Powering Agriculture: An Energy Grand Challenge for Development initiative - Winners

In it's inaugural round, more than 475 organizations from 80 countries applied to the Powering Agriculture Grand Energy Challenge for Development, offering market-based, clean energy innovations for the agricultural sphere in developing countries. Each of the 11 winning organizations received awards of between $800,000 and $1.5 million.

The innovations of the winners can be broadly categorized into applications for processing, irrigation, decentralized power, and cold storage.

Processing Biomass-Powered Thermal Processing of Ethiopian Bamboo African Bamboo, Ethiopia African Bamboo is developing an environmentally friendly bamboo thermal modification process in Ethiopia. The technology involves the combustion of biomass dust - a technological approach that is completely new to Ethiopia. Read more about the project here. Hybrid Vehicles with Exportable Power for Community-Based Agriculture Mechanization Motivo Enegineering, India Motivo Engineering is developing hybrid vehicles with exportable power for community-based agriculture mechanization. The system utilizes power from varied energy sources such as solar panels, wind turbines, micro-hydro turbines, or the grid to enable increased productivity all along the agriculture value chain. Read more about the projecthere. Hydroponic Greem Farming Initiative ECO Consult, Jordan Built around a culture of excellence, the innovative approach of ECO Consult is combined with solid knowledge and abundant experience and geared towards achieving sustainable development in Jordan and the Middle East. Read more about the project here. Irrigation Micro-Solar Utilities for Small-Scale Irrigation in Senegal The Earth Insitute at Columbia University, USA The Earth Institute brings together the people and tools needed to address some of the world's most difficult problems, from climate change and environmental degradation, to poverty, disease and the sustainable use of resources. Read more about the project here. Solar-Powered Pumps for Improved Irrigation in Honduras, Nepal, Zambia iDE International Development Enterprises, USA iDE is an international non-profit dedicated to ending poverty in the developing world not through handouts, but by helping farm families access the tools and knowledge they need to increase their income. Read more about the project here.

Decentralized Power Biomass Mini-Grids for Palm Oil Producing Communities in Benin and Tanzania Camco Advisory Services, Tanzania Camco is developing Village Industrial Power (VIP) Plants. VIP Plants are mini-grid systems powered through the combustion of biomass waste produced at local agricultural processing facilities. Read more about the project here. Smart Grid on Main Street: Electricity and Value-added Processing for Agricultural Goods in Rural Haiti EarthSpark International, USA EarthSpark has developed a solar-diesel hybrid micro-grid system that will increase access to affordable, reliable electricity for value-added agricultural processing. Read more about the project here. Cold Storage SunChill: Solar Cooling for Horticultural Preservation in Mozambique Rebound Technology, USA SunChill is a novel, off-grid refrigeration solution enabling increased agricultural productivity by: (i) Removing field heat from crops immediately following harvest, and (ii) Providing continued product cooling at local markets and/or central processing facilities. Read more about the project here. Reducing Milk Spoilage through Solar Powered Milk Chilling in Rural India Promethean Power Systems, USA Promethean’s refrigeration solution uses a thermal energy battery pack that charges on solar power and/or a few hours of grid electricity. This provides cold storage around the clock despite inconsistent access to electricity. Read more about the project here. Solar-Powered Refrigeration for Kenyan Dairy Farms SunDanzer Refrigeration, USA Recognizing the need for affordable cold-chain technologies, SunDanzer is developing a small-scale portable cooling system tailored for use in the Kenyan dairy market. The system comprises a photovoltaic refrigerator (PVR) that uses solar energy to cool a chest refrigerator. Read more about the project here. Biogas-Powered Evaporative Cooling for Uganda’s Dairy Industry University of Georgia Research Foundation, USA UGARF has developed a refrigeration unit powered on biogas—which is extracted from cow manure. The unit regenerates zeolite plates, which retain their capacity to capture water vapor from the evaporative milk chilling process. Read more about the project here.

Further Information

• Agriculture Powering Agriculture Portal on energypedia
• Website: Powering Agriculture - Winners 2013
• Powering Agriculture Call for Innovation Powering Agriculture Call 2014