Abstract
Monique Alfris -- SPREE Graduate 2005
Pollinate Energy
Pollinate Energy is a not-for-profit social business which provides solar lighting and mobile phone charging to urban slum dwellers living without electricity in India. Founded by 5 young Australians in late 2012, Pollinate Energy has started 5 new microfranchises, sold around 500 lights and is working in over 130 communities. These microfranchises were started through a fellowship program where 9 students came to Bangalore in January to support the start up of these businesses. These students included 5 studying with the School of PV - thanks to Jacqui, Amit, Sanika, Jono and Kathy!
Pollinate Energy will run 4 more of these fellowships over the next year, starting 15 new businesses and launching 2 new products in the Bangalore region. If you'd like to support Pollinate Energy come to our event on June 1st! We will have Michael Caton (from the Castle) as guest speaker, tickets are on sale now at www.pollinateenergy.org.
Click here to see all available video seminars.
Click here to go to the SPREE HOMEPAGE.
Brief Bio
Monique Alfris has almost a decade's worth of experience in environmental sustainability. Monique applied her degrees in Photovoltaic Engineering and Economics to improving the sustainability of the built environment in Australia where she gained experience in technical design, policy advisory services, and education. Following this she worked for the Green Building Councils of Mauritius and Ghana. As a Sustainable Energy specialist for Good Return, another Australian not-for-profit, Monique worked on small-scale renewable energy loan products with microfinance institutions across Asia, before finally landing in India to cofound Pollinate Energy. Pollinate Energy provides solar lights and mobile phone chargers to urban slum dwellers through a microfranchise and microfinance model.
Support our current crowdfunding campaign to provide solar energy to India's urban slums:
www.chipin.org.au/project/pollinateenergy
