Deadline: 15-Feb-23

The Efficiency for Access Design Challenge 2022–2023 is now open for applications, a global multi-disciplinary competition that empowers teams of university students to help accelerate clean energy access.

Aims

• To provide sustainable energy for all, they urgently need to enhance the efficiency and affordability of high performing appliances. The Challenge invites teams of university students to create affordable, high-performing off-grid appliances and enabling technologies.
• By bringing together and inspiring students, the competition aims to foster innovation in the off-grid appliances sector. It also seeks to help address barriers that limit market expansion in this area. Furthermore, the Challenge seeks to forge beneficial partnerships between universities, researchers and industry partners at a global level. In this way, it will further strengthen academic capacity within the off-grid sector.

Program Details

• From October 2022 to April 2023, there will be a series of webinars and workshops. The webinars will explore topics that are connected with relevant concepts useful when considering a holistic approach for the development of project ideas within the energy access sector. The workshops will help participating students hone their skills in developing a design project.
• These online events will be scheduled at different days and times to cater for different needs and time zones. The sessions will be recorded and available on their website. However, they strongly recommend that students attend live webinars, as they will provide an excellent opportunity for attendees to interact with the speakers and ask questions.

Benefits

• Through the Efficiency for Access Design Challenge online workspace on CrowdSolve, participating students will be able to upload your projects and collaborate with the Efficiency for Access Design Challenge community.
• You will be able to connect with other students and industry experts who are working to design affordable, high performing appliances for people living in off and weak-grid communities in low to middle income countries. This workspace is only accessible to students at one of the participating universities, participating mentors or reviewers.
• Those teams with higher scores were awarded gold, silver or bronze prizes.

Eligibility Criteria

• Year four of the Efficiency for Access Design Challenge will begin in September 2022. This year students from 20 universities in Bangladesh, Cameroon, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, Senegal, Sweden, Uganda, the UK, the USA and Zimbabwe are participating.

For more information, visit Efficiency for Access.