– Wits Enterprise
The Wits spin-out company has been named the Energy Supply Track Winner in this competition from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
The IEEE Empower a Billion Lives competition is a global initiative recognising scalable solutions that expand access to electricity for underserved communities worldwide. Launched in 2019 it addresses one of the world’s most urgent development challenges: more than one billion people still live without reliable access to electricity. The competition brings together innovators from across the globe to develop practical, affordable, and scalable energy solutions for communities beyond the reach of traditional power grids.
Peco Power’s success highlights the growing impact of university-driven innovation emerging from South Africa and reinforces the University of the Witwatersrand’s role in translating research into real-world societal solutions.
“This recognition confirms that African-developed solutions can compete and win on the global stage,” said Professor Willie Cronje, School of Electrical & Information Engineering at Wits and one of the founders of Peco Power. “Peco Power was created to address the very real challenge of electricity access in underserved communities, and this award validates both the technology and its impact.”
For the 2025 EBL competition, Peco Power presented a peer-to-peer electricity trading model built on its modular, off-grid power units. The solution was demonstrated in Ermelo, where Peco Power has already deployed standalone energy systems. Rather than operating as isolated units, households are enabled to share and trade electricity locally, forming a growing, community-based energy network that expands organically as more units are added. This approach allows energy access to scale incrementally, one household at a time without the need for large, centralised infrastructure investment.
Across Africa, millions of households remain unconnected to national grids, relying instead on unsafe and costly alternatives such as candles, paraffin, or illegal connections. The absence of reliable electricity continues to limit access to education, healthcare, safety, and economic opportunity. By providing modular, off-grid solutions designed specifically for low-income and remote communities, Peco Power enables communities to leapfrog traditional infrastructure constraints, delivering safe, affordable, and reliable electricity where it is needed most.
Judges in the final round of the competition highlighted the practicality and deployment-ready nature of Peco Power’s solution. Unlike many theoretical concepts, the system is already operating in communities and delivering measurable value. The judges also noted the solution’s strong potential for large-scale impact, particularly its ability to grow incrementally and its innovation in enabling local energy markets through peer-to-peer trading.
In addition to international recognition, Peco Power received a US$50,000 prize, which will be used to accelerate deployments, refine the technology, and expand access to electricity for more communities. “Energy access is not a luxury; it is foundational to dignity, development, and economic participation,” added Professor Cronje. “This award strengthens our ability to scale impact and reach more communities faster.”
About Peco Power
Peco Power is a University of the Witwatersrand spin-out company focused on making electricity accessible, affordable, and reliable for communities excluded from the traditional power grid. Through modular, scalable energy systems, Peco Power delivers sustainable energy solutions that improve quality of life and unlock economic opportunity across Southern Africa. Visit https://www.pecopower.co.za/ for more information.