IEEE Smart Village Named Finalist in 2015 Bloomberg New Energy Finance Summit’s Finance for Resilience (FiRe)

Home / News / IEEE Smart Village Named Finalist in 2015 Bloomberg New Energy Finance Summit’s Finance for Resilience (FiRe)
Posted On: 09.22.2015

IEEE humanitarian program widely recognized for helping to eradicate global poverty by empowering off-grid communities through sustainable locally managed renewable energy and community-based education

IEEE Smart Village, an IEEE Foundation Signature Program, announced today it has received several recognitions to further support its mission to help energy-deprived communities globally build toward sustainability through the use of renewable energy and technology.

  • Named finalist for 2015 Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) Summit’s Finance for Resilience (FiRe)
    In April, IEEE Smart Village was named a finalist for the 2015 Bloomberg New Energy Finance Summit’s Finance for Resilience (FiRe) initiative, which recognizes powerful ideas and actionable interventions for clean energy, climate, sustainability and green growth. IEEE Smart Village with its “Scalable and Standards-based DC Microgrids” presentation, given at the BNEF Summit in New York April 13-15, was recognized for creating connectable, scalable DC microgrids that leverage new standards to advance the spread of electrical goods and communications access for developing countries.
  • Supports Kilowatts for Humanity on Alstom’s We Share the Power Program grant
    Recently, Alstom Renewable Power’s We Share the Power Program awarded a €24,900 grant to Kilowatts for Humanity—an initiative supported by Seattle University faculty, staff and students and IEEE Smart Village volunteers. Kilowatts for Humanity, along with IEEE Smart Village, is committed to sustainable energy development projects around the globe. The award is in support of an electrification project in southern Zambia set to kick-off in June 2015, with installation in June 2016. We Share the Power is a program launched by Alstom Renewable Power. The aim of the program is to save energy consumption in Alstom in order to support projects that give access to energy.
  • Announces partnership with humanitarian organization in Cameroon
    IEEE Smart Village awarded a $150,000 grant to the Torchbearer Foundation (TBF) for Missions, Reconciliation and Development —a U.S. faith-based non-governmental organization (NGO) operating humanitarian projects in the nation of Cameroon. In partnering with TBF, IEEE Smart Village will establish three independent, self-sustaining micro-utilities in West Africa providing lighting for 2,000 customers and impacting 10,000 rural off-grid energy-impoverished Cameroonians. SD Meyers provided matching funds of $75,000 for this project.
  • Featured in TEDx Talk presentation
    Dr. Avnaesh Jayantilal from Alstom Grid and a member of IEEE Smart Village, spoke at a TEDx event about “Community Microgrids for a Sustainable Future” funded by the Alstom Foundation. Dr. Jayantilal described the profound educational benefits at home and abroad by training engineering students and pairing access to sustainable power with universities. Click here to watch the full session.

“To address the needs of 1.4 billion people living without access to electricity, IEEE Smart Village is not only committed to the delivery of energy and technology solutions but to improving and empowering lives in remote communities in lasting, sustainable ways,” said Ray Larsen, co-founder of IEEE Smart Village. “We are honored to be recipients of these major recognitions as they are a testament to the powerful, transformative work we are doing around the world.”

IEEE Smart Village is a donor-supported program currently serving over 15,000 people through local partners in Cameroon, Haiti, India, Kenya, Nigeria and South Sudan. The IEEE Smart Village goal is to provide basic electrical and educational services to more than 50 million people by 2025. For more information on IEEE Smart Village, including how to get involved and to donate, please visit: https://ieeefoundation.org/SmartVillage_donation.

About IEEE

IEEE, a large, global technical professional organization, is dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. Through its highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities, IEEE is the trusted voice on a wide variety of areas ranging from aerospace systems, computers and telecommunications to biomedical engineering, electric power and consumer electronics. Learn more at http://www.ieee.org.

About IEEE Foundation

As the philanthropic arm of IEEE, the IEEE Foundation inspires the generosity of donors so it may enable IEEE programs that enhance technology access, literacy and education, as well as support the IEEE professional community.

The IEEE Foundation, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization in the United States, fulfills its purpose by soliciting and managing donations, recognizing the generosity of our donors, awarding grants to IEEE grassroots projects of strategic importance, supporting high impact Signature Programs, serving as a steward of donations that empower bright minds, recognize innovation and preserve the history of technology. With donor support, the IEEE Foundation strives to be a leader in transforming lives through the power of technology and education.

Contacts
For IEEE Smart Village
Carrie Owens, +1 731-225-3414
carrie_owens@interprosepr.com

or

IEEE Foundation
Karen Kaufman, +1 732-981-3436
k.m.kaufman@ieee.org

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