Sun Exchange is delighted to announce a new partnership with the Greater Overberg Fire Protection Association (goFPA). goFPA works tirelessly throughout the year promoting wildfire educational awareness, wildfire prevention and wildfire suppression in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Like so many places in the world, wildfires in South Africa are becoming more frequent, destroying livelihoods and the natural environment. Organisations like goFPA play an ever-important role in helping landowners cope with this ever-worsening threat.
Under this partnership, solar cell owners now have the option to donate any portion of their solar cell rental income to goFPA. Thanks to the market-leading rates of return achieved by solar cell micro-leasing through Sun Exchange, a donation is effectively tripled in value over the 20 year period, whilst also reducing global carbon emissions and empowering emerging markets with affordable and sustainable energy.
Why the focus on fires?
In recent years, there has been a distinct spike in the frequency, scale and intensity of wildfires, largely due to climate change. Across the globe, we are experiencing exaggerated weather conditions and rising temperatures that have a significant impact on fire behaviour. South Africa specifically has experienced warming above the global average, and many areas of the country have experienced droughts. While fires have always been a natural occurrence, and often necessary for the regeneration of flora, wildfires have now been experienced in areas previously unaffected, burning with tremendous ferocity, with devastating results.
As fires become more prevalent and ferocious, it is becoming clear that we can no longer only rely on suppression, but rather need to focus on fire prevention. The best solution is long-term and ongoing fire management, which is where Sun Exchange members can make a real impact by donating part or all of their rental income to goFPA for a period of 20 years.
This type of long-term funding option is highly valuable to non-profit organisations — in this case, goFPA will know how much monthly funding they will be receiving from Sun Exchange members’ donations for a period of 20 years. This allows the association the opportunity to plan, implement and sustain the longevity of their programmes, which in turn will reduce the frequency and intensity of fires in the Greater Overberg Area of South Africa.
How will it work?
Sun Exchange is an online buy-to-lease solar cell market place through which anyone can generate and then sell affordable and clean energy to businesses and communities in emerging markets. Sun Exchange platform users get paid into a convenient online wallet for all solar energy produced on a monthly basis, payments with an estimated Internal Rate of Return of between 10-12%.
At point of purchase, cell owners have the option to donate any proportion of their income on an ongoing basis to a nominated charity, enabling users to increase their social impact whilst using the platform. Sun Exchange members now have the option to donate any amount of their income to goFPA, who’ll receive these funds for 20 years.
Want to learn more?
For this collaboration, we have partnered with Justin Sullivan, who has dedicated the past 10 years to documenting wildfires around Cape Town. His acclaimed documentary work from numerous WildFires around Cape Town has been recognised both locally and internationally.
Together with Justin, who has worked closely with the goFPA, we have put together a video that gives insight into the association and the global state of wildfires.
