Yanfeng and SolarAfrica support African Angels school with solar energy
Two partners with social responsibility in their communities in South Africa
Neuss, Germany – 30 June 2023. Together with the energy solutions provider SolarAfrica, the global automotive supplier Yanfeng has funded the new photovoltaic (PV) system for the African Angels school. A total of 24 solar panels were installed on the school grounds to convert sunlight into sustainable, cost-saving electricity. The new ground-mounted system is already operational and will generate 20,843 kWh of electricity annually. It took one week to complete the installation. Thanks to the new solar energy system, the primary school is shielded from daily power outages that have been put in place by the national energy provider. This is a real advantage for the school, which takes care of 153 children from the Chintsa East and Glen Eden townships, and surrounding farms. All children come from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The new system also helps the school save around 19 tons of CO2 annually while reducing its monthly costs.
Energy is a scarce commodity, and in South Africa, the power is cut off for several hours every day. These power cuts, known as loadshedding, have been in place for several years already but have never been as severe as they are now. The state-owned power utility Eskom, which operates the nationwide grid and provides almost all of South Africa's energy, is taking this measure to avoid a complete blackout.
“Thanks to the great contribution of Yanfeng and SolarAfrica, our school has now reduced its dependence on the national grid and the savings can be invested in the further education of our kids,” said Lou Billett, Chairperson and Founder of African Angels Trust.
The school is located in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, about 40 km outside East London. The school is an English medium school and has no more than 20 children in each class, allowing each child to receive individual attention and support.
“We believe that a high-quality education enables our children to seize opportunities later in life to become productive, employed and responsible citizens of South Africa,” explained Lou Billett.
Building a nation through education also requires a stable power supply
This is not Yanfeng’s first project with African Angels. Some employees previously volunteered with the school and the company also donated furniture and a kitchen.
“We are very aware of our social responsibility as a company and know that there are disadvantaged people in our communities. Because of this, we have decided to continue supporting this local school project together with SolarAfrica as our partner,” said Simon Pella, Senior Manager Procurement at Yanfeng. “My special thanks to them and their CEO David McDonald, as they funded 50% of the project.”
SolarAfrica also designed the solar panel system and can monitor it remotely – giving them access to operational information at all times to support future maintenance efforts.
Both companies are pleased to support a school in South Africa and contribute to the country's green economy and educational system. These efforts complement the school's motto: “We are building a nation through education – thanks to a stable power supply with our new solar panel generation.”
For more information please contact:
Yanfeng International
Jagenbergstraße 1
41468 Neuss
Germany
Astrid Schafmeister
Tel.: +49 2131 609-3028
E-Mail: astrid.schafmeister@yanfeng.com
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Yanfeng and SolarAfrica support the African Angels school with a new photovoltaic system. Thanks to this, the primary school has reduced its dependence on the national grid and the savings can be invested in the further education of the kids. from left to right: Lou Billett, Chairperson and Founder of African Angels Trust, with kids and representatives from SolarAfrica and Yanfeng.
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A total of 24 solar panels were installed on the school grounds to convert sunlight into sustainable, cost-saving electricity.
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The school is located in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, about 40 km outside East London and takes care of 153 children from the Chintsa East and Glen Eden townships, and surrounding farms.
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About Yanfeng
Yanfeng is a leading global automotive supplier, focusing on interior, exterior, seating, cockpit electronics and passive safety, and is exploring new business actively. Yanfeng has more than 240 branches and approximately 57,000 employees worldwide. The technical team of 4,100 experts is in 12 R&D centers and other regional offices, with complete capabilities including engineering & software development, styling, and test validation. Focusing on smart cabin and lightweight technology, Yanfeng supports automakers to explore future mobility and provide leading cabin solutions.
For more information, please visit www.yanfeng.com.