Natasha Wilson
Author's posts
May 03 2022
Prototyping Unfolding Solar
As part of the mobile minigrid project in Kenya, we have been working with Chemolex and Quantum Conversions in Nairobi, on designing a trailer with 10kW of quickly deployable solar power. So what does that look like? Well 10kW of solar power is BIG! Each 430W panel is over 2mx1m (almost the size of the …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/prototyping-unfolding-solar/
May 03 2022
Mobile Minigrids for Rapid Rural Energy Access
The Challenge Rural communities in the developing world often require access to high-power equipment, such as for flour milling or welding, but to run these services can require power at the minigrid-scale of more than 10kW. When this equipment is not running, the baseline demand for power is extremely low (a typical solar home system …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/mobile-minigrids-for-rapid-rural-energy-access/
Mar 01 2022
Mobile Minigrids – Community Site Survey Report
Smart Villages Research Group and Chemolex surveyed more than 11 remote communities in Central and Western Kenya to find a suitable location for trialling of a mobile minigrid system. This report outlines their key research findings. The Maasai Mara communities around Narok proved most promising, as these were the only ones yet to have grid …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/mobile-minigrids-community-site-survey-report/
Mar 01 2022
Challenging Assumptions through Community Engagement
At Smart Villages Research Group, we truly believe in the importance of a community-led approach. We always start by asking the community to tell us about the challenges they’re facing, through focus groups and service value tests. This helps us ensure that any technology or system we develop will definitely provide value to the community, …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/challenging-assumptions-through-community-engagement/
Nov 15 2021
Ormoti Business Hub – Showcase Video!
We’re excited to reveal this showcase video for Ormoti Business Hub in Northern Tanzania, created by our summer intern, Iona Smith. This pilot project was carried out in partnership with local NGO, OMASI, as part of a wider integrated community energy project. The solar-powered site powers the local borehole for fresh water, fridges for cold …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/ormoti-business-hub-showcase-video/
Sep 13 2021
Donate this week for 50% Match Funding!
Through our work with Smart Villages Research Group, we often come across issues in the communities that are outside the scope of our project funding to be able to address, but which nevertheless are strong priorities for us, our partners, and the communities. We use Global Giving to fundraise for these projects, and currently have …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/donate-this-week-for-50-match-funding/
Sep 08 2021
Fundraising with DonorSee
As part of our project work, we always come across other small issues in the communities in which we are working that are outside the scope of project funding to be able to address, but which nevertheless are priorities for us, our partners, and the communities. In these cases, often even only a very small …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/fundraising-with-donorsee/
Jun 20 2021
Project Summary Booklet
We’ve created a short booklet with photos and facts about each of our main projects, covering projects with both SVRG and our sister company, STI4D. Each project is only a few pages, with bitesize information and lots of fun infographics. Take a look to learn more!
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/project-summary-booklet/
Apr 11 2021
Human Centred Design of Telehealth System – Report
This report details the human-centered design approach taken by STI4D and OMASI to design the Telehealth system, as part of the InnovateUK funded project: ‘Innovative Access to Healthcare in Remote Communities‘. This document does not standalone, and is supported by numerous reports describing the research questions the HCD process seeks to answer, and the outcomes …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/human-centred-design-of-telehealth-system-report/
Apr 01 2021
Innovative Off-grid Access To Healthcare (STI4D, Completed)
Project Aim: Develop and test a new method for improving access to healthcare for unserved Maasai communities in Northern Tanzania Outcome: Conducted over 11 different types of research activity in 4 rural Maasai communities, with a total of over 200 participants including health professionals, to determine health needs and priorities. Successfully applied existing video-conferencing technology …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/innovative-off-grid-access-to-healthcare-sti4d-completed/
Apr 01 2021
Off-grid energy reporting technology (Completed)
The project aimed to develop a product which could: 1. Report on an entire solar system (AC currents, AC voltages, DC currents, and DC voltages), independent of the equipment manufacturer. 2. Divert excess energy directly from the solar panels to an auxiliary load, using historic data and AI algorithms to determine when there is sufficient …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/off-grid-multi-energy-reporting-system-and-ai-load-controller-completed/
Mar 31 2021
Off-grid multi-energy reporting system and AI load controller – Full Technical Report
This report was written to summarise all findings from an InnovateUK Funded research project, aiming to develop a product which could: 1. Report on an entire solar system (AC currents, AC voltages, DC currents, and DC voltages), independent of the equipment manufacturer. 2. Divert excess energy directly from the solar panels to an auxiliary load, …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/off-grid-multi-energy-reporting-system-and-ai-load-controller-full-technical-report/
Mar 31 2021
Tele-Health System Design Priorities
As part of InnovateUK funded project: ‘Innovative Off-Grid Access to Healthcare’. research was carried out into the healthcare system in Tanzania, and more specifically for rural communities around Terat, Tanzania, where our partner organisation is based (See the Community Remote Healthcare Priorities Report). The findings confirmed that there is a need for improved access to …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/tele-health-system-design-priorities/
Mar 11 2021
Remote Telehealth Consultation Trial – Report
This report summarises the key findings from the first two remote telehealth consultation trials, held in Loswaki village in Jan/Feb 2021, including detail on the health trial set-up, the sequence of activities for each, the number of patients that attended, and how the requirement for medicines to be transported to the patients was fulfilled. Patients …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/remote-telehealth-consultation-trial-report/
Feb 13 2021
Jan/Feb 2021 Trip Video – Tanzania & Uganda
A short video showing some highlights from our most recent work visit to Africa to give you a flavour of our everyday lives out on the field: fixing milling machines, inspecting and diagnosing solar equipment, running telehealth trials, joining our project partners in cooking food, running focus groups, visiting schools, helping build cold-stores, travelling to …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/jan-feb-2021-trip-video-tanzania-uganda/
Jan 20 2021
Language and Education Barriers in Community Engagement
The SVRG approach is grounded in community engagement and human centred design, to ensure the systems we install bring real, lasting benefit. Unfortunately, due to language barriers, we are unable to run focus groups ourselves, but rely on our in-country partners to assist with translation, or with running the entire group following training. Our translators …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/language-and-education-barriers-in-community-engagement/
Jan 01 2021
Off-grid multi-energy reporting system and AI load controller
SVRG are carrying out this 3 month project with funding from InnovateUK, the UK’s Innovation Agency. Most of our community development solutions have been powered by clean offgrid solar electricity. Monitoring and controlling these systems can be challenging, as every equipment manufacturer tends to have their own bespoke monitoring and data collection system. This presents …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/off-grid-multi-energy-reporting-system-and-ai-load-controller/
Dec 31 2020
Community Remote Healthcare Background and Priorities Report – Simanjiro, Tanzania
This report outlines the health needs and priorities of remote Maasai communities in Northern Tanzania, specifically in the Simanjiro region where our project partners, OMASI are based. The research was done as part of an Innovate Funded Project, exploring how video consultations and batched medicine delivery could help provide quality access to healthcare for remote, …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/community-remote-healthcare-background-and-priorities-report-simanjiro-tanzania/
Dec 10 2020
Nov/Dec 2020 Trip Video – Uganda
A video showing some highlights from our most recent trip to Uganda, aiming to give you a flavour of our everyday work out on the field.
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/nov-dec-2021-trip-video-uganda/
Dec 04 2020
Solar-powered Milling Machine Evaluation
This report describes the results of tests conducted to assess the viability of an electric 3-phase 2.2kW Agsol hammer mill, imported from Kenya, for use in rural Maasai communities in Simanjiro, Tanzania. The objectives of the tests were to assess the viability of powering the mill from offgrid (solar) energy technology, and (for different mill …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/solar-milling-machine-evaluation/
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Smart Villages Amazon Smile campaign
