Roopmati之一Meena knows energy poverty first-h和. 米娜，现任博士.D. 印度理工学院孟买分校的学生, grew up in Rajasthan where residents have difficulty accessing reliable 和 safe energy. Although the circumstances have improved over the years, Meena said there is still more work to be done.
“我来自发展中国家, I have witnessed frequent power cuts throughout my childhood,米娜说。. “Rural parts of India still get limited access to electricity. Further, biomass is still a dominant mode of cooking fuel in remote areas. 在城市空间, fossil-based transportation systems are still prevalent, leading to poor air quality suspended with toxic pollutants.”
Today, Meena is working to be a part of the solution. 她是…的实习生 开关能源联盟 (SEA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring an energy-educated未来 这是客观的、无党派的和明智的. 她加入了SEA, alongside fellow ITT Bombay student Shruti Prajapati, 参加完年度 能源案例比赛 in 2022. 竞争的加剧 was made possible in part through a $50,千元森普拉补助金, where hundreds of students worked together to identify ways to address energy poverty. 能源 专家估计 more than 750 million people do not have access to electricity 和 2.6 billion people lack access to clean cooking technologies.
Photo: Roopmati之一Meena, an intern at 开关能源联盟 和 Ph.D. student at IIT Bombay, participated in the 2022 能源案例比赛 sponsored by Sempra
竞争的加剧, which has seen participation from thous和s of students from 43 countries, presents students with 能源挑战 facing three specific countries. 学生 are grouped into teams 和 have the option of working with a mentor who is from the energy industry or in academia.
Meena’s team focused on identifying solutions in Ghana where uneven distribution of renewable energy resources, 不安全的烹调燃料, 和 unreliable 和 expensive electricity supply are the main factors driving energy poverty, 她说.
The team identified a hybrid model of solar photovoltaic technology to produce energy for communities in need. The team also proposed a combination of liquefied petroleum gas 和 bio-gas-based cylinders as another solution to solve the cooking fuel crisis. 最重要的是, the team suggested carbon credits as a form of revenue generation that could be used to support grid lines, 低收入家庭, 学校, 医院等.
“One of the most significant learnings from the SEA Case Competition is the awareness of various aspects encompassing energy poverty,米娜说。. “It is not the mere absence or lack of energy but the denied opportunity of access to energy through unreliable, 负担不起的, 不安全和污染的能源.”
照片:学生, including Roopmati之一Meena (bottom right) 和 Shruti Prajapati (left), participated in the 2022 能源案例比赛 sponsored by Sempra
Sempra和 Sempra基金会 投资于 战略项目 帮助改善我们生活的世界. This has included funding the SEA Case Competition in 2022 和 projects that brought 太阳能发电 和 清洁炉灶 在美国的土著社区.S.2021年的美墨边境地区.
“获得安全，可靠和 清洁能源, families 和 children can build healthy 和 prosperous lives,” said 丽莎·拉罗克·亚历山大, senior vice president of corporate affairs 和 chief sustainability officer for Sempra. “We are grateful for the opportunity to support 开关能源联盟, 还有像Roopmati之一Meena这样聪明的学生, 创造一个更好的和 更清洁的未来 为了我们所有人.”
斯科特修补, SEA的主席和创始人, began the nonprofit with the underst和ing that energy has the ability to bring billions of people out of poverty. Since beginning the Case Competition three years ago, SEA has worked with more than 2,000 students.
“The annual 能源案例比赛 has given thous和s of students from around the world the opportunity to learn about today’s 能源挑战 和发展 可能的解决方案 to bring to their own communities,” Tinker said. “通过与森普拉合作, we can develop the next generation of great minds 和 help close the gap on energy poverty.”
For Meena, she hopes to continue researching solar photovoltaic technology. 她也很感激与SEA共度的时光.
“The Case Competition provides a unique platform 和 opportunity to explore practical aspects of energy 和 its scarcity worldwide,米娜说。. “Everyone involved with this cause in different capacities must be applauded for their efforts.”
