Case study
Optimizing Operations
How a Solar-Powered Pharmacy Uses Remote Monitoring to Achieve Reliable, Low-Cost Operations
Background​
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Olive Heights Pharmacy, located in Ebute Metta, Lagos, is a small healthcare business where energy reliability is essential to protect medicines, refrigeration, and day-to-day customer service. Led by Managing Directors Busola and Gbenga Aladesanmi, the pharmacy made an early move into renewable energy, running almost entirely on solar power with no generator at all, an uncommon achievement among many SMEs in Lagos.
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Their transition to solar was driven by rising diesel costs and the need for uninterrupted power. With high energy costs being a consistent problem for the business, one of their three branches were closed, with a loss of staff and financial growth opportunities. Despite successfully adopting a renewable-first system, the team operated with very limited visibility into how their remaining energy system performed day to day.
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They had no clarity on:
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How much energy they consumed
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What their energy cost them
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How to plan long-term costings
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How to ensure their solar-battery system was always working optimally
Before enee.io, staff manually checked the inverter when on-site, wrote down readings, and sent them via WhatsApp – a slow process prone to human error and impossible to track across multiple business locations.
The pharmacy had built a robust solar system, but lacked the data tools to get the best out of it.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Challenge​
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Even though Olive Heights had fully transitioned to solar, they were essentially “operating blind.” Their key challenges were:
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1. No visibility into performance or costs
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Did not know daily costs
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Did not know daily usage
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Could not plan annual electricity expenditure
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Had no tools to track efficiency or detect issues
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2. Operational inefficiency
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Manual readings taken by staff
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No way to verify staff accuracy
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Management frequently off-site and unable to check performance remotely
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Previous closure of branches led to staff losses due to energy problems
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3. High need for insight
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A survey conducted with site owners before enee.io was implemented showed strong demand for:
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Cost visibility
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Usage breakdowns
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System fault alerts and analytics management rated as top priorities
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4. Mission-driven motivation
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The pharmacy rated emissions reduction 5/5, aligning renewable energy with their healthcare ethos.
This created the perfect scenario for enee.io: a business heavily invested in solar, but missing the visibility and intelligence needed to optimise it.
Solution: enee.io Remote Monitoring
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enee.io provided Olive Heights with a real-time remote monitoring system accessible from anywhere, giving management live insight into their solar and battery performance without needing to be on-site.
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Key Improvements Delivered​
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1. 100% uptime and system reliability
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Data from enee.io’s online reporting platform shows the site achieved 100% uptime over the last six months.
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The system now automatically monitors the health of solar and battery assets, sending alerts when action is needed, protecting their investment and reducing risk of downtime.
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2. Cost visibility and real financial insights
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enee.io transformed their understanding of cost performance:
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October total cost: ₦2,939
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Daily average: ₦95
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Operating cost per kWh: ₦10/kWh–significantly cheaper than grid tariffs
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Forecast annual cost: ₦51,585
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Forecast annual savings due to solar and batteries: ₦182,828
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For the first time, the pharmacy could predict, budget, and strategically manage energy spending.
3. Clear visibility of consumption
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The pharmacy now sees daily usage, typically 6–10 kWh/day, helping them understand operational patterns and plan improvements.
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4. Empowered remote management
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Management and staff now use the enee.io MySite app to:
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Check system performance from anywhere
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Decide when to turn equipment on or off
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Train staff using live system data
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Verify that staff-taken readings match live digital insights
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Maintain confidence that refrigeration and medicine storage are safe
The manual WhatsApp-and-spreadsheet process was replaced with instant, automated accuracy.
Impact
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The combination of solar power and enee.io’s monitoring platform has created a highly reliable, low-cost, and environmentally aligned energy system for Olive Heights Pharmacy.
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Quantified Benefits
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100% uptime ensuring uninterrupted healthcare operations
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₦182,828 projected annual savings compared to grid/diesel alternatives
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₦10/kWh running cost – far below typical SME energy costs
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Accurate daily usage data (6–10 kWh/day) enabling smarter decisions
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Remote visibility reducing operational burden and human error
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Qualitative Benefits
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Awareness for the owners when off-site
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Better staff training and accountability
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Safe guarded jobs for branches allowed to operate
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Reinforced commitment to sustainable healthcare
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Continued eliminated diesel dependency entirely
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Conclusion​
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Olive Heights Pharmacy demonstrates what’s possible when small businesses pair renewable energy with intelligent data:
high reliability, low running costs, and full operational visibility.
By using enee.io’s remote monitoring system, the pharmacy has turned solar investment into a predictable, manageable, and high-performing energy solution, showcasing a model that Lagos SMEs can follow to reduce costs and leave diesel behind.