Despite the energy crisis Egypt is facing, one resolute startup is offering an environment-friendly, sustainable source of energy that can substitute dependence on fossil fuels. SunCity is a nascent Egyptian startup dedicated to sustaining solar energy use. It was founded in 2015 by Ahmed Abbas, a green economy expert with a passion for renewable energy.

The dire need to find energy alternatives:

The removal of the energy subsidies had an enormous negative impact on small farmers who use diesel pumps for irrigation. Millions of these small farmers had no existing alternative.

Abbas’ passion for supporting people in a sustainable manner was met with his staunch entrepreneurial spirit and knowledge of renewable energy he acquired through his studies. His idea moved from theory to execution, in May 2015, officially launching SunCity. The initiative aimed at designing, building and selling mobile solar water pumps locally. These small-scale, reliable and affordable pumps tailored to the needs of small farmers will be the first of their kind that provides a feasible alternative to diesel pumps.

“What if the five million small Egyptian farmers who own less than one-acre switch from diesel pumps to our affordable mobile solar powered pumps?” Abbas said.

Abbas believes his water recirculation system will be critical for people investing in solar water heaters as it will prevent water wastage from leaving the tap on while waiting for hot water to come out. Abbas also carefully designed and engineered these pumps to meet the needs of irrigation of small farmers who own less than one acre.

“Our product is built using and integrating available technologies of solar panels, pump inverter, and electric pumps in one efficient final product. All these components are mounted on a small trailer that can be easily pulled by a car, tractor or donkey. The design is compact, reliable and cheap. Eventually, a group of farmers can share the same unit and split the cost, or one person can use the system as a source of income by renting it to other farmers,” Abbas said.

The startup managed to reduce CO2 emissions from using diesel pumps and build reliable renewable energy solutions in the agriculture field. It was also able to decrease reliance on fossil fuels in agricultural activities and reduce the cost of growing food and create green job opportunities in the local market.

“The main driver of this business is to offer an added value to the Egyptian community,” SunCity team says. The team’s concerns are more than national challenges, hence the focus on less privileged farmers and instilling the culture of solar energy.

Website: http://www.suncityeg.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suncityeg

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sun-city-egypt-7b2522b8/

Photos: Courtesy of SunCity