Page 185 - ISES SWC50

John Bonda (1931-1999)
Country: Belgium
Year joined industry: Early 80’s
Company first worked for: Intersolar Group
Technology area: PV
Still active in the industry: No

In the early 1980’s John Bonda was representing the Intersolar Group in Western African. He had been living and
working in Africa and his vision was of the electrification of Africa and developing countries with PV. Wolfgang
Palz recommended that he become the first Secretary General of the European PV Industry Association(EPIA). John
moved to Brussels and filled this role from 1986 to his untimely passing in 1999. With his ability to speak a number
of languages he was able to build connections within the European Commission and to raise the profile of PV such
that he was successful in obtaining donor money for many PV related projects. He led many trade missions on
behalf of the fledgling but growing PV industry and in particular in the 80’s and 90’s when the main markets was
still off-grid. Within the EPIA he was very well respected and liked professionally and socially. The later because
of his ability to select castles, unique hotels etc for the EPIA conferences. After his passing EPIA inaugurated the
annual prestigious Bonda Prize for the Advancement of Solar.

Harold Burris (Deceased)

Country: United States/Kenya
Year joined industry: 1982
Company first worked for: Solar Shamba
Technology area: PV
Still active in the industry: No

Harold Burris was a pioneer engineer of small scale solar in East and Southern Africa. He came to Kenya as a Peace
Corps volunteer teacher in the early 1970’s and saw the immense demand for rural electrification. He later returned
to Kenya and settled in the country in 1979. After attending the Nairobi 1982 UNEP Renewable Energy Conference,
a seminal event globally and especially Kenya, he set up Solar Shamba, a company dedicated to marketing off-
grid solar home systems. He was working with second-hand ARCO modules for a solar-powered sewing project
when he met Mark Hankins and began a 15 year collaboration. In the first stage, he assembled and engineered
solar components for 4 solar-powered schools. Subsequently, with Daniel Kithokoi, Solar Shamba began to install
solar home systems for clients around the East Side of Mt. Kenya. Between 1984 and 1990, his company (and
technicians trained by Burris and Hankins), solar on the order of $1M worth of solar equipment to households in the
first wave of growth of the solar industry in Kenya.

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