Smart Villages

TR5: The Smart Villages Initiative: Interim review of findings

Technical Reports /

This report summarises the findings and recommendations arising from the engagement activities of the Smart Villages Initiative in East Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and South America over the first 18-month period (October 2014 – March 2016) of the first phase of the initiative. Over that period, workshops and other engagement activities involved over 600 …

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[:en]Smart Villages announces Naturetech Infra as the winner of the 2016 Off-grid Energy Impact Competition for India[:]

Press Releases, Top Story /

[:en]On the stage of the Lighting a Billion Lives Convention in Delhi India, Smart Villages has announced Naturetech Infra as the winner of the Smart Villages Off-grid Energy Impact Competition for India.  Applications from off-grid energy entrepreneurs across the nation were assessed on impact, level of project development, sustainability, innovation and replicability.  Naturetech Infra was …

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Why energy is a priority in sustainable development

Stories /

Access to safe and sustainable energy is of vital importance to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), says Marcel Alers, global head of energy at the UN Development Programme (UNDP). “Energy provision is an essential element of sustainable development,” Alers tells SciDev.Net, referring to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which encompasses the 17 goals …

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WR10: Smart Villages in Pakistan

Workshop Reports /

Pakistan has substantial experience of deploying micro-grids based on micro-hydro systems in rural communities. The Smart Villages Initiative, supported by the Rural Support Programmes Network, Pakistan organised a workshop in Islamabad, Pakistan on 6 October 2015 to consider Pakistan’s experience of developing enabling frameworks for the dissemination of micro-grids.  The workshop was an important event …

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BR7: Lessons learned from the Smart Villages Engagement Programme in East Africa

Policy Briefs /

This policy brief summarises the findings and recommendations arising from a 15 month programme of engagement in East Africa, commencing in June 2014, undertaken by the Smart Villages Initiative to identify the barriers to off-grid sustainable energy access for development in rural communities and to gather views on how those barriers can be overcome. It …

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Book of collected essays from world experts released

Press Releases /

Opinion pieces from experts tackling the idea of energy as a catalyst for sustainable development – health, food security, education gender equality, governance, security and employment. Smart Villages: New Thinking for off-grid communities worldwide comprises 16 essays written by scientists and leading thinkers from around the world. 1.3 billion people worldwide still lack access to …

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[:en]Smart Villages | New thinking for off-grid communities worldwide[:es]Una nueva manera de pensar para comunidades sin conexión a la red a nivel mundial Smart[:fr]De nouvelles initiatives pour les populations hors réseau du monde entier[:]

Resources /

[:en]Smart Villages presents 16 essays by leading scientists and thinkers, providing policy makers, donors and development agencies concerned with rural energy access with new insights on the barriers to energy access in villages in developing countries – technological, financial and political – and explores opportunities and efforts to overcome them. The book describes the personal …

[:en]Smart Villages | New thinking for off-grid communities worldwide[:es]Una nueva manera de pensar para comunidades sin conexión a la red a nivel mundial Smart[:fr]De nouvelles initiatives pour les populations hors réseau du monde entier[:] Read More »

More applied research, news needed on off-grid ‘smart villages’

Blog /

Ed- How can science and research help bridge the gap in energy access for some 1.3 billion people living in off-grid communities worldwide? Anna gives her report after attending the Smart Villages Seoul Media Workshop. A potential solution lies in mapping on-ground activities of prototype ‘smart villages’ that use off-grid electrification solutions to deliver energy, …

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WR5: Smart Villages in Nepal: Kathmandu Workshop Report

Workshop Reports /

The Smart Villages Initiative, working with its local partner Practical Action Consulting South Asia, held a workshop in Kathmandu, Nepal on 10th April 2015. The aim of the workshop was to learn lessons from Nepal’s experience of micro/mini-hydroelectric schemes for off-grid rural communities and associated initiatives to stimulate productive enterprises which could be shared with …

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BR3: Findings from the Nepal Smart Villages Workshop

Policy Briefs /

The Smart Villages Initiative together with its local partner, Practical Action Consulting South Asia, held a workshop in Kathmandu on 10th April 2015 to consider off-grid energy systems in Nepal. The workshop focused on Nepal’s substantial experience of micro/mini-hydro schemes, and on initiatives to stimulate productive enterprises enabled by the availability of sustainable electricity supplies. …

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WR4: Kuching Workshop Report on Smart Villages in Southeast Asia

Workshop Reports /

Summary This report summarises the information presented at, and conclusions arising from, the second major international workshop of the Smart Villages Initiative. The workshop took place in Kuching, the capital city of Sarawak, Malaysia, on the campus of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), and marked the beginning of a 12-month programme of engagement by the Smart …

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TR1: Smart Villages Scoping Study

Technical Reports /

This 2012 scoping study analyses aspects of contemporary work concerning village-level energy services in developing countries. African countries, particularly Ghana and Tanzania, and India are the primary geographical focus. The study also analyses social businesses and entrepreneurship in the area of sustainable off-grid energy provision. This study, carried out at the behest of the European …

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WR2: Smart Villages in East Africa – Arusha Workshop Report

Workshop Reports /

The workshop held in Arusha, Tanzania from 2 to 5 June, 2014, was the first in the series of six major international workshops planned to be held in Africa, Asia and Latin America over the period 2014 to 2017 as a core component of the Smart Villages Initiative (www.e4sv.org). The organising partners for the Arusha workshop were the Cambridge Malaysian Education and Development Trust …

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Overview of Smart Villages Arusha Workshop

Video /
Dr Bernie Jones

In this video, Dr Bernie Jones describes the aims of the Smart Villages workshop in Arusha in June 2014.  The workshop aims to bring together leaders in the area of off-grid village energy, including poilcymakers, NGOs, entrepreneurs and other experts.  

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