6:40am Tuesday 22nd December 2009
VILLAGES in rural Africa could receive electricity for the first time thanks to a project led by researchers at the University of Southampton.
The scheme has just been awarded £2.6m in funding to help develop sustainable offgrid electricity supplies, and then assess the impact they have on people’s lives.
The costs involved in connecting villages to the nearest electrical network mean they are likely to remain without power unless an alternative is found.
The change it brings will be studied against development goals identified by the UN.
The money has come from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, and the Government’s Department for International Development, and will fund the scheme for at least five years.
“The key question is how can one progress from ‘one off ’ projects to deliver replication models that drive down costs, raise quality and local participation, and enhance the quality of life of villagers,” said Professor AbuBakr Bahaj, from the university’s school of civil engineering and the environment.
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