Innovation

SOLARBAKERY takes on the ambitious task of furbishing shipping containers and transforming them into wholly functional bakeries. This format makes the bakeries easily transportable both on land and water and readily operational after arrival. Thanks to its plug ’n play concept, the bakery can be installed without extensive previous technical experience. It includes everything needed to bake up to 3000 breads a day.  This includes a modified oven with optimized energy consumption, fold-out rooms that expand the workspace, and an integrated mill enabling on-site grain processing. It features a sophisticated insulation system to manage hot and cold areas within the container providing the required conditions for both the baked goods and the personnel. The integrated mill facilitates use local ingredients, like millets and corn, which not only supports the local value chains and agriculture but, also creates more nutritious and flavorful bread. The whole construction is 100% solar-powered, relying on photovoltaic grids, thereby enabling independent operations even in remote areas with unreliable electricity and reducing reliance on unsustainable diesel generators in the Global South. Due to the high demand for fresh bread in the morning, baking usually already starts at night. To ensure the availability of electricity around the clock, a unique, state-of-the-art battery system is used for energy storage. The newer construction plans incorporate an extendable roof with additional solar panels for a further supply of solar energy. This shaded space also serves as a meeting point for the local community. 

SOLARBAKERY

Inspiration

The inspiration for SOLARBAKERY started with a ride-share from Munich to Stuttgart in 2009.  Simon Zimmermann, founder of the startup, was studying social innovation at the time and got to know Rodrick Sampu. Rodrick grew up in the DRC and, along the way, shared with Simon his dream of starting a charitable project in his home country. The ride ended with both agreeing to walk the talk. As general school education is a problem, they decided to build a school for children in need. With the very high demand for baked goods, and the relatively low quality of bread in the DRC, they came up with the idea of a bakery in a container that could easily be transport from Germany to the DRC. The income from the bakery enabled them to finance the construction of the school and then, the additional cost of fees of its students. 

“And with this experience or these problems that we had ourselves, we decided, we're going to go a different way. We're going to try to develop a whole new system based on solar power.” - Simon.

In collaboration with Torsten Schreiber, founder of Africa GreenTec, who specializes in solar energy in the Global South, and the baking expertise of Daniel Petrucelli, co-founder of SOLARBAKERY, the company developed the ingenious bakery container. 

Overall impact

SOLARBAKERY contributes to SDG 1 and SDG 8 by providing up to 100 workplaces per bakery and training opportunities in the short term, as well as supporting the local agricultural value chain, creating and securing decent work for local communities. In the long-term the startup aims to reduce reliance on imported grains by working together with researchers to find solutions for increasing local production capacity. SDG 5 is addressed by actively offering women the possibility of fairly compensated and valued work and to learn the trade of baking, while being treated as equals and with respect. The innovation primarily builds on SDG 7, using clean solar energy instead of, for instance, diesel generators, driven by the experience made in the DRC. Independence from power supply systems makes it possible to establish sustainable food production even in remote areas with no access to electricity. SOLARBAKERY works with mayors and has been invited to many communities eager to provide land for the bakery at no cost, highlighting the immediate impact and relevance of the innovation. Overall, the startup offers a long-term perspective and opportunities for communities, especially in the Global South, by enabling families to sustain themselves. This, in turn, can improve access to education for future generations and foster local development.

Additionally, SOLARBAKERY hopes to inspire entrepreneurs to transform traditional businesses using solar energy, and empower locals to take ownership of their energy production by demonstrating the reliability and efficiency of solar power, cultivating a culture of self-reliance and environmental responsibility.

Business benefit

The pilot project in the DRC has proven to be a success, both in financial terms and in terms of the proof of technical feasibility. As of today, the bakery in the DRC already provides a livelihood for over 100 people, generating USD 200,000 in sales annually. The SOLARBAKERY offers a strong investment case, despite ongoing general challenges in convincing Western investors of the value of sustainable investment in the African continent. The purchase price of one bakery already pays off in the 4th year of operation if sales are comparable to the business in Kinshasa. The startup’s current focus is concentrated on Senegal, where they are looking to build a chain of thirty bakeries. The market potential in the West-African country is immense, as the baked goods market is projected to see an annual revenue growth of over 10% between 2024 and 2029 (Statista Market Insights, 2024). Through the previous financing round, five of these bakeries are already financed and being manufactured in Dakar. The business potential of SOLARBAKERY is further underscored by the overwhelming interest from the public, having already secured EUR 1.7 million in crowd investment. The future potential of the bakery is not limited to the African continent, the startup has already received numerous requests from organizations operating on an international scale spanning almost 40 countries.  

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Social and environmental benefit

SOLARBAKERY’s social business concept not only drives business success but also makes a real difference in the communities it serves. It creates workplaces for up to 100 people per bakery, not only in the production process but also in its ecosystem. In its pilot project, the business established a whole network of women who pick up and then resell the bread in their communities. Further, SOLARBAKERY has already set up its first training center, where the first trainees are already gathering hands-on experience. The startup has also taken girls on board who wanted to learn this trade, breaking up gender barriers in a traditionally male-dominated field.

Further, although, baguette, an established classic in French-speaking African countries, has been ingrained in the culture of many communities, white bread in these countries is often of low quality and not especially nutritious. So SOLARBAKERY takes this trend and tries to give it a more traditional influence by using local grains and nuts such as millet, corn and cashews. This not only brings more variety and nutritious food but also supports local agriculture and value chains, as most grains and weeds in African countries are still imported from other countries. To help enable local production, the startup collaborates with technological institutes, who share the goal of finding solutions for growing various types of grains.

The biggest environmental impact of SOLARBAKERY is the sole reliance on clean solar energy, independent of unsustainable power supply systems that typically rely on diesel and coal.  

Interview

Simon Zimmermann, CEO & Founder