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

To provide sustainable energy for all, we 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.

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Efficiency for Access Design Challenge 2022 – 2023

The fourth year of the Efficiency for Access Design Challenge starts in September 2022, and will culminate with a Grand Final in June 2023.

This year, students from 14 universities are participating. For more information on this year's Challenge, click here.

Efficiency for Access Design Challenge 2019 – 2022

Over the last three years, more than 300 students from 30 universities in 14 countries have participated in the Challenge. They developed 68 project ideas which you can read here.

The Challenge starts with a kick-off workshop at each university and includes a series of webinars, mentoring by experts in the sector, and a prototype fund application call.

Industry partners mentored student teams, spoke in webinars, and judged the pitching sessions. They also provided resources for the students, which can be found here.

The Grand Final is the final stage of the Efficiency for Access Design Challenge and allows us to celebrate participating students’ achievements. The event showcased some of the amazing submissions we received during the competition, and awarded students with the most innovative designs.

For those who missed last year’s Grand Final, you can watch the full event recording here, which includes a panel discussion on ‘How can early career professionals influence sustainable growth in the solar appliance sector?’

Highlights from the Efficiency for Access Design Challenge 2021 - 2022 :

Contact

Students and academics

If you are a student or an academic and have any questions about the Efficiency for Access Design Challenge, please contact  EforAchallenge@est.org.uk

Companies

For more information on sponsoring or future involvement in the Efficiency for Access Design Challenge, please contact EforAchallenge@est.org.uk

Efficiency for Access and Engineers Without Borders UK are delighted to collaborate on the delivery of the Efficiency for Access Design Challenge. The Challenge is funded by UK aid and the IKEA Foundation.