Rim Taha

Tunisian renewable energy pioneer leading North Africa's solar revolution

Rim Taha is a Tunisian engineer and entrepreneur who revolutionized renewable energy adoption across North Africa through her company Solar Century Tunisia. Starting in 2008, she pioneered rooftop solar systems for residential and commercial use in regions with limited grid access. Her work enabled over 20,000 households to gain energy independence while reducing carbon emissions by an estimated 150,000 tons annually. Taha's blog and advocacy campaigns helped shift public perception about renewable energy costs and feasibility in arid climates. She developed the first solar-powered mobile health units for nomadic communities, recognized by UNESCO as a 'Model for Sustainable Development'. Her 2016 TEDx talk 'Sunlight as Social Justice' framed energy access as a human rights issue. Taha also founded the Solar Future Foundation, training 1,500 technicians from marginalized backgrounds. Her innovations are profiled in Renewable Energy World magazine's 'Top 40 Under 40' list (2020), highlighting her role in making Tunisia a regional leader in solar adoption with 35% renewable energy grid contribution by 2022.