Cash withdrawals powered by Solar in SA

Posted on : Wednesday, 19th November 2014

ATM Solutions claims to be the first to have developed solar powered ATM’s installed across Mpumalanga, South Africa, Business Tech reported.

With the looming power crisis in South Africa, the design was to provide solutions for bank customers needing to use an ATM during a power cut.

The ATM has installed solar panels which harness the sun and store in a battery until needed. The solar powered battery will kick in when the usual electricity supply cuts off.

Business Tech reported that the ATM showed no signs of interruptions and operated for seven full days with the stored solar power during a test run.

When the battery ran dry on the seventh day the machine switched off and turned itself back on the next day once it was able to recharge by daylight.

CEO of ATM Solutions, Wayne Abramson told media that their aim was to replace inefficient ATM’s due to power outages, across South Africa with solar ones.

‘Power outages are frustrating for ATM operators and for the communities they serve. Any time the ATM is not working, the customer is inconvenienced. As a company, we’re driven by inclusivity and our rural ATMs often provide otherwise unavailable banking services to all. Customers need to know they can rely on these services’, he said.

ATM Solutions has over 5000 ATMS’s distributed across Southern Africa and plans to ensure that banks and their clientele are able to access their money even when the lights go out.

Other countries taking advantage of solar powered ATM’s include Nigeria and India.