The Smart Villages Initiative

Dr John Holmes

EASAC Energy Programme Secretary

MCSC/CMEDT Research Consultant

The Scale of the Energy Challenge

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1.3 billion people without access to electricity, mainly in rural communities

3 billion people use traditional fuels for household energy

1.5 million people die each year from indoor air pollution caused by traditional fuels

Oil prices in real terms are 5 x what they were when OECD countries were at a similar stage of development

Universal access to electricity by 2030

IEA World Energy Outlook: new connections in rural areas

30% grid extension

70% from micro-grids and home-based approaches

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Energy as catalyst for development

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Sustainable energy

access as catalyst for

development

education

Local business

Health & welfare

Democratic engagement

Smart villages

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Focus: mini/micro-grid and home-based

approaches

Policy advice: an insightful, bottom-up view of the

challenges of village energy provision for

development, and how they can be overcome

Workshops: bringing together top European,

African, and Asian scientists with local

stakeholders (entrepreneurs, villagers, NGO’s,

financers and policy makers etc.)

On-going dialogue: follow

up engagement activities;

EASAC briefings

Smart villages: support & preparatory activities

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Links & collaborations: extensive round

of meetings in 2013 – much interest

Funding: Malaysian Commonwealth Studies Centre &

application to Templeton World Charity Foundation

Science Academies: national, regional and global

Scoping study in 2012: 20 case studies from Africa and

India

High-level Steering Panel and EASAC Reference Group

In-country workshops

June 2014 • Tanzania / East Africa

January 2015 • Malaysia / Southeast Asia

May 2015 • India / South Asia

November 2015

• Bolivia / South America

April 2016 • Ghana / West Africa

November 2016

• Mexico / Central America

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Follow up activities

Dissemination of workshop report

Preparation of briefs and briefing meetings

Training courses and master classes

Entrepreneurial competition

Final event with key stakeholders

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Additional Activities

Vision Paper

Booklet of essays

Pocket guide

Website

Final Workshops: Brussels and Developing Country

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Cambridge: Forward Look

Energy: production, use and efficiency

Possible game-changing

developments over next 10-15

years

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Thank you