The Solar Impulse Foundation has officially reached the goal of assigning the Efficient Solutions Label to 1 000 profitable cleantech solutions from around the world and the list includes eight South African solutions, reports economically viable green economy solutions nonprofit organisation GreenCape.

The Solar Impulse 1 000 Efficient Solution Label is designed to showcase existing solutions that are both clean and profitable and have a positive impact on quality of life.

Among the eight South Africa clean technology solutions that form part of this unique international portfolio are EnviroCrete’s bioclimatic houses and building components, Maskam Water’s Clarus Fusion on-site wastewater treatment plant and MISER Hybrid Technologies’ hydraulic hybrid transmission.

They also include Optima Agrik’s sodium reduction unit, SharkSafe Barrier’s SharkSafe Barrier, Sog Water Solutions’ atmospheric water generation technology, SustainSolar’s Sustain Compact and Zerho Waste Management’s Zerho waterless toilet.

Five years ago, Swiss explorer and psychiatrist Bertrand Piccard concluded his flight around the world in a solar powered airplane – Solar Impulse. The performance, which had a livestream into the United Nation’s General Assembly, demonstrated what clean technologies can do and triggered the creation of the Solar Impulse Foundation to accelerate the widespread adoption of clean technologies.

Since then, the foundation has identified, assessed and labelled 1 000 technological and efficient solutions able to protect the environment in a financially profitable way, covering multiple high-impact sectors and industries.

The 1 000 solutions portfolio is a source of inspiration and deal flow to drive positive environmental impact through investment, says GreenCape. Labelled solutions have undergone a rigorous assessment based on a verified methodology and against several criteria performed by external independent experts.

GreenCape entered into a collaboration with the Solar Impulse Foundation through the International Cleantech Network (ICN), to support its mission of selecting 1 000 clean and profitable solutions which contribute to protecting the environment.

Through this ICN collaboration, the Solar Impulse Foundation and GreenCape share a common goal to support the development and implementation at scale of clean technologies, and encourage decision-makers around the world to adopt ambitious environmental regulations and green economy policies.

GreenCape is also working with the European Union delegation in South Africa and a network of partners on a project that aims to support green small, medium-sized and microenterprises by understanding and removing barriers to trade post Covid-19.