Japan Forum of Business and Society Annals, No.5, pp. 55-58, 201655

Access to Energy with Awango by Total――A Business Solution to a Social Issue

Luigi Colantuoni
President, Total Group Representative in Japan

Mathieu Gougeon
Information Management Officer
Total International S. A., Japan Branch
Keywords：access to energy, solar lamps, Africa, Total, social business, photovoltaic power, last mile,micro-credit, retail network【Abstract】
Total officially launched the Awango by Total program in 2011 to market solar lamps providing
affordable access to energy for communities in emerging economies.
Over 1.3 billion people do not have access to electricity. To enable off-grid, low-income communities
to meet some of their most basic everyday needs, Total has introduced Awango by Total, a line ofinnovative, reliable solar lighting and phone charging solutions. The approach is practical, innovationbased and embedded in our business operations. The Group set an objective of improving the daily
lives of five million people by selling one million Awango by Total solar lamps by 2015. This goal has
been met and exceeded: by May 2015, one million solar lamps had been sold in Africa alone.
Awango by Total is based on a social business model and was distributed in more than 30 countries
at the end of 2015.

1.

Identifying the Problem:
Access to Energy

Energy is an essential driver of social andeconomic development. Yet access to electricity is a daily struggle for 1.3 billion people

cant percentage of spending by base of thepyramid households, estimated to 37 millions
of US Dollars every year.

2.

Developing a Meaningful andSustainable Solution

worldwide (Source: IEA, 2011). Many house-

Our initial goal at Total was to identify theholds in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean lackbusiness models that will enable us to offer

reliable access to power, making it tough for

low-income populations a modern, reliable andthem to light their homes. Their traditional

affordable energy source that has a lower envi-

lighting sources — kerosene lamps, candles

ronmental impact and can be used indepen-and disposable batteries — are inefficient, un-dently. The sustainability of the project had

suited to new uses and account for a signifi-

to be met from both development and busi-

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事例紹介 /Case Studies

internal start-up, set up within the Marketing

Products and Solutions
Adapted to the TargetedMarket& Services Branch which supervises Total’s

In 2011, and for more than a year, all of thenetwork of 15,500 service stations worldwide.

components in the Awango by Total line have

Building on its solar expertise and extensive

been tested by customers in four pilot coun-presence via this retail network in growthtries — Cameroon, Indonesia, Kenya and thecountries, especially in Africa, Total has

Republic of the Congo — with 125,000 lamps

adapted to this distinctive market by develop-and solar kits sold.

ness points of view.
Awango by Total was launched through an

ing a specific business model.

3.

Total’s First Social Business
Model

4.

Equipments were selected for their robustness and ease of use. Initial partnerships withthree suppliers (d. Light Design, Greenlight Planet and Sundaya) enabled the program to offer a

Awango is Total’s first social business andfull line of lighting and phone charging prod-

the first large-scale achievement of the Total

ucts, ranging from portable solar lamps toAccess to Energy program.

modular kits.

The program objectives and its businessmodel (cf. chart 1) are intrinsically linked. The
last mile channels and retail models havebeen developed through global partnerships
with major development NGOs as well as local partnerships with micro-businesses andtesting solar kiosks to reach the most remoteareas.
Chart 1

Awango by Total - Program Objectives and Business ModelAccess to Energy with Awango by Total

57

Demonstration and Sale of a Sundaya kit to a Customer at the Charlesde Gaulle Service Station in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)(credits: P. Sondoillet - Total)

Products are covered by a one to two-years

provide 5 million people with safe and sustain-

warranty for all products, and customer ser-able energy by 2015. This target was met invice has been fully implemented. The prod-

May 2015. Awango by Total was present in 30

ucts are available at an affordable price andcountries at the end of 2015, with 4 new coun-can be financed through responsible solutions,tries added to the list for a deployment in ear-such as micro-credit and others: leasing in thely 2016.

Republic of the Congo or cooperatives in Indonesia. Distribution networks are also adapt-

6.

Evaluating the Impacts

ed to local conditions. To cover the last mile
to the communities concerned, the solutions

Even very isolated villages can get hold of theare being marketed through Total’s service

kits, thanks to Total’s dedicated retail net-station networks, newly created young resell-works. Whether people want to do homework

er networks, agricultural cooperatives, etc.

or domestic chores, work on craft businesses

5.

Expanding the Program to aGlobal Scaleor get around after dark, life can go on, safely,
after the sun has set, which was not possible
or much harder before the introduction of thisFollowing this initial and successful experi-program. The well-made, affordable lamps al-ment, deployment has been being stepped up,

low families to avoid the recurring costs asso-with rollout proceeding through 2013 in eightciated with traditional energies. The purchasenew countries: Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Ethi-

pays for itself in just a few months.

opia, Haiti, Myanmar, Nigeria, Senegal andUganda.

The strategically related competencies ofTotal and the German development coopera-

Total’s teams have set themselves the ob-tion agency (GIZ) have been put in common

jective of selling a million lamps in order toduring the initial phase. Total and GIZ have

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事例紹介 /Case Studies

been working in partnership in four key ar-cally viable enough to be sustainable andeas: measuring the program’s social impact,

widely adopted.

educating communities about renewable ener-

This pledge has been reasserted at Total’sgies, training the sales force and developing

highest level, as Patrick Pouyanné, Total’s

local recycling systems. The results of this co-Chief Executive Officer declared in May 2015:

operation have been shared and published on-“Total intends to provide clean, safe and af︲

line

fordable energy to as many people as possible.

(accessible at https://energypedia.info/wiki/

To do that, we strive to find innovative techno︲

File:Rapport_final-baseline_study-GIZ-TOTAL_

logical solutions, using a business model viableVf.pdf0)

on a large scale. Our success here illustrates

On this study, some 85% of Awango by To︲

our commitment to better energy and is a prac︲

tal product users say their lamp has signifi-

tical way of addressing climate change. We

cantly improved their daily lives and that

aim to keep growing the program and are tar︲they would like to see new functions and new

geting sales of five million lamps in Africa inuses. Total is therefore working on combining

2020, reaching 25 million people on the conti︲

solar panels, energy storage and the ability tonent, which is central to Total’s overall strate︲

use household appliances such as fans.

gy.”

7.

Prospects on the Long-Term:
Reaching 25 Million People inAfrica<Complementary Resources>
Awango by Total, Access to Energy for Eve-

Total is committed to fostering the emer-

ryone on Total website

gence of innovative technological and market-

http://jp.total.com/en-us/making-energy-

ing solutions to develop a more efficient, relia-

better/worldwide-projects/awango-total-

ble and affordable lineup that is also economi-

access-energy-everyone