. The judges also praised it for bringing modern, integrated technologies to social housing, and also for supporting local jobs and training.

Andy Heald, Director of Innovation at Energise Barnsley, with micro-investor Margaret Andrew at Springvale School, which has opted to installed solar power units on its roof with the help of Energise Barnsley. The organisation is bringing clean power and lower bills to South Yorkshire, with older people among those enjoying the benefits.   
Photo: Gary Calton/Ashden Awards   
 

Wild Haweswater in the Lake District was also awarded for its natural climate solutions and nature-friendly farming.

• Further reading: ‘Africa’s clean energy trailblazers.’ Highlighting inspiring stories of pioneers bringing clean energy to off-grid villages to warm homes, cook safely, improve health and create new business opportunities, along with lower emissions.
• Researchers from The University of Manchester investigating waste management practices for off-grid solar technologies in Malawi are calling for action after discovering life-threatening quantities of lead pollution caused by improperly-managed battery waste