ALIVE Invests in SUNCOLOMBIA to Expand Access to Clean Energy in Colombia

October 2019 - ALIVE announces an investment in SUNCOLOMBIA, a Colombian company that uses technology and solar systems to provide access to energy for hard-to-reach rural areas of the country and to reduce the energy footprint of public and private entities in different municipalities of Colombia. Founded in 2012, SUNCOLOMBIA has rapidly become a leading provider of clean-energy solutions, specializing in the design, commercialization, installation and maintenance of photovoltaic (PV) systems, with a presence in 22 departments of the country.

Although 97 percent of Colombia's population is connected to the power grid, approximately 1.5 million people still do not have access to reliable energy. This 3 percent of the population lives primarily in remote regions of the country that have been affected by Colombia’s 50-year armed conflict and, in many cases, lack access to basic services such as education, energy, water and sanitation, creating vulnerable living conditions.

The company focuses on two segments: bringing off-grid solutions to rural regions and developing on-grid solar projects for public and private companies to reduce their energy footprint. In the off-grid segment, they electrify schools, bringing solar energy and innovative technology to rural classrooms, including LAN networks for internet access and equipment such as tablets and interactive projectors to enhance students’ educational outcomes.

With the public sector, they have developed solar-powered street lighting and water purification stations to provide an integrated energy solution in the most remote municipalities of the country. In the on-grid segment, SUNCOLOMBIA develops solar energy solutions for private businesses seeking to improve their energy efficiency, generate savings and reduce their environmental impact.

To date, SUNCOLOMBIA has installed more than 3,200 systems representing more than 5,000 kWp, impacting the lives of more than 23,000 families and mitigating 3,845 tons of CO2 emissions. These results include the installation of solar panels in more than 500 schools across 17 departments of Colombia and the implementation of more than 52 interactive solar classrooms in rural areas, benefiting more than 16,000 students.

These schools serve as community centers that provide opportunities to surrounding communities, with 12 indirect jobs generated in each community for every classroom. These projects also seek to empower teachers by training them in the appropriate use and monitoring of solar systems. To date, 162 teachers have been certified through the program, totaling 3,240 hours of training in off-grid areas of the country. These figures support SUNCOLOMBIA's commitment to strengthening education through technology.

“We are very proud to support SUNCOLOMBIA, a leading Colombian renewable energy company. This is ALIVE's first investment in the access-to-energy sector in Latin America, and it demonstrates how innovative technological solutions can contribute to closing Colombia’s energy gap,” said Virgilio Barco, Partner and Managing Director of ALIVE.

“We are very happy to partner with ALIVE. Colombia has great challenges that can be solved with energy and social innovation. Their support will help us achieve our goal of impacting the lives of thousands of people who are currently paying for the most expensive sources of energy, whether because of deficiency or lack of service. We believe that when energy is the source and technology is the bridge, the end result is revolutionary. This investment will allow us to continue developing innovative education and shared-value projects throughout the country,” said Juan Diego Gómez, General Manager of SUNCOLOMBIA.

ALIVE's investment will support the company’s growth trajectory, increase its social impact in alignment with multiple Sustainable Development Goals, and continue meeting the needs of a growing market in Colombia.