And just like that, 2022 is almost a wrap. It’s been a busy end of the year for Sun Exchange and time has flown. Amid the buzz and excitement, it’s important to slow down, step back and reflect on the impact and progress that you, the global Sun Exchange community, have made possible.

Despite the challenging global economic climate, the clean energy industry as a whole has continued to thrive. Early in the year, it was announced that the world had achieved an enormous milestone of installing 1 terawatt of solar power (that’s 1 billion kilowatts!) This month, the International Energy Agency’s latest renewables report forecast that the momentum will continue and, in just three years, “renewables will become the largest source of global electricity generation, surpassing coal.” By 2027, solar will be the leading source of electricity globally.

Every person and business in the Sun Exchange community should be proud knowing they are part of the global energy transformation, which our planet and societies so urgently need. To date, the Sun Exchange community has funded 70 solar projects that have brought affordable, clean, reliable electricity to farms, schools, retirement homes, small businesses and other organisations across South Africa. Those projects have now generated more than 15 gigawatt-hours of clean energy, avoiding nearly 16,000 tonnes of carbon emissions, equivalent to eliminating more than 8,000 tonnes of burning coal.

One of the most exciting Sun Exchange milestones of 2022 was the expansion of our global community of solar project funders to include businesses, enabling us to keep innovating and growing our capacity to create more clean energy. We crunched some numbers, which paint a picture of just how massive the potential for transformation is: If the top 10 South African companies invest just 1% of their profits into solar power and battery backup for schools, by 2025, every school in South Africa could be solar powered and protected from ongoing power outages. This would alleviate strain on the grid, eliminate outage-related disruptions to children’s education and set a powerful example for the country’s future leaders.

Our corporate offering is now in motion and creating impact. In October, we announced that leading South African automotive platform, Cars.co.za, bought into our Karoo Fresh solar-plus-storage project as an opportunity to boost sustainability, while creating an alternative income stream for its business. In November, we officially launched Brighter Business, a Sun Exchange initiative to inspire businesses to take action addressing the energy and climate crises by driving the adoption of solar power. We also announced energy industry veteran, Martin Webb, joined Sun Exchange as CEO, bringing an ideal combination of industry leadership experience and expertise as we enter this new phase of strategic growth.

If your company or employer is interested in kicking off 2023 by raising its sustainability profile while generating alternative, purpose-driven income, get in touch with the Sun Exchange corporate buyers team.

The combined reach of our people-powered community with our growing ecosystem of corporate funders sets us on a path to make 2023 our most impactful year yet. Thank you for being a part of this journey to enable access to clean energy and ensure a healthy planet for future generations.

We wish you and your loved ones a peaceful and joyful holiday season and a purposeful start to 2023.