Jaza Energy

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Model & Strategy

Jaza provides affordable and reliable access to renewable energy to people in rural Tanzania through solar-powered, rechargeable battery packs that customers take home and use to power lights and small appliances. Jaza hires and trains women from local communities to operate and manage its network of “Hub” battery pack charging stations.

The company provides power to homes at a fraction of what a typical off-grid household spends on kerosene for lighting while avoiding the significant negative health and environmental effects of kerosene.

At a Glance
Founded: 2021
Co-Founder & CEO: Jeff Schnurr
Environment & Climate Change
Location of work: International, Africa
http://www.jazaenergy.com
Jaza Energy
Tanzania,
Building a network of renewable energy hubs in communities beyond the electrical grid.
Meet Jeff Schnurr

Jaza is led by co-founder and CEO Jeff Schnurr, an experienced entrepreneur with a deep history in Tanzania. Prior to Jaza, Jeff founded and served for ten years as CEO of Community Forests International, a nonprofit that connects people to the forests that sustain them in Tanzania and has empowered communities to plant more than 3 million trees. In 2015, Jeff was an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

Impact

Jaza has built and deployed over 75 Hubs, each serving up to 250 households each, and providing clean power to over 38,000 people. Over 150 women are employed and empowered to manage the solar hubs in their communities.

Jaza estimates that it has replaced 509,000 liters of kerosene, thereby avoiding more than 1,362 tons of CO2 emissions and reducing the related human respiratory diseases and home fire accidents that are prevalent with the use of kerosene.

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