Rural Nigeria a winner with solar-based power

December 3, 2013 | By Barbara Vergetis Lundin

The Green Village Electricity Project (GVEP) has been recognized as a winner of the Power Africa Off-Grid Energy Challenge -- an initiative sponsored by IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES) through its Community Solutions Initiative (CSI) and launched by General Electric (GE) and the United States Africa Development Agency (USADF) and -- for its efforts to introduce solar-based power to rural parts of Nigeria.

Rural Jigawa, Nigeria. Credit: DFID - UK Department for International Development/Wikimedia Commons

CSI is a non-profit member group of IEEE PES that brings together a diverse team to use renewable energy and technology to improve lives of people in remote communities in a sustainable way. GVEP provides an affordable, efficient-energy source to a developing country, which aligns with CSI's mission to be the leading provider of scientific and engineering information on electric power and energy for the betterment of society.

The Green Village Electricity Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by IEEE members from the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), supports GVEP and advocates for affordable and reliable energy solutions for rural African locations. The project was conceptualized as an entry in the IEEE Presidents' Change the World Competition, which recognizes and rewards students who identify a real-world problem and apply engineering, science, computing and leadership skills to solve it.

GVEP sought to provide energy solutions to a remote settlement in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria via solar panels. The off-grid solar electricity supplies the energy needs of a small, remote settlement, including basic lighting, powering of small gadgets, and providing electricity for a health center and water borehole.

"GVEP exemplifies the efforts of the IEEE PES Community Solutions Initiative by bringing together engineers to collaborate with other professions to foster development and sustainability in Nigeria," said Robin Podmore, vice president of new initiatives and outreach, IEEE PES. "…the true winners are those living in the rural parts of Nigeria who now have solar-based power as a result."

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http://www.fierceenergy.com/story/rural-nigeria-winner-solar-based-power/2013-12-03