Yingli Green Energy es líder mundial en energía solar y uno los mayores fabricantes fotovoltaicos verticalmente integrados del mundo, que comercializa sus productos bajo la marca Yingli Solar.
En un comunicado emitido en conjunto con Solar Roof Systems, Kingspan y Atama Solar Energy, la compañía ha anunciado que han recaudado un total de 24.000€ para SolarAid, la organización con sede en Londres utilizando la energía solar para promover la escolarización en África. Los fondos recaudados servirán para apoyar el programa ‘Lighter Learning’ que promueve la escolarización de niños africanos proporcionando luz a 12 escuelas de Zambia.
Sólo un 9% de los habitantes del África subsahariana rural tiene acceso a la electricidad y el 91% restante se ve obligado a gastar el 25% de sus ingresos en lámparas de queroseno tóxico. El objetivo de SolarAid es erradicar dichas lámparas para el año 2020 proporcionando luz limpia en todos los hogares de África, mejorar la salud, la educación y la economía de 110 millones de hogares africanos que no tienen acceso a la electricidad.
SolarAid no regala las lámparas solares, las vende para ayudar a crear un mercado energético solar y las mantiene para garantizar que las comunidades las valoren. Utilizando sistemas micro-solares, el coste para SolarAid por la adquisición, instalación y promoción de kits de iluminación para una escuela es tan sólo de 2.000€; la iluminación solar prolonga las horas de aprendizaje, mejora la calidad de la educación y reduce la dependencia de las costosas y tóxicas lámparas de queroseno. SolarAid también promociona los beneficios de las lámparas solares por las escuelas. Los niños se lo cuentan a sus padres y se convencen para comprar una lámpara que ayude a sus hijos a estudiar. La demanda de lámparas solares está creciendo drásticamente. En 2012 un total de 294.033 lámparas solares fueron financiadas y distribuidas por SolarAid y la organización tiene el objetivo de convertirlo en un millón en 2013.
La iniciativa ‘Lighter Learning’ de SolarAid permite a las empresas y escuelas financiar y colaborar con escuelas específicas de África proporcionando la iluminación del aula y obteniendo lámparas de estudio para profesores y alumnos a través de campañas escolares.
Recientes investigaciones de SolarAid en Tanzania, demuestran que dichas lámparas de estudio permiten que los niños estudien una hora más cada tarde.
"Es un gran placer para nosotros apoyar el programa ‘Lighter Learning’ de SolarAid. Las lámparas solares permiten aumentar el tiempo de estudio mejorando el nivel educativo de muchos jóvenes. SolarAid forma parte de nuestro compromiso por el cambio social y ambiental. Tratamos de ayudar a las comunidades desfavorecidas y marginadas de todo el mundo a través de esfuerzos conjuntos”, ha declarado Mr. Liansheng Miao, Presidente y Director General de Yingli Green Energy.
"La energía solar tiene un papel crucial en el desarrollo mundial, donde un sinnúmero de comunidades están atrapadas por el queroseno y un ciclo de pobreza perpetua. El trabajo que SolarAid está haciendo es, literalmente, cambiar la vida de estas comunidades y sus niños. Apoyar este increíble trabajo es una gran forma de promover los beneficios que la energía solar puede conseguir y nuestro compromiso de ayudar a las comunidades en toda África para conseguirlos”, ha declarado Darren Thompson, Director General de Yingli Green Energy International AG.
Trabajando con SolarAid, Yingli Green Energy realizó un evento benéfico en el que un pequeño grupo de sus empleados dedicaron un día a formar a niños sobre energía solar hablándoles de la organización SolarAid en una escuela alemana de Flensburg. Yingli Green Energy solicitó a sus clientes donativos en una subasta durante su Conferencia Mundial en octubre de 2012. El mayor pujador fue Solar Roof Systems con sede en Alemania, aunque Atama Solar Energy de los Países Bajos y Kingspan de Reino Unido también decidieron colaborar. En total fueron donados 12.000€ que Yingli Green Energy igualó, ascendiendo así la cifra total a 24.000€ para SolarAid. Con dicha cantidad, se han instalado micro-sistemas fotovoltaicos solares en los tejados de 12 escuelas de Zambia para que las clases puedan continuar durante la tarde, incrementando el tiempo de estudio de cerca de 5.000 niños.
Solar Roof Systems no sólo donó dinero para SolarAid, sino que también donó un sistema fotovoltaico de 10 kW alimentado por módulos solares Yingli a una escuela en Flensburg, donde el 50% del flujo de caja será donado a proyectos en África. Los módulos solares se montaron en abril de 2013. Durante la instalación, un equipo de empleados de Yingli Green Energy asistió a la escuela para instruir a los alumnos en energía solar y cómo puede ayudar a los niños en África.
"Se trata de ayudar y estamos encantados de apoyar esta importante iniciativa", declaraba Jörg Truelsen, Director General de Solar Roof Systems, cuya pujafinanció 3 escuelas. "Cuando un grupo de empresas líderes con pasión por las energías renovables se unen para ayudar a que SolarAid haga llegar la iluminación a niños y a escuelas, eso ayuda a enviar el mensaje de que la energía solar realmente transforma vidas. Es increíblemente simple para las empresas involucrarse y ver las repercusiones que sus donaciones tienen sobre la salud, la educación y la economía al llevar la luz solar a la vida de los niños. Estamos muy agradecidos por la visión y generosidad mostrada por Yingli Green Energy, Solar Roof Systems, Kingspan y Atama Solar Energy y emocionados por contar con el apoyo de la industria renovable permitiendo que nuestro ambicioso trabajo siga adelante”, ha declarado Richard Turner, Director de Recaudación de Fondos en SolarAid.
Para ayudar en la escolarización de los niños con ‘Lighter Learning’ por favor visite http://solar-aid.org/lighterlearningpara más información.
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Yingli Green Energy Joins SolarAid to Spread Light for Learning in Africa
Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited (NYSE: YGE) ("Yingli Green Energy" or the "Company"), is a leading solar energy company and one of the world's largest vertically integrated photovoltaic manufacturers, which markets its products under the brand "Yingli Solar". In a statement jointly released with Solar Roof Systems, Kingspan and Atama Solar Energy, the Company announced that together they have raised a total of 24,000 Euro for SolarAid, the London based charity using solar power to help education in Africa. The fundraising will support SolarAid's 'Lighter Learning' programme to improve the education of children in Africa by providing lighting for classrooms in 12 schools across Zambia.
Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited (NYSE: YGE) ("Yingli Green Energy" or the "Company"), is a leading solar energy company and one of the world's largest vertically integrated photovoltaic manufacturers, which markets its products under the brand "Yingli Solar". In a statement jointly released with Solar Roof Systems, Kingspan and Atama Solar Energy, the Company announced that together they have raised a total of 24,000 Euro for SolarAid, the London based charity using solar power to help education in Africa. The fundraising will support SolarAid's 'Lighter Learning' programme to improve the education of children in Africa by providing lighting for classrooms in 12 schools across Zambia.
Only 9% of rural sub-Saharan dwellers in Africa have access to electricity, with the average family of the remaining 91% of the population spending up to 25% of their income on toxic kerosene for lighting. SolarAid's aim is to eradicate the kerosene lamp from Africa by 2020 and to provide clean light in every home in Africa, improving the health, education and wealth of Africa's 110 million households without access to electricity.
SolarAid does not give solar lights away, but sells them to help create a market for solar and maintains them to ensure communities value them. Using micro-solar systems, the cost of SolarAid's procuring, installing and promoting lighting kits for a school is just EUR 2,000; the solar lighting lengthens learning hours, improves education quality and reduces reliance on expensive and toxic kerosene lamps. SolarAid also promotes the benefit of solar lamps through schools. Children tell their parents who are then convinced to buy a light to help their child to study. Demand for solar lights is rising dramatically. A total of 294,033 solar lights were funded and distributed by SolarAid in 2012 and the organization is aiming to make it a million in 2013.
SolarAid's 'Lighter Learning' initiative enables companies and schools to fund and partner with specific schools in Africa to provide classroom lighting and get study lights into the hands of teachers and pupils through school campaigns.
From early research in Tanzania by SolarAid, solar study lights are leading to children studying an extra hour each evening.
"It is our great pleasure to support SolarAid's 'Lighter Learning' programme. Solar lights essentially extend the time for study and improve education for many young people. SolarAid is part of our commitment to positive social and environmental change. We seek to improve and give back to disadvantaged and underserved communities worldwide through joined efforts", said Mr. Liansheng Miao, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Yingli Green Energy.
"Solar has a crucial role to play in the developing world where countless communities are trapped by kerosene and in a cycle of perpetual poverty. The work SolarAid is doing is literally making a life changing difference to these communities and the children within them. Supporting this incredible work is a great way to further inform about the positive difference solar can make and our commitment to helping communities across Africa in these benefits", said Darren Thompson, Managing Director of Yingli Green Energy International AG.
Working with SolarAid, Yingli Green Energy initiated a charity event whereby a small group of its employees would dedicate a day of their time to educate children about solar energy and SolarAid at a German school in Flensburg. Yingli Green Energy called its customers for donations via an auction during its global customer conference in October 2012. The winning bidder was Solar Roof Systems based in Germany, however Atama Solar Energy from the Netherlands and Kingspan from the U.K. also decided to donate their bids. 12,000 Euro were donated in total and Yingli Green Energy matched that amount, thereby raising a total of 24,000 Euro for SolarAid. With this amount, 12 schools in Zambia had solar PV micro-systems installed on their roofs to allow classes to continue into the evening thereby extending education time for nearly 5,000 children.
Solar Roof Systems not only donated money to SolarAid but also donated a 10kW-PV-system powered by Yingli Solar modules to a school in Flensburg where 50% of the cash flows generated will be donated to projects in Africa. The solar modules were mounted in April 2013. During the installation, a team of four Yingli Green Energy employees attended the school to educate the pupils on solar and how solar can help kids in Africa.
"It is about giving back and we are delighted to support this important initiative", said Jörg Truelsen, CEO of Solar Roof Systems, whose winning auction bid funded 3 schools.
"When a leading group of companies with passion for renewable energy get together to enable SolarAid to provide lighting for children and schools, it helps send a message that solar energy really does transform lives. It is incredibly simple for businesses to get involved and see the very real health, education and wealth benefits of their donations through bringing solar lighting into the lives of children. We are incredibly grateful for the vision and generosity shown by Yingli Green Energy, Solar Roof Systems, Kingspan and Atama Solar Energy and we are excited about attracting support from the renewable energy industry for our ambitious work ahead", said Richard Turner, Director of Fundraising at SolarAid.
Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited (NYSE: YGE), which markets its products under the brand "Yingli Solar," is a leading solar energy company and one of the world's largest vertically integrated photovoltaic manufacturers. Yingli Green Energy's manufacturing covers the entire photovoltaic value chain, from the production of polysilicon through ingot casting and wafering, to solar cell production and module assembly. Yingli Green Energy currently maintains a balanced vertically integrated production capacity of 2,450 MW per year at its production facilities located in Baoding, Haikou, Tianjin and Hengshui. Yingli Green Energy distributes its photovoltaic modules to a wide range of markets, including Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, France, South Korea, China and the United States. Headquartered in Baoding, China, Yingli Green Energy has more than 20 subsidiaries and branch offices worldwide. Yingli Green Energy is publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: YGE).