Eindhoven, the Netherlands, April 22, 2025 — Today, DLL, a global asset finance company, is proud to announce a partnership with SolarBuddy, an impact organization dedicated to alleviating extreme energy poverty. Together, both companies aim to provide more sustainable lighting solutions to children and communities experiencing energy poverty across Latin America, Africa and Asia Pacific, and engage DLL members in meaningful related volunteering activities.
Since their inception in 2016, SolarBuddy has been dedicated to addressing the urgent and often overlooked challenge of energy poverty among children living in off-grid and underserved communities. Early in their journey, the team recognized that millions of children around the world lack safe and reliable access to light and energy, a reality that directly impacts education, health, and long-term opportunities. SolarBuddy has since focused its efforts on designing accessible solar-powered solutions and forging meaningful partnerships with organizations to help bridge this gap. Through corporate activation models, they engage companies like DLL to extend the reach and impact of their mission.
For DLL, this partnership reflects our dual commitment to accelerating the energy transition while ensuring that it is also socially impactful. As a financial partner, we are not only enabling access to clean or renewable energy technologies but also working to ensure that the transition delivers value to communities. Energy poverty remains a significant global challenge with more than 685 million people, representing nearly 10% of the global population, living in energy poverty, meaning they have minimal or no access to energy. Partnering with SolarBuddy aligns with our broader strategy to drive both environmental and social progress through purposeful collaboration.
Adrian Leach, Global Head of Energy Transition at DLL shares: “At DLL, accelerating the energy transition is a core ambition. Partnering with SolarBuddy allows us to address the human side of the transition by helping communities most affected by energy poverty. It’s a powerful reminder that access to clean and renewable energy is not only about decarbonization, but also about creating opportunity and dignity for the next generation.
At DLL, accelerating the energy transition is a core ambition. Partnering with SolarBuddy allows us to address the human side of the transition by helping communities most affected by energy poverty. It’s a powerful reminder that access to clean and renewable energy is not only about decarbonization, but also about creating opportunity and dignity for the next generation."
Simon Doble, Founder and Chair at SolarBuddy cites: “It has always been my dream to engage with remarkable organizations like DLL, bringing people together to raise awareness about energy poverty. Through this partnership, we will distribute numerous solar lights to children worldwide, who are striving to improve their educational outcomes under challenging conditions in energy-deficient communities. Our goal is to create a safe and conducive environment for these children to study.”
Engaging Employees in Volunteering Opportunities
In 2025, through this impactful partnership, DLL members will have the opportunity to assemble nearly 3,400 JuniorBuddies which will be distributed to students in energy-deficit regions, empowering them to read and study after dark. Remarkably, thus far in April alone, a dedicated group of DLL members engaged in both live and virtual volunteering activities, successfully assembling over 1,000 JuniorBuddies.
The timing of this partnership is particularly significant as it coincides with Earth Day. This year’s theme, “Our Power, Our Planet,” underscores the importance of clean and renewable energy. This partnership between DLL and SolarBuddy perfectly embodies this theme, showcasing their commitment to accelerating the energy transition and to creating a brighter future for communities in need.
About DLL
DLL is a global asset finance company for equipment and technology with a managed portfolio of more than EUR 44 billion. Founded in 1969 and headquartered in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, DLL provides financial solutions within the Agriculture, Clean Energy, Construction, Food, Healthcare, Industrial, Office Equipment, Technology, and Transportation industries in more than 25 countries. The company partners with equipment manufacturers, dealers, distributors, as well as end users, to enable businesses to access equipment, technology, and software more easily. DLL is committed to a more sustainable future for the environment and the communities in which it operates. To advance on this commitment, the company has embedded sustainability into its business strategy. DLL combines customer focus and industry knowledge to provide financial solutions for the complete asset life cycle, including commercial finance, retail finance and used equipment finance. DLL is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rabobank Group. To learn more about DLL, visit www.dllgroup.com.
About SolarBuddy
SolarBuddy is an impact organization uniting a global community to illuminate the futures of all children. Their mission is to improve the educational and health outcomes of children living in energy poverty by providing them with safe, reliable, and sustainable lighting. Founded in Queensland, Australia, inventor and social impact entrepreneur Simon Doble read an article in Time magazine that opened his eyes to the harsh reality of the millions of people who live without safe and reliable lighting. A humanitarian at heart, Simon felt inspired to use his skills to create a solution that would improve their lives. To learn more about SolarBuddy and the work they do, visit https://www.solarbuddy.org/