African students Win International Challenge to Accelerate Access to Universal Clean Energy

Today, winners of the Efficiency for Access Design Challenge were announced at a virtual grand final event. Now in its third year, the Efficiency for Access Design Challenge invites teams of university students from around the world to design sustainable, and high-performing appliances intended for communities with no or unreliable access to electrical grids. 

Globally, 759 million people live without access to electricity and many more have an unreliable connection. This means that they are unable to access appliances that can help them earn a living or enjoy a good quality of life. The development of affordable and efficient appliances can help the world achieve universal clean energy access by 2030. 

The Challenge empowers teams of university students to accelerate clean energy access for low to middle-income countries through the development of innovative appliances and to address barriers that limit market expansion in this area.