Humanitarian, Engineering and Energy for Displacement (HEED)
Lead Research Organisation:
Coventry University
Department Name: Ctr for Fluid and Complex Systems
Abstract
To address this global challenge call, a multi-sectorial consortium led by two UK Universities (Coventry University and the University of Oxford), with an international civil society partner and developing country researchers (Practical Action) and an international sustainable energy and ICT social enterprise consultancy (Scene Connect), has been formed to provide original research on energy for displaced populations. The overarching aim of this proposal is the implementation of safe and sustainable energy solutions for lighting, electrification, cooking, heating and cooling, and water and sanitation that promotes development and improves wellbeing in displaced communities, and the associated ICT-based business processes that enable replication and scalability.
The consortium aims to deliver an innovative research programme to understand how the energy needs of displaced people can be met a safe, sustainable manner. The project seeks to provide research on energy needs in self-settlements, host communities and refugee camps, and understand how sustainable energy solutions can be delivered. Based on this evidence, the consortium will engage a range of energy stakeholders to design and implement sustainable energy solutions. The role of sustainable sources of energy in providing energy services for refugee protection is a critical area for innovation and scale-up. While the focus within refugee camps is often on solar energy (due to the advanced nature of this technology and the natural solar resource available in many developing countries), there are increasing opportunities for the use of renewable biomass and biogas, wind generators, micro-hydro, geothermal, LPG, and waste recycling. Similarly, renewable micro-grids and hybrid systems are often proposed as options for enabling flexible solutions that can be supplied quickly and efficiently in humanitarian emergencies. In addition, the feasibility and ability of low-cost, remote monitoring wireless systems to manage assets and pre-empt operations and maintenance issues of energy infrastructure require further investigation. Digital infrastructure could potentially be created to provide the private sector the assurance it requires to enter this market which has traditionally been the domain of humanitarian actors. All these scientific areas are worthy of research.
The programme of work will provide energy access to four displaced populations in Rwanda (Kigeme, Nyabiheke, Gihembe refugee camps) and Nepal (Tibet and Bhutan refugees and Kathmandu climate change refugees) and assess the impact of the provision of energy on people's lives against the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and create impact through scalability of the energy solutions. Through the program we aim to build capacity with partner countries and organisations. To deliver this, the progress and outputs of the project will be disseminated through the UNESCO UNITWIN Network in Humanitarian Engineering (in which Coventry University is the global lead) as well as specially designed workshops to be held in Africa and Asia over the three year programme period. Ultimately, the project hopes to create a paradigm shift in the way refugees see themselves, instead of 'beneficiaries' dependent on handouts, they will be able to "HELP" themselves and become agents able to choose, produce, consume and take part in the running of their own communities.
The consortium aims to deliver an innovative research programme to understand how the energy needs of displaced people can be met a safe, sustainable manner. The project seeks to provide research on energy needs in self-settlements, host communities and refugee camps, and understand how sustainable energy solutions can be delivered. Based on this evidence, the consortium will engage a range of energy stakeholders to design and implement sustainable energy solutions. The role of sustainable sources of energy in providing energy services for refugee protection is a critical area for innovation and scale-up. While the focus within refugee camps is often on solar energy (due to the advanced nature of this technology and the natural solar resource available in many developing countries), there are increasing opportunities for the use of renewable biomass and biogas, wind generators, micro-hydro, geothermal, LPG, and waste recycling. Similarly, renewable micro-grids and hybrid systems are often proposed as options for enabling flexible solutions that can be supplied quickly and efficiently in humanitarian emergencies. In addition, the feasibility and ability of low-cost, remote monitoring wireless systems to manage assets and pre-empt operations and maintenance issues of energy infrastructure require further investigation. Digital infrastructure could potentially be created to provide the private sector the assurance it requires to enter this market which has traditionally been the domain of humanitarian actors. All these scientific areas are worthy of research.
The programme of work will provide energy access to four displaced populations in Rwanda (Kigeme, Nyabiheke, Gihembe refugee camps) and Nepal (Tibet and Bhutan refugees and Kathmandu climate change refugees) and assess the impact of the provision of energy on people's lives against the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and create impact through scalability of the energy solutions. Through the program we aim to build capacity with partner countries and organisations. To deliver this, the progress and outputs of the project will be disseminated through the UNESCO UNITWIN Network in Humanitarian Engineering (in which Coventry University is the global lead) as well as specially designed workshops to be held in Africa and Asia over the three year programme period. Ultimately, the project hopes to create a paradigm shift in the way refugees see themselves, instead of 'beneficiaries' dependent on handouts, they will be able to "HELP" themselves and become agents able to choose, produce, consume and take part in the running of their own communities.
Planned Impact
The project sets out to increase the access of displaced people to affordable and sustainable energy by developing a
human and data-centred approach to knowledge about energy demands in contexts of displacement, by establishing new principles for the design and procurement of energy products and services, by implementing user-centred energy systems and processes, and by informing future energy policy and practice in the humanitarian sector. Success of the HELP project would enable the scaling and replication of modular energy systems with intelligent supply and demand management integrated with digital business processes to other refugee camps globally. Lessons from the project will inform the design of off-grid energy systems widely. Furthermore, it will cross-pollinate the PI and Co-Is research agenda and their other projects in this area.
This project lays out a pathway to impact primarily through its collaboration with:
- UN's global organisations (e.g. UK National Commission for UNESCO for the UNITWIN Network in Humanitarian Engineering - see letter of support),
- existing third sector networks (e.g. Practical Action with their links to the Moving Energy Initiative), and
- government (e.g. Scene Connect's advisory role with the Scottish government on the Local Energy Challenge Fund (LECF) for the development and impact of community renewables projects in Scotland).
The project was developed in close consultation with Practical Action and Scene Connect and their involvement, from the outset, significantly enhances the capacity of this project to improve the provision of sustainable energy for refugees and those forcibly displaced by conflict, humanitarian emergency and environmental change in Rwanda and Nepal. Our empirical studies will draw upon the frameworks of engagement effectively provided by members of such organisations. Our dissemination strategy includes
Society - The project lays out direct pathway to impact to society through a series of three 'Design for Displacement (D4D)' and twelve 'Energy for End-users (E4E)" workshops for industry, humanitarian actors and refugee stakeholders to be held in Oxford, Kigali, Kathmandu and in four refugee camps. The project provides access to a wide range of companies and humanitarian organisations creating an opportunity to widen our involvement and impact. In addition, the project will widen the knowledge base of researchers, students, renewable energy specialist, sensors experts, social scientist and digital business entrepreneurs. HELP can deliver direct benefits to refugee populations through the provision of clean energy by enhancing safety, security, health and livelihoods. Additional time for livelihood activities, particularly among women and girls would be created as refugees would reduce the amount of time needed to collect firewood. Cleaner more efficient methods of cooking could improve air pollution around the camps and impact on health and well being of refugees. Ultimately, the project hopes to create a paradigm shift in the way refugees see themselves, instead of 'beneficiaries' dependent on handouts, they will be able to "HELP" themselves and become agents able to choose, produce, consume and take part in the running of their own communities.
Environment - This project will contribute to reducing charcoal and diesel usage (and the associated emission involved in the transportation of these fuels to remote refugee camps) through the provision of clean energy systems. Large emissions savings are possible through small changes and fundamental reform of the energy environment in camps.
human and data-centred approach to knowledge about energy demands in contexts of displacement, by establishing new principles for the design and procurement of energy products and services, by implementing user-centred energy systems and processes, and by informing future energy policy and practice in the humanitarian sector. Success of the HELP project would enable the scaling and replication of modular energy systems with intelligent supply and demand management integrated with digital business processes to other refugee camps globally. Lessons from the project will inform the design of off-grid energy systems widely. Furthermore, it will cross-pollinate the PI and Co-Is research agenda and their other projects in this area.
This project lays out a pathway to impact primarily through its collaboration with:
- UN's global organisations (e.g. UK National Commission for UNESCO for the UNITWIN Network in Humanitarian Engineering - see letter of support),
- existing third sector networks (e.g. Practical Action with their links to the Moving Energy Initiative), and
- government (e.g. Scene Connect's advisory role with the Scottish government on the Local Energy Challenge Fund (LECF) for the development and impact of community renewables projects in Scotland).
The project was developed in close consultation with Practical Action and Scene Connect and their involvement, from the outset, significantly enhances the capacity of this project to improve the provision of sustainable energy for refugees and those forcibly displaced by conflict, humanitarian emergency and environmental change in Rwanda and Nepal. Our empirical studies will draw upon the frameworks of engagement effectively provided by members of such organisations. Our dissemination strategy includes
Society - The project lays out direct pathway to impact to society through a series of three 'Design for Displacement (D4D)' and twelve 'Energy for End-users (E4E)" workshops for industry, humanitarian actors and refugee stakeholders to be held in Oxford, Kigali, Kathmandu and in four refugee camps. The project provides access to a wide range of companies and humanitarian organisations creating an opportunity to widen our involvement and impact. In addition, the project will widen the knowledge base of researchers, students, renewable energy specialist, sensors experts, social scientist and digital business entrepreneurs. HELP can deliver direct benefits to refugee populations through the provision of clean energy by enhancing safety, security, health and livelihoods. Additional time for livelihood activities, particularly among women and girls would be created as refugees would reduce the amount of time needed to collect firewood. Cleaner more efficient methods of cooking could improve air pollution around the camps and impact on health and well being of refugees. Ultimately, the project hopes to create a paradigm shift in the way refugees see themselves, instead of 'beneficiaries' dependent on handouts, they will be able to "HELP" themselves and become agents able to choose, produce, consume and take part in the running of their own communities.
Environment - This project will contribute to reducing charcoal and diesel usage (and the associated emission involved in the transportation of these fuels to remote refugee camps) through the provision of clean energy systems. Large emissions savings are possible through small changes and fundamental reform of the energy environment in camps.
Publications
Bhopal V
(2019)
Humanitarian energy is in growing demand
in Power for All
Grafham O
(2020)
Energy for Displacement - Understanding the Challenges
Gupta G
(2020)
Access to More: Creating Energy Choices for Refugees
Gyamfi K
(2017)
Linear classifier design under heteroscedasticity in Linear Discriminant Analysis
in Expert Systems with Applications
Halford A
(2022)
Off the boil? The challenges of monitoring cooking behaviour in refugee settlements
in Energy Research & Social Science
| Title | 'Power to Change' Digital on-line exhibition |
| Description | 12th November 2020-30th March 2021 'Power to Change' Digital on-line exhibition curated by HEED. Photographer Edoardo Santangelo. In 2019 HEED commissioned the humanitarian photographer Edoardo Santangelo to document the impact of the HEED project's energy interventions on communities in the refugee camps of Kigeme, Nyabiheke, and Gihembe in Rwanda and with a displaced community in Khalte, Nepal. |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Impact | The 'Human Stories' depicted through the photographs showed the wider public how people live, work and socialise in refugee camps and the way sustainable energy systems and structures can promote greater gender equity, autonomy and dignity for all people living in refugee camps. |
| URL | https://photomining.org/exhibitions/power-to-change |
| Title | Art into Energy |
| Description | Selected for Art into Energy Exhibition, St Andrews University, St Andrews, Scotland. |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Impact | Shortlisted for a prize - invited to submit a written piece on HEED for the Centre of Energy Ethics website |
| URL | https://energyethics.ac.uk/art-of-energy/exhibition/ |
| Title | Images for UKRI Photo Library |
| Description | 12 images selected from HEED's photo portfolio to be used in UKRI photo library |
| Type Of Art | Artefact (including digital) |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Impact | Shown the usefulness of collecting data in an interdisciplinary framework - has a broader reach to engage other energy research projects |
| Title | The French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (OFPRA) Christmas card |
| Description | An image from HEED's portfolio - a visual narrative around energy in the displaced context |
| Type Of Art | Artefact (including digital) |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Impact | OFPRA selected one of the images from HEED's portfolio for their Christmas card to be sent out to policy makers, NGO's and other humanitarian stakeholders. |
| Description | The most significant achievements from the award were: 1) An open-access comprehensive data portal with evidence on refugee camp-based energy usage that gives funding justification for innovative and community-informed affordable energy interventions. The data collected assists energy engineers, camp operators, academics and suppliers in improving the design and deployment of interventions in complex settings. 2) New socio-technical energy design protocols that work towards the co-creation of clean, appropriate energy interventions for displaced people. These protocols focus on placing refugees and internally displaced people centrally in the decision-making on energy interventions. 3) Technical innovations and specifications for four co-created solar interventions that enabled refugees and IDPs to self-govern community energy resources, which improves life chances now and for future generations. 4) Built capacity through the co-created energy interventions by engaging displaced communities with new technology and prioritising local knowledge, resources and training. In what ways might the outcomes of this funding be taken forward and put to use by others? * All of the sensor-based data sets have been curated and offered through the HEED data portal alongside with the open-sourced design documents for all interventions and sensor systems. These are invaluable for the practitioner and science communities and are ready for re-use. The evidential data drawn from over a thousand surveys will see practitioners, policymakers and energy stakeholders gain appropriate guidance on implementing systems that are flexible and responsive to rapid changes in community needs. HEED Renewable Energy Recommendations Tool (RERT) was built by Scene, with support from Coventry University and Practical Action. RERT aids future decision-making in the procurement and provision of intelligent and affordable energy solutions for displaced communities. The RERT tool has been offered as an open-source product to several organizations, including Global platform for Action on Sustainable Energy in Displacement Settings (GPA) and used by Mercy Corps. This tool applied in refugee camps will support resilience and sustainability (SDG 11) through the use of renewable energy (SDG7) as future energy interventions, such as improved cookstoves, can be designed and deployed to better respond to the needs and aspirations of camp refugees. As the development of skills was integral to the project outcomes, the workshops explored ways to support training that can contribute to the longevity of the energy installations and whether certain tasks can be accomplished by a camp resident. So, in Rwanda and Nepal, HEED joined with local solar energy contractors to train refugees by employing them as community mobilisers and technicians to provide simple repairs and advice to end-users on the energy interventions. Although political and economic constraints may limit possibilities, energy projects that include ways to develop and build forcibly displaced people's skills in delivering, improving, and maintaining energy systems open up space for camp-based refugees and IDPs to be users and producers of energy. |
| Exploitation Route | The Data Portal created makes all the survey findings widely accessible. All of the sensor based data sets have been curated and offered through the portal alongside with the open sourced design documents for all interventions and sensor systems. These are invaluable for the practitioner and science communities and are ready for re-use. The evidential data will see practitioners, policymakers and energy stakeholders gain appropriate guidance on implementing systems that are flexible and responsive to rapid changes in community needs. The RERT tool has been offered as an open source product and is uptaken for exploitation by several organizations including the UNHCR and Moving Energy initiative at Chatham House, as well as 2 INGOs. These energy protocols applied in refugee camps will support resilience and sustainability (SDG 11) through the use of renewable energy (SDG7) as future energy interventions can be constructed to better respond to the needs and aspirations of camp refugees. The co-design aspect of the project meant that refugee and IDP communities, the private sector at host country level and the local governance systems were consulted and integrated at every phase of the project cycle. This had a huge impact on increasing the projects localisation, enabling equal access for women and youth thus encouraging equality for populations. For instance, the HEED workshops acted as an in-depth co-consultation for the project to encourage data exchange with displaced communities, prioritising women and youth groups. Thus, using community knowledge to build robust demand patterns ahead of system design helping to enhance the local understanding of solar systems and community expectations for the long-term sustainability of interventions was instrumental. As the development of skills was integral to the project outcomes, the workshops explored ways to support training that can contribute to the longevity of the energy installations and whether certain tasks can be accomplished by a camp resident. So, in Rwanda and Nepal, HEED joined with local solar energy contractors to train refugees by employing them as community mobilisers and technicians to provide simple repairs and advice to end-users on the energy interventions. Although political and economic constraints may limit possibilities, energy projects that include ways to develop and build forcibly displaced people's skills in delivering, improving, and maintaining energy systems open up space for camp-based refugees and IDPs to be users and producers of energy. |
| Sectors | Energy |
| URL | http://heed-refugee.coventry.ac.uk/ |
| Description | In response to improved access to free energy through the HEED installations, the nursery school in Kigeme powered by a stand-alone solar system was extensively used during the COVID-19 pandemic by students from the University of Kigali. They used solar-battery micro-grid to power their laptops to study online after returning home for the lockdown period. This repurposing of a nursery connected to the micro-grid led to the community management leaders asking for and securing funding for laptops and the use of a projector for lessons. The community hall in Nyabiheke Camp was also used in the pandemic as a hospital waiting room, where people were assessed by medics before deciding whether to be admitted to hospital. Having an additional building that has electricity help manage the flow of people and maximise the resources and capacity of the health care available in the camp. The electrified building has gone on to be used for hosting weddings, training, sport events and other societal gatherings. Partnership collaborations were established with World Vision, Alight, and MESH power to generate knowledge exchange between humanitarian practitioners, suppliers, and researchers to support capacity building of displaced people in Rwanda through engaging with solar energy interventions. Data shared with Rwanda Energy Group (REG) lead to understanding more about the upkeep and engagement with renewable energy systems that improve self-reliance and pathways for social development and economic opportunities for other vulnerable groups. This resulted in a further project to develop solar e-cooking that contributes to Rwanda's National Strategy for Transformation (NST1) on clean cooking and energy design protocols that can support the accelerated uptake of renewable technologies. Three concerns raised in the community workshops around the lack of skills in maintaining energy interventions, concerns around vandalism, and community engagement to maximise the use of the energy systems led directly to the project to introduce and employ refugees as community mobilisers. These mobilisers were invaluable in doing simple repairs, addressing questions about the interventions, and engaging the community with the project. In addition, after the handover of the installations from HEED to NGOs in the Rwandan camps, some of the community mobilisers went on to employment with the solar energy suppliers that installed the HEED interventions. The suppliers gave them training, certification and tools to maintain and operate the solar systems for an additional twelve months. Over the lifetime of the project, 46 refugees were employed by the project as security guards, enumerators, and community mobilisers. The data portal is an open access repository of the sensor data and over 1,000 responses to surveys conducted during the project's design phase. Reports by Shell Corporation and Practical Action used this data to demonstrate how existing and future energy needs can best be provided for in the displaced setting in developing countries. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2022 |
| Sector | Energy |
| Impact Types | Cultural Societal Policy & public services |
| Description | Community Mobilisers Training |
| Geographic Reach | Africa |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | Community mobilisers played a crucial role in the sustainability and security of the systems, which benefited the community at large. Part of their remit was to engage households living in close proximity in safeguarding the energy installations, which was so successful there were little to no theft or vandalism incidents to the installations. An unforeseen benefit of employing refugees and IDPs as community mobilisers was the crucial role they played in maintaining the interventions during the COVID-19 lockdowns when external technicians could not access the camps. Some of the community mobilisers in Rwanda went on to employment with the solar energy suppliers that installed HEED interventions in the camps. Furthermore, after the handover of the installations from HEED to the NGOs in the camp, community mobilisers were given training by the suppliers to maintain and operate the solar systems for an additional twelve months. The significance of investment to provide training on new energy technologies brings about the appropriate skills to support opportunities of self-reliance for displaced people. |
| Description | Stakeholders Thematic E-Consultation UN High Level Dialogue on Energy |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Impact | Findings informed how global stakeholders implemented policies to achieve SDG. The reach and significance is in the ways refugees can access training to support the sustainability and ownership of energy systems. Challenged the framing of female refugees as passive users of energy rather than agents of change and how that contributes to inequality in access and services. Instead, putting women at the centre of designing new energy systems |
| URL | https://enb.iisd.org/events/high-level-dialogue-energy-technical-working-groups/highlights-and-image... |
| Description | Technical Apprenticeships in Solar Systems |
| Geographic Reach | Africa |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | HEED worked with a local solar system employer to hire refugees as in-camp technicians to provide ongoing maintenance after the project ended. The solar system company, MESH Power, provided full training and skills development programme and they also received kits/tools, and certification. Partnering with a private-sector agency built-in training mechanisms that continue to support access to sustainable and affordable energy goods and services after as well as during the project. In piloting the training, HEED working with Practical Action and MESH Power, showed them how a skills-based approach shifts camp-based refugees and IDPs towards a more market-based approach to energy provision at the field level. The impact of the programme is other energy stakeholders see how certain tasks can be accomplished by a camp resident, which will contribute to the longevity of the energy installations. |
| Description | Beyond Cookstoves and Solar lanterns: The role of renewable energy interventions in addressing gender inequality in the displaced setting. |
| Amount | £100,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Coventry University |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 08/2023 |
| End | 03/2027 |
| Description | British Council Scholarships in STEM 2023 - 2024 |
| Amount | £180,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | British Council |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 08/2023 |
| End | 09/2024 |
| Description | Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Grant |
| Amount | ₱1,863,089 (PHP) |
| Funding ID | CPE2017-070 |
| Organisation | Commission on Higher Education |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | Philippines |
| Start | 02/2018 |
| End | 12/2018 |
| Description | Coventry University PhD Scholarship |
| Amount | £250,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | Funding by Coventry University to match HEED EPSRC grant |
| Organisation | Coventry University |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2019 |
| End | 06/2022 |
| Description | Doctoral Training Alliance Future Societies Fully Funded Studentship |
| Amount | £100,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University Alliance |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 08/2021 |
| End | 12/2024 |
| Description | Energy Revolution Research Consortium - Core - EnergyREV |
| Amount | £8,000,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/S031863/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2018 |
| End | 05/2022 |
| Description | GCRF Frontiers of Engineering for Development Seed Funding |
| Amount | £20,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | FoESF\1617\212 |
| Organisation | Royal Academy of Engineering |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2017 |
| End | 12/2017 |
| Description | Newton Bhabbha Fund |
| Amount | £40,700 (GBP) |
| Organisation | British Council |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2017 |
| End | 02/2018 |
| Description | Solar Energy Transitions (SET): Inclusive e-cooking in sub-Saharan Africa |
| Amount | £298,240 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Innovate UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2023 |
| End | 03/2024 |
| Title | Data portal |
| Description | The Data Portal is a repository for the HEED Project's survey, monitoring and photographic data. It serves as a one-stop-shop for all project information for researchers, inside and outside of the project consortium, during and beyond the project lifetime. Within the portal all surveys that have been undertaken, as well as live sensor data from our project interventions, can be viewed and used via a searchable user-interface. We encourage students, researchers and other interested parties to engage with the project's extensive datasets to develop insights and create their own projects. Via the Portal's forums, those engaged with the data can share findings and discuss issues. (access needs to be requested and upon award, data is fully downloadable) |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | It is expected that the data provided will impact both the research and practice communities engaged with: - energy interventions and understanding of needs for refugees and displaced populations specifically in Rwanda and Nepal - IoT developments and data science as applied to transformation of data from sensors into actionable knowledge and decision making |
| URL | http://heed-data-portal.s3-website.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/signup |
| Title | HELP quantitative energy assessment survey |
| Description | In Rwanda and Nepal refugees and displaced people do not have access to sufficient energy to fulfil their basic needs and live fulfilling safe and productive lives. The first step in addressing these problems is to understand the energy needs of refugees in the communities this project will work with. The HELP project has developed a quantitative energy assessment survey. The quantitative energy assessment survey consists of three separate surveys, targeting households, community facilities and enterprises. The surveys are to be administered in Nyabiheke, Kigeme and Gihembe camps in Rwanda and in an IDP location in Nepal during March/April 2018. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2018 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | The survey will 1) provide data to enable understanding of how displaced settlements can be provided with energy (for cooking, lighting and power) in a sustainable manner to increase health, well-being and productivity? 2) identify a preliminary sample of approximately 80 households/sub-communities to receive cooking, lighting and microgrid systems |
| Title | Renewable Energy Recommendation Tool (RERT) |
| Description | The Renewable Energy Recommendations tool (RERT) provides energy technology recommendations for refugee camp deployment based on energy-economic-environment-health performance indicators. The aim of the research tool is to support decision-makers in increasing energy access in refugee camps and sustainability for i) Cooking Energy, ii) Household Lighting and Electricity, iii) Community/Camp central Lighting and Electricity. Users engage with the tool by answering questions such as describing the camp population, existing energy infrastructure and desired energy needs of the community and households. Users of the tool can also enter technical data for particular renewable energy power generation and cooking options. This allows users to obtain results and guidance that is relevant to the local setting. Results are presented in the form of a dashboard where different technology options can be compared against the current baseline situation for a wide range of performance indicators and specified energy access targets. The first version (v1) of the tool was built by Scene Connect with support from Coventry University and Practical Action between June 2018 and August 2019. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | A workshop for scoping the the tool was initially carried out at Chatham House in June 2018. A first version of the tool was made available online in August 2019 and an example case study demonstrating RERT for evaluating alternative cooking solutions in Kigeme Camp, Rwanda, was developed by the team. The tool and the example case study have been demoed via a webinar (Low Carbon Energy Planning in Humanitarian Contexts), which had representatives from UNHCR /IOM/NorCap, and at the Humanitarian Energy Conference 2019 in Ethiopia, where discussion were had with the IKEA Foundation, SNV, UNITAR/GPA, Clean Cooking Alliance, Power Africa, HIVOS and the WFP. |
| URL | http://github.com/heedproject/rert |
| Title | EPSRC HEED Data Repository: Footfall Monitoring System |
| Description | The dataset deposited here was prepared under the EPSRC-funded Humanitarian Engineering and Energy for Displacement research project (EP/P029531/1). The project aimed to understand energy needs of displaced communities, create an evidence base on the usage of different energy interventions and provide recommendations for improved design of future energy interventions to better meet the needs of people. As part of the project, we deployed a Footfall Monitoring System in the Uttargaya settlement in Nepal. Footfall monitors are designed to measure the step count of passers-by with the aim to: Evaluate the level of activity in an area by measuring footfall count and Evaluate the effect of streetlights on the level of activity. For the purpose of this study, the 7 footfall monitors are deployed beside 7 streetlights. The footfall monitors were deployed prior to commissioning of streetlights to gather baseline data and evaluate the impact of streetlights on the footfall count. The key constituents of footfall monitors are: Raspberry Pi 3B and Case; PiFace Real Time Clock and CAM008 70º night vision camera. The total cost of a monitor is £92.88. The Raspberry Pi is the central unit of the system that runs a program to sense the footfall count as measured by the IR sensor. The IR sensor counts footfall by tracking the number of times a horizontal beam of light is "broken" when a person crosses a threshold. If new data is recorded by the sensor, the updated footfall count along with the direction of movement and the current time (measured from PiFace RTC) is stored onto an SD card. A packet containing the updated values is also transmitted to the heed-data server hosted at Coventry University. Post Deployment Challenges: Damage to footfall: In April 2019, footfall monitor 7 was damaged due to a gust of storm and heavy rains in the camp. This monitor was replaced in May 2019. Power outages: These are common in the camp. Data is lost during this time as the devices have no access to power. Internet connectivity: The availability and reliability of Wi-Fi continue to be an issue for the transmission of data to heed-data server. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| URL | https://zenodo.org/record/4271731 |
| Title | EPSRC HEED Data Repository: Individual Appliance Monitoring System |
| Description | The dataset deposited here was prepared under the EPSRC-funded Humanitarian Engineering and Energy for Displacement research project (EP/P029531/1). The project aimed to understand energy needs of displaced communities, create an evidence base on the usage of different energy interventions and provide recommendations for improved design of future energy interventions to better meet the needs of people. As part of the project, we deployed an Individual Appliance Monitoring (IAM) System in the Uttargaya settlement in Nepal. The Individual Appliance Monitoring System provides a simple, cost-effective and unobtrusive method of collecting data on the energy usage of connected appliances with the aim to: Evaluate energy consumption of different appliances and Evaluate usage patterns for different appliances. The monitoring system comprises of 2 types of devices - Energenie MiHome Smart Plugs MIHO005 (i.e. Individual Appliance Monitors (IAM)) to sense data relating to power and voltage drawn by the connected appliance, and gateway nodes to collect data from IAM. The unit cost of a MIHO005 adaptor and Raspberry Pi-based gateway is £34.99 and £74.17 respectively. The main component of the gateway node is a Raspberry Pi fitted with an Energenie ENER314-RT (receiver-transmitter) add-on board to allow the Pi to communicate with the smart plugs. The data collected by the gateway is stored locally in an SD card as well as sent to the heed-data server hosted in Coventry University. Post Deployment Challenges: · Power outages: These are common in the camp. Data is lost during this time as the devices have no access to power. · Internet connectivity: The availability and reliability of Wi-Fi continue to be an issue for the transmission of data to heed-data server. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| URL | https://zenodo.org/record/4271715 |
| Title | EPSRC HEED Data Repository: Lantern Monitoring System |
| Description | The dataset deposited here was prepared under the EPSRC-funded Humanitarian Engineering and Energy for Displacement research project (EP/P029531/1). The project aimed to understand energy needs of displaced communities, create an evidence base on the usage of different energy interventions and provide recommendations for improved design of future energy interventions to better meet the needs of people. As part of the project, we deployed Lantern Monitoring Systems in Nyabiheke camp, Rwanda. The aim was to (a) evaluate lantern usage pattern - static or mobile (b) evaluate lantern charge and discharge pattern to understand consumption behaviour. The mobile lantern monitors comprise of a D.light S30 solar lantern fitted with an Arduino-based monitoring device. The most integral part of the device is the Arduino MKR GSM 1400 board connected to an ADXL345 inertial motion unit sensor. The ADXL is used to generate activity and freefall interrupts based on acceleration readings when the lantern is in use. These interrupts are, in turn, processed to calculate the step count of the user. Additionally, the voltage of lantern battery is measured using an in-house designed voltage monitor to evaluate the discharging and charging patterns. The updated values of step count, rate of change of steps and device and lantern battery voltage are stored only if a significant change in the step count is detected. The device is packaged within the lantern casing and powered through a re-chargeable Li-Ion battery of 3.7V and a rating of 7.59Wh. The study was conducted in 2 phases. In phase 1 (03 July 2019 to 30 September 2019), data was collected from 60 lanterns and stored locally on SD card as well as communicated to a remote server via GSM. The time of data collection was recorded using GSM functionality. However, several GSM and MQTT failures were noted leading to loss of timestamp values as well as shorter battery lifetime due to re-transmission tries. Moreover, several incidents of theft and device failures were reported leading to loss of data. In phase 2 (09 October 2019 to 18 December 2019), the design of lantern monitors was modified to fix these issues. The data was collected from 54 lanterns data and only stored locally on SD cards. The time of data collection was recorded using an external RTC clock connected to the Arduino board and internal watchdog timer was used to reset the device in case of failures. While certain failures persisted, the data yield was considerably higher than phase 1 of the study. The data from both phases of study is deposited here along with the metadata. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| URL | https://zenodo.org/record/4269810 |
| Title | EPSRC HEED Data Repository: Stove Use Monitoring System |
| Description | The dataset deposited here was prepared under the EPSRC-funded Humanitarian Engineering and Energy for Displacement research project (EP/P029531/1). The project aimed to understand energy needs of displaced communities, create an evidence base on the usage of different energy interventions and provide recommendations for improved design of future energy interventions to better meet the needs of people. As part of the project, we deployed Stove Use Monitoring Systems (SUM) on clay cook stoves in Kigeme camp, Rwanda. The aim was to (a) measure and evaluate temperature profiles within stove enclosure and on the surface of stoves (b) evaluate frequency and duration of stove use. The SUM consisted of 2 sensors - a thermocouple (to measure temperature within the stove) and a Si7021 sensor (to measure temperature and humidity outside the stove), connected to an Arduino MKR GSM 1400 board. The data measured by the sensors was stored only if the change in values exceeded a set threshold for either of the readings. The SUM was powered by a re-chargeable Li-Ion battery of 3.7V and a rating of 7.59Wh. The study was conducted in 2 phases. In phase 1 (02 July 2019 to 30 September 2019), data was collected from 15 SUM and stored locally on SD card as well as communicated to a remote server via GSM. The time of data collection was recorded using GSM functionality. However, several GSM and MQTT failures were noted leading to loss of timestamp values as well as shorter battery lifetime due to re-transmission tries. In phase 2 (02 October 2019 to 17 October 2019), data was collected from 9 SUM and only stored locally on SD cards. The time of data collection was recorded using an external RTC clock connected to the Arduino board. The data from both phases of study is deposited here along with the metadata. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| URL | https://zenodo.org/record/3947000 |
| Title | HEED Data Portal |
| Description | The Data Portal is a repository for the HEED Project's survey, monitoring and photographic data. It serves as a one-stop-shop for all project information for researchers, inside and outside of the project consortium, during and beyond the project lifetime. Within the portal all survey results, as well as sensor data from our project interventions, can be accessed. The project interventions include: 1. Standalone solar system for community hall in Nyabiheke, Rwanda 2. PV-battery micro-grid in Kigeme, Rwanda 3. Communal solar streetlights in Gihembe, Rwanda 4. Communal solar streetlights in Uttargaya, Nepal 5. Footfall monitors in Uttargaya, Nepal 6. Individual Appliance Monitors in Uttargaya, Nepal 7. Mobile solar lantern monitoring systems in Nyabiheke, Rwanda 8. Cookstove monitoring systems in Kigeme, Rwanda Datasets collected for each intervention, along with the design documents, are periodically uploaded and shared on the data portal. These can be accessed by anyone who registers on the data portal. The energy surveys undertaken by HEED are also available on the data portal here: http://data-portal-heed.s3-website.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/survey |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | None to report on yet |
| URL | http://data-portal-heed.s3-website.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/sensor |
| Title | Supplementary material for the publication: J. D. Nixon, K. Bhargava and E. Gaura, Analysis of standalone solar streetlights for improved energy access in displaced settlements, 2020. |
| Description | The dataset deposited here was prepared under the EPSRC-funded Humanitarian Engineering and Energy for Displacement research project (EP/P029531/1). The project aimed to understand energy needs of displaced communities, create an evidence base on the usage of different energy interventions and provide recommendations for improved design of future energy interventions to better meet the needs of people. As part of the project, we deployed 11 advanced solar streetlights, with additional energy access provided by ground-level AC sockets, at two project sites: Gihembe refugee camp, Rwanda (4 lights) and Uttargaya settlement, Nepal (7 lights), in July 2019. The aim of this study was to (a) identify best practices in the construction, location and security measures for long-lived street lighting (b) understand how communities would use a shared energy resource when available through energy sockets, auxiliary to the main function of the streetlights. The system data used for the performance analysis for this study (July 2019 and March 2020) is deposited here along with the metadata. The results from analysis are presented in a paper titled ' Analysis of standalone solar streetlights for improved energy access in displaced settlements' (currently under review). The scripts for analysis can be found at our Github account Cogent Labs under HEED_Nepal_SL and HEED_Rwanda_SL repositories. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| URL | https://zenodo.org/record/3947993 |
| Title | Supplementary material for the publication: J.D. Nixon, K. Bhargava and E. Gaura, Community-based solar energy interventions: lessons from two Rwandan refugee camps, 2020 |
| Description | The dataset deposited here was prepared under the EPSRC-funded Humanitarian Engineering and Energy for Displacement research project (EP/P029531/1). The project aimed to understand energy needs of displaced communities, create an evidence base on the usage of different energy interventions and provide recommendations for improved design of future energy interventions to better meet the needs of people. As part of the project, we deployed a Standalone Solar System for a Community Hall in Nyabiheke camp, Rwanda, and a PV-battery Microgrid in Kigeme camp, Rwanda. The microgrid supplies power to a playground and two nursery buildings. It powers a total of 20 CPE (each with 3 LEDs) and 10 sockets. The standalone system at Hall powers 7 CPE (with 3 LEDs each) and 4 sockets. The aim of the study was to (a) understand the energy consumption behaviour, light usage and other enabled uses within the set location in each camp (b) create an evidence base on the value of energy and its benefits in displaced contexts (c) identify best practice in the construction, control and operation of the respective systems as a shared energy resource. The system data used for the performance analysis for this study (July 2019 and March 2020) is deposited here along with the metadata. The results from analysis are presented in a paper titled ' Performance analysis of standalone solar systems in refugee camps in Rwanda' (currently under submission). The scripts for analysis can be found at our Github account Cogent Labs under HEED-Microgrid and HEED-Hall repositories. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| URL | https://zenodo.org/record/3949777 |
| Description | Advanced streetlights for surplus energy access and community use in Nepal |
| Organisation | Comtronics |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Based on research undertaken in HEED, suitable sites were identified for streetlights around a temporary settlement located in Uttargaya, Nepal. Design work was done by the research team to develop a novel solution for enabling reprogrammable energy access to surplus energy generated from a solar streetlight. Innovations in the use of Victron solar system products developed Comptronic's knowledge in these solar system products. The team also developed a solution for communicating the available energy at the streetlights on a physical dashboard located at the site entrance. Detailed co-designs for the advanced streetlight were then undertaken in partnership with Comtronics. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Comtronics sourced local materials and planned to train local technicians to maintain and service the lights on a regular basis. They also developed assembly schematics for the streetlights and provided the research team with quotes for the build, installation and maintenance of the lights. |
| Impact | Finalised system design including wiring diagrams, schematics and bill of materials for a 300 Watt peak solar streetlight - March 2019 Commissioning and community opening events taking place on 1st July 2019 for 7 smart streetlights installed at Uttargaya, Nepal; the locations for the lights were chosen by working with the supplier and community. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Advanced streetlights for surplus energy access and community use in Rwanda |
| Organisation | Neseltec |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Based on research undertaken in HEED, suitable sites were identified for streetlights to be installed in Gihembe Refugee Camp, Rwanda. Design work was done by the research team to develop a novel solution for enabling programmable energy access to surplus energy generated from solar streetlights. Innovations in the use of Victron solar system products developed Neseltec's knowledge in European solar system products. Detailed co-designs for the advanced streetlights were undertaken in partnership with Neseltec. The research team also developed a solution for communicating the available energy at the streetlights on a physical dashboard located at the camp's entrance. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Neseltec sourced local materials were possible for the advanced lights and provided quotes for the build, installation and maintenance of the lights. They also sourced and quoted for the installation of locally manufactured regular solar streetlights. |
| Impact | Finalised system design including wiring diagrams, schematics and bill of materials for four advanced 320 Watt peak solar streetlights and eight regular solar streetlights - March 2019 Commissioning of all twelve streetlights took place in July 2019 and maintenance by Neseltec has been ongoing since installation. |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Coventry-Deakin Energy for Displaced Communities Research Collaboration |
| Organisation | Deakin University |
| Country | Australia |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The research collaboration between Deakin University and Coventry University plans to grow research and researcher capacity at both institutes. In December 2017, Prof. Elena Gaura (Coventry University) and Dr Adrian Panow (Director, Deakin Energy) discussed research in the area of energy for displaced and off-grid communities. These discussions led to the development of three main research themes (2 vertical and one overarching) with potential partners such as NGOs, UNHCR, UNESCAP, Humanitarian organizations, European and Australian energy companies and their supply chain and governmental lobby groups. Particular countries of interest are: Nepal, Rwanda, selected South America countries and remote communities in Austral. As part of this collaboration, CU will be funding 3 cotutelle (joint-site) PhD studentships, |
| Collaborator Contribution | Deakin University will also be funding 3 cotutelle (joint-site) PhD studentships, |
| Impact | It is too early in the collaboration to report outcomes and impacts. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | IoT and energy research capacity growth---Softwarica College |
| Organisation | Softwarica College |
| Country | Nepal |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Coventry University and Softwarica College started collaborating as part of the HELP project in February 2018. The aim of this collaboration is to increase IoT and energy research capacity within Nepal. The first activity towards this goal is the delivery of a summer school entitled "Research methods: Sensing, Monitoring and the Internet of Things". This summer school is to be held at Softwarica College, Nepal on March 28th-March 30th, 2018. |
| Collaborator Contribution | To date, Softwarica College is organising the logistics, recruitment and facilities for the Summer School. Members of Softwarica College's faculty will be attending the training during the summer school. |
| Impact | This collaboration is still at an early stage, however, we expect to train a cohort of 20-30 people at the first summer school |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Micro-grid and PV system design and control for refugee camps |
| Organisation | Xpower |
| Department | MeshPower |
| Country | Rwanda |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Based on research undertaken in HEED, suitable sites were identified for community operated solar system interventions: i) a community hall and ii) two nursery buildings and a sheltered playground to be supplied energy from a micro-grid. Preliminary designs and technical requirements for PV-battery powered system and the design protocols for system control were then developed by the HEED research team. Detailed co-designs for the two solar system energy interventions for Rwandan refugee camps where then undertaken in partnership with Meshpower. During system deployment, MeshPower received training on the procedures for working in refugee camps in Rwanda. After the systems were installed, we worked with Mesh Power to develop a training programme for establishing local technicians to look after the system after the end of the project and the systems were handed over to the community. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Meshpower's were able share their expertise and experiences of installing solar systems in a refugee camp. They developed the wiring arrangement and detailed schematics and well as designing a solution for appliance level control of the micro-grid for meeting the needs of the HEED project in enabling community negotiation and priority setting for micro-grid management. MeshPower identified potential local technicians, provided three days of training and equipment, and subsequently employed two technicians for each energy system. |
| Impact | Finalised system design including wiring diagrams, schematics, bill of materials, etc. for two energy intervention: a 2.5 kW smart micro-grid and a 2 kW smart solar hall system - March 2019. Installation work carried out from May to June 2019, with commission and community opening events for the micro-grid and hall taking place on 1st July 2019. Building on the experiences gained from this project, MeshPower have subsequently implemented two larger micro-grids in refugee camps in Rwanda (March 2020). Four in-camp locally trained technicians, two technicians per system. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Title | Renewable Energy Recommendation Tool (RERT) |
| Description | The Renewable Energy Recommendations tool (RERT) is an online open source tool that people can use to assess different humanitarian energy interventions. The tool is designed to evaluate i) Cooking, ii) Household Lighting and Electricity and iii) Community/Camp Central Lighting and Electricity solutions for refugee camps based on their current situation and an aspirational energy access tier based on the Energy Sector Management Assistance Programme (https://www.esmap.org/node/55526). An advanced user option is available to enable access to the models and database behind the software interface, so that the tool can be modified and further developed in-house to best fit alternative user needs. These models include energy demand calculations, technology performance parameters, load profiling and ranking procedure. The first version (v1) of the tool was built by Scene Connect with support from Coventry University and Practical Action between June 2018 and August 2019. |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Open Source License? | Yes |
| Impact | MercyCorp have been using the tool to evaluate energy strategies for Jijiga camp, Somalia. The UNHCR are currently trying to build their own tool and they are using the RERT tool to see how they can learn from it and develop it to fit their needs. The UNHCR are also adding information on RERT into their publications on recommendation tools for humanitarian energy. The research team are collaborating with Chatham House to investigate Kakuma Camp, Kenya, with data being provided from Chatham House. |
| Description | 'Down the Rabbit Hole': Co-design and Humanitarian Energy |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The blog took a critical look at how sector-leading organisations, and individuals, champion co-design in their work across the humanitarian sector and asks what more can be done. This blog lead to the webinar 'Moving from the Global to the Local: Co-Design in Humanitarian Energy', one of three in our "People, Policy and Innovation: Humanitarian Energy from Theory to Practice" webinar series. In addition, a journal paper emerged from the discussions on how academics, practitioners and policymakers can embed the voices of the displaced directly into their humanitarian programming |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | http://heed-refugee.coventry.ac.uk/publications/down-the-rabbit-hole-co-design/ |
| Description | 31st IEEE International Symposium on Industrial Electronics, Anchorage, Alaska |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Tutorial on Energy Access: sustainable design of energy generation and distribution systems as common-pool resources in the Global South. This tutorial shared new design protocols that would support improving the sustainability and resilience of energy systems in the displaced setting. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.ieee-isie2022.org/ |
| Description | 3rd International Conference on Energy and Sustainable Futures (ICESF), |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | A Humanitarian energy system design workshop that encouraged PGRs, academics to think differently about design protocols when working in difficult and complex settings. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.coventry.ac.uk/research/about-us/research-events/2022/icesf-2022/ |
| Description | An introduction to IoT: Show and Tell |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | On the 8th November 2017, CU ran an event to provide the HELP project team with an introduction to the Internet of Things (IoT). The workshop provided a refresher of the project aims and goals, progress to date. Following the refresher, an introduction to IoT followed by an introduction in the area of the Internet of Things (IoT) was presented. This introduction provided participants with information about how to design IoT systems, and how to make the most of the data. To help the participants understand the types of IoT system that can be built showcase project were presented, including air quality monitoring, scale-based monitoring, mobile lantern monitoring, and electricity monitoring. The combination of lectures and the hands-on demos allowed the project team to start discussions on the type of IoT systems required for the HELP project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Bougainvilla Events, Tirpureshwor, Nepal |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | On 22nd September 2018 Vijay Bhopal and Jelte Harnmeijer, from our project partners Scene, working in partnership with a local innovation hub, Bikas Udhyami held a Summer School in Tirpureshwor, Nepal. The event was attended by more than 80 people, a mixture of academics, entrepreneurs and practitioners. The Summer School provided an opportunity for the HEED project to engage the next generation of IoT entrepreneurs and academics in addressing energy poverty. The event began with a presentation by Vijay on how the use of new technologies and IoT to deliver energy services can develop robust, sustainable models that are able to meet the demands of both host and displaced communities. Vijay's presentation was followed by lively panel discussions, which created space for community led conversations on how to use IoT to develop the Nepalese private and public sector in the fields of energy, health and agriculture. One key theme that emerged from these panels was the way that IoT can support new projects by substantiating market demand by data collection. By using the example of the HEED solar lighting project, Vijay explained how monitoring usage can identify whether the lanterns which are designed to be mobile and actually used in this way or are used to provide static light, a purpose for which they are not designed. This allows data to show how to improve energy design and in doing so increase the demand for a product. By providing exhibition space, the Summer School, created a platform for IoT businesses to network with one another. In addition, Mr. Madhav Dungel, Vice-Chair of National Youth Council in giving his key note speech, advocated for improved data collection, open data and greater investment in digitisation to develop a digital infrastructure for the future. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | http://heed-refugee.coventry.ac.uk/summer-schools/ |
| Description | Building Global Partnerships for Global Challenges Symposium |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Topics at the Symposium included Global Health, mobility and migration, energy access in rural areas, conflict and development, poverty, food security and natural hazards. During the event, members of the HEED team engaged with members of the public and academics impacted by earthquakes in Nepal. The event strengthened contacts between Coventry University and Kathmandu University, who have subsequently attending HEED workshop events in Nepal. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Capturing Transformative Impact: Five Years of Solar Street Lighting for Displaced Communities in Khalte, Nepal |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Lead by Professor Elena Gaura, this project conducted focus groups and interviews to bring regional authorities to interact directly with beneficiaries, to potentially support further impact through the possibility of broader adoption and similar initiatives in other regions facing displacement challenges |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Conference Chair for the International Conference on Energy and Sustainable Futures (ICESF) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | a multi-disciplinary conference that focused on addressing the future challenges and opportunities for meeting global energy targets and sustainable development goals. The conference brought together industry experts, academia researchers and research students to showcase the latest innovations and research on energy management, conversion, storage and access. It had internationally renowned keynote speakers from the energy sector and have a particular focus on research paper presentations and poster exhibits. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.coventry.ac.uk/research/about-us/research-events/2022/icesf-2022/ |
| Description | Deep Dive Workshop: Energy policy in the humanitarian setting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | As part of the Coventry University funding award for policy impact activities, Professor Elena Gaura and Professor James Brusey attended a two-day deep dive policy impact workshop in Kigali, Rwanda, on the 21st - 22nd March. Hosted by CU's Africa Hub, this event brought members of the Humanitarian Energy and Engineering for Displacement (HEED) team with Rwandan governmental agencies, international humanitarian agencies, and other informed and interested parties, such as colleagues from the University of Rwanda and industry that work in the humanitarian energy space. The workshops aim to deliver national and local policies informed by evidence-based research (generally and more specifically from the HEED project) to improve access to energy for displaced people. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Design for Development (D4D) Workshop Manor Hotel, Kigali, Rwanda. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Led by Professor Heaven Crawley, Chair of International Migration at Coventry University and Co-Investigator on the HEED project, the first Design for Displacement (D4D) workshop was held in Rwanda on the 4th and 5th of September 2018 at the Manor Hotel in Kigali. Attended by representatives from the three refugee camps in which the HEED project is working together with of academics and service providers the workshop aimed to share emerging ideas on the energy interventions to be deployed in the Rwandan context. Over two intensive days the event provided space for discussion on best practice in developing design for energy and engage delegates in wider debates on energy inequality and poverty. The workshop began with an overview of the aims and objectives of the HEED project, with Professor Heaven focusing on issues of structural inequality, the lack of data on energy usage and the role of research in providing energy solutions that embed refugees and displaced people in the decision making process. Following this presentation, Denyse Umubyeyi, RE4R Project Manager for HEED's partners at Practical Action spoke on displaced populations, energy policy and existing interventions in Rwanda and showed the importance of acknowledging context when designing energy policies and services. Professor Elena Gaura, Professor of Pervasive Computing at the Coventry University, UK and Obed Muhayimana, Lecturer in Electronics at the University of Rwanda continued the theme by exploring the extent engineers can change the policy and practice on energy design. By encouraging engineers to take a more holistic approach to energy design for displacement they suggested this could see improved engagement with policy makers, service providers and users on energy solutions. In the afternoon Elena, along with Tomasz Prabucki, Research Assistant at Coventry University, provided a showcase of the monitoring devices that will be deployed as part of the HEED project. In allowing workshop delegates the opportunity to interact with the products, Elena and Tomasz challenged thinking on how energy services are developed. They provided an open forum, with questioning on whether current solar lanterns and solar home systems are 'fit for purpose' and to what extent improved data collection on street lighting generate design that increases security, well-being and economic productivity. The session ended the day with a discussion on the success of improved cook stoves in meeting the needs of users, technical issues associated with the development of micro grids and the measures that need to be taken to ensure that energy invention design is aware of, and can respond appropriately to, cultural and structural barriers to increased engagement. The second day opened with an opportunity for the HEED team and delegates to review the issues associated with HEED's proposed interventions and discuss the factors that will need to be taken into account in the Rwandan context to ensure the active participation and engagement of refugee communities in the research process. There was also time given for delegate reflections on ethical concerns and models of sustainability in developing an energy protocol for displaced and refugee communities. The workshop concluded with lively discussion on topics such as the efficiency of solar home systems, the issues of communal ownership and the economic cost of schemes and how to involve households, businesses and the wider community in the planning. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | http://heed-refugee.coventry.ac.uk/d4d-workshops/ |
| Description | Design for Displacement (D4D) Workshop Coventry Technology Park, Coventry, UK. Tuesday 2nd October 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | On Tuesday the 2nd of October HEED hosted its third and final Design for Displacement (D4D) workshop at Coventry University. Leading the workshop was Professor Heaven Crawley, who gave an overview of the HEED project and how it is shaping ways in which energy interventions in contexts of displacement are understood. In discussing how HEED is a research project rather than an energy delivery project, Heaven advocated for greater emphasis on data collection and analysis that help policy makers, NGO's and governments provide solutions that meet the needs and aspirations of refugees and displaced people. Building upon Heaven's contention for more investment in producing evidence based energy policies and protocols in the displaced context, Glada Lahn from Chatham House, presented 'what we know and what we don't know' about energy for displaced populations. Glada identified several key concerns when providing energy to camps: high cost, limited reliable data, increasing demand but she also showed the opportunities afforded if energy needs were meet. In campaigning for systemic changes in how energy is supplied to displaced settings, Glada opened up space for the workshop delegates to discuss the role that research has in offering improved understanding on how to provide appropriate, cost effective, renewable energy options to refugees. To illustrate how HEED is creating synergy between energy needs and the supply chain in the refugee context, Dr Jonathan Nixon from the HEED project, along with Professor Elena Guara and Tomasz Prabucki, demonstrated a series of potential design interventions that will be implemented in all or some of the selected camps starting in January 2019. This presentation provided information about the role of engineering and IoT in producing evidence based claims that can substantiate improvements to the efficiency and sustainability of energy interventions. There was also a chance for workshop delegates to be hands-on, under the direction of Tomasz, who showed them the protypes and how data outputs would be collected from Nepal and Rwanda. This lead into a vibrant question and answers session, which finished with Dr Thomas Yeboah asking the delegates to consider an 'Energy for Displacement Protocol' that acknowledged the energy needs and aspirations of displaced people, encouraged community ownership and sought affordable sustainable solutions. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | http://heed-refugee.coventry.ac.uk/d4d-workshops/ |
| Description | Design for Displacement (D4D) Workshop Sammelan Hall, Shangrilla Hotel, Lazimpat, Kathmandu, Nepal. Tuesday 18th September 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Following on from the success of the Rwandan Design for Displacement (D4D) workshop, the HEED project delivered a second D4D workshop at the Sammelan Hall, Kathmandu, Nepal on 18th September 2018. This workshop saw the HEED team, led by Professor Heaven Crawley, Chair in International Migration at Coventry University, meet with delegates from a wide range of backgrounds including academics, entrepreneurs, NGOs, service users including internally displaced people themselves. The focus of the workshop was to develop approaches to design for displacement that will affective and meaningful in the Nepali context. The workshop began with presentations by HEED Partners Bipin Basnet, Project Development Officer at Practical Action, Nepal and Edoardo Santangelo, Energy Access Adviser for Practical Action based in the UK. In reviewing Nepal energy policy and existing interventions that inform services to internally displaced communities in Nepal. Bipin and Edoardo challenged delegates to think about greater sustainability in planning and delivery of energy services. Building upon their presentation, Dr Jonathan Nixon, Senior Lecturer at Coventry University demonstrated best practice in deciding core values for design for displacement and suggested ways it can inform projects in meeting the needs of displaced communities. His presentation concluded with an open forum for delegates to debate key issues arising in the context of Nepal with regard to the provision of energy for populations displaced by the earthquake in 2015. The afternoon session started with Jonathan and Tomasz Prabucki, Research Assistant, at Coventry University demonstrating the monitoring interventions that HEED has developed to improve data collection of energy usage and the ways in which the data will be used to inform future design. Jonathan and Tomasz encouraged delegates to think beyond the conventional models of delivery, such as design innovations that see street lights having potential multi-usage of phone charging or music for community activities. This use of energy data collection reimagining the energy design process saw considerable debate on its role in monitoring electrical appliances and the extent it can help understand the energy needs and aspirations of displaced communities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | http://heed-refugee.coventry.ac.uk/d4d-workshops/ |
| Description | E4E Workshop - Rwanda |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Dr Jonathan Nixon and Dr Thomas Yeboah facilitated a series of nine Energy for End Users (E4E) workshops in Gihembe, Kigeme and Nyabiheke refugee camps in Rwanda. These workshops brought together key user groups including young people, women, local business owners and community leaders to explore the proposed research interventions in each of the camps and to gather feedback on their viability. The proposed interventions included a micro-grid, solar street lights, standalone solar home systems for co-operatives and buildings used by children for education and play, and monitoring of solar lanterns and improved cook stoves. The visits also provided Jonathan and Thomas with an opportunity to visit the locations where the interventions will be deployed to ensure that all stakeholders and those impacted by the research were aware of what is proposed and were fully engaged in the research process. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Energy for Displaced People conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | On the 15th-16th January, members of the HELP project team attended the 'Global Action Towards Universal Clean Energy Access Among Displaced People and Host Communities' conference in Berlin. The conference laid the foundation for next steps in five working areas and for raising political awareness around the important role that energy plays in humanitarian assistance. These five working areas cut across the aims of the HELP project including data and evidencing, innovative finance, policy and advocacy, and capacity building. Sarah Rosenberg-Jansen (Practical Action), a HELP project team member, will be leading the 'Data, Evidence, Monitoring and Reporting' work package from this initiative. The aim of which is to develop standardised processes for collection and reporting of disaggregated data on fuel use, energy practices and costs. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Energy for End Users (E4E) workshop - Nepal |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | In December 2018, Professor Elena Gaura, Dr James Busey and Dr Thomas Yeboah visited people displaced by the earthquake in Nepal to discuss the proposed interventions with members of the community.The focus was on a proposal for solar street lights which will provide opportunities for increased social, educational and commercial activities and on installing electrical appliance monitoring devices in order to better understand current energy usage. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Enfail Project (UCL) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | HEED team member, Alison Halford, was invitied to participate in a roundtable discussion that brought policymakers, academics, and industry together to discuss working in complex environments and notions of success and failure in energy projects. As a result of those discussions, a working party emerged to explore funding options to evidence narratives around sustainable energy projects and improve best practices in the global south. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | GPA Research and Evidence group |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | GPA working group V asked HEED to present data and assessments on mini-grid technologies in refugee camps. Professor Elena Gaura and Dr Jonathan Nixon presented some quantitative data alongside their reflections on mini-grid interventions in humanitarian settings. Afterwards, GPA requested more information and offered to be the opening speaker at the HEED conference |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Gender, Energy and Displacement in celebration of International Women in Engineering 2020. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The blog explores the relationship between gender and energy needs, access, and aspirations in the displaced context. The outcome from the post was UKRI asked for images used for their library. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | http://heed-refugee.coventry.ac.uk/publications/gender-energy-and-displacement/ |
| Description | HEED Briefing Paper 1 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The HEED project briefing papers provide concise summaries on key issues in the field of humanitarian engineering and energy. Drawing upon our research the papers enable academics as well as policy-makers, the press, and the broader public to gain a greater understanding of the developments in finding solutions to energy poverty. The papers are made available online and through email distribution. The first HEED briefing paper exploresoutstanding challenges facing energy provision for displaced populations. Experts from different backgrounds are in general agreement that energy provision is something of a newcomer to the standard 'package' of humanitarian assistance and service provision for displaced populations. Whereas services ranging from mental health, education, water, sanitation and many others are often integrated as a matter of course, and clusters of dedicated NGOs exist to provide these, the idea of providing dedicated energy services in this context is quite new. This is particularly true when looking at low-carbon energy solutions, such as biogas through anaerobic digestion and power through solar PV. Few academic or policy papers have been written, and little data exists. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | http://heed-refugee.coventry.ac.uk/briefing-papers/ |
| Description | HEED Conference 'Agency of Change: Energy in the Displaced Setting' |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Over 65 people attended the 'Agency of Change: Energy in the Displaced Setting' digital Conference held on Wednesday 4th November 2020. The conference was organised by the Centre of Data Science, Coventry University on behalf of the GCRF EPSRC Humanitarian Engineering and Energy for Displacement (HEED) project. The conference brought practitioners, academics, policymakers and the HEED team together to identify potential solutions, innovative responses and best practices to increase access to safe, sustainable and affordable energy in the context of displacement. As a result of the conference, there have been stronger networks between Global Plan Action (a UNITAR initiative to improve energy action) and HEED. There was an uptake of interest in publications on the website. There has also been opportunities for HEED to present findings at seminars to other academic institutions. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | http://heed-refugee.coventry.ac.uk/publications/conference-report/ |
| Description | HEED Newsletters |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | HEED produced a series of 6 newsletters, with an average readership of 235 people. The purpose of the newsletter was to bring together researchers and practitioners working on energy humanitarian projects by featuring a range of topics and items of interest: HEED Project outcomes and learning milestones; Research, people and organisations that share the values of the HEED Project; Insights into the HEED Team and Project Partners; Forthcoming Events and Network opportunities. There were contributions and feedback from partners and other energy stakeholders, which made valuable connections, including offers for HEED to deliver seminars and to reach out for speakers for HEED conference. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019,2020 |
| URL | http://heed-refugee.coventry.ac.uk/publications/ |
| Description | HEED Showcases Humanitarian Photographer Edoardo Santangelo's work at Chatham House |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | On October the 3rd 2019, after a panel discussion featuring Professor Elena Gaura on 'Refugees and Technology', Chatham House hosted a drinks reception and photo exhibition on energy in the displaced setting. The exhibition curated by HEED showcased the work of Edoardo Santangelo, a humanitarian photographer, who has spent the last 18 months working alongside HEED in Nepal and Rwanda recording the lived experiences with energy initiatives in the displaced context. Drawing on his extensive knowledge of energy and international development, Edoardo used photoreportage as a way to record the impact of development programmes in the lives of the displaced. His photos have been published in various editions of the Poor People Energy Outlook and used in numerous humanitarian publications, workshops and conferences worldwide. After opening the exhibition with a reflection on the photos by Edoardo, attendees had an opportunity to talk with HEED team members about the project aims and objectives. HEED, in commissioning Edoardo to produce a visual storytelling of the project, hoped to encourage other research studies to think creatively about how to capture the ways refugees and displaced communities encounter energy and respond to energy initiatives. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | HEED Team members celebrate World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development on 4th March 2020 at Global Grand Challenge Retreat Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | In recognition of their innovative research on projects that contribute to a more sustainable world, Professor Elena Gaura and Professor James Brusey from Coventry University were invited to attend a Global Grand Challenge Retreat Workshop in London on the 3rd-4th of March 2020. The workshop, spread over two days, brought together around 60 delegates from The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Frontier Engineering Projects, Engineering Grand Challenge Projects, and Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) projects. This event coincided with the inauguration of World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development, on the 4th of March, a designated day to celebrate the role that engineering has in achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals. By setting aside one day a year, UNESCO, with the support of member countries and numerous worldwide engineering organisations, hopes that World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development will raise awareness of projects that are striving for sustainable solutions. During the workshop, Prof Gaura had the opportunity to talk with delegates about HEED's work and how it was approaching energy challenges in the displaced context in a multidisciplinary way. Prof. Gaura and Prof. Brusey shared their knowledge with other engineers on how HEED is building community capacity and resilience through practical applications that reflect refugees aspirations and needs when addressing energy poverty. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | HEED Website |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The HEED website was to provide a digital space to share publications, practitioner tools, presentations and events. The website has links to the data portal and pages on capacity building, research methods, improved energy guidelines and public engagement. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018,2019,2020,2021 |
| URL | http://heed-refugee.coventry.ac.uk/ |
| Description | HEED hosts community feedback workshop in Kathmandu, Nepal |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | On Friday 18th October 2019, HEED hosted a workshop in Kathmandu for representatives of the internally displaced communities, who are involved in the HEED project in Nepal. The event was led by Professor Elena Gaura in partnership with project partners Practical Action. The aim of the event was to present some of the lessons learned through the project, particularly in Nepal, which can be applied not only to humanitarian energy projects but also to other off-grid energy access interventions. The workshop started with a review of the HEED project, including an opportunity for attendees to view the photo and video exhibition on the journey of the Nepal project. This was followed by a discussion on co-design processes for community energy interventions, for example, the solar streetlights intervention in the camps in Uttargaya, Nepal. Opening up conversations on the co-design process provided an opportunity for the communities involved in the HEED project to provide feedback on the challenges and best practice, ensuring the development of inclusive, fit-for-purpose and sustainable energy interventions. This workshop also allowed the team to find out more about how self-governance is understood and envisaged by internally displaced communities and the meaning of 'community ownership' of energy systems to them. This will enable the HEED project to develop energy design protocols that centre on community-based needs and aspirations, encouraging and supporting long-term sustainable, community-appropriate and transformative energy solutions. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | HEED on panel at Chatham House Event: 'Refugees and Technology' |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The Moving Energy Initiative, a Chatham House project, seeks to increase knowledge about the current energy situation in the displaced context. A part of that remit is raising awareness of the impact new technologies have on the lives of displaced populations. On Tuesday, 3rd of October 2019, Chatham House, under the direction of Owen Graham from the Moving Energy Initiative, invited HEED project's lead investigator, Professor Elena Gaura, to be part of a panel discussion on 'Refugees and Technology'. On the panel, alongside Elena, were Jenny Casswell, from Mobile for Humanitarian Innovation, GSMA, and Moulid Hujale, Humanitarian Journalist and Digital Producer. The panel addressed how refugees are informing technological innovations that reflect lived practices and ways to develop best practice to safeguard refugees when using technology, such as algorithmic bias, violations of privacy and data breaches. Elena, along with the other panelists, emphasised how important it is to give refugees a platform to engage with and understand new technology that improves energy sources as it assists with community cohesion and develops livelihood opportunities. The Moving Energy Initiative is working with the UK Department for International Development (DFID), Energy 4 Impact, and a consortium of other expert organisations. The project has a range of initiatives, including the publication of a global level report, Heat, Light and Power for Refugees: Saving Lives, Reducing Costs, and pilot projects in Jordan, Kenya and Burkina Faso. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | HEED presents at the Humanitarian Energy Conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | The Humanitarian Energy Conference (HEC) is an annual global event, overseen by Safe Access to Fuel and Energy (SAFE) Humanitarian Working Group and the Global Plan of Action for Sustainable Energy Solutions in Situations of Displacement (GPA). Hosted by the Clean Cooking Alliance and the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), it has support from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), Shell International, and the IKEA Foundation. The aim of the conference is to bring together humanitarian agencies, NGOs, development organizations, private companies, governments, funding entities, and researchers on a global level to work together to improve energy access for displaced and crisis-affected people. As part of a side event at the 2019 HEC conference, HEED delivered a workshop for over 40 energy practitioners, policymakers and energy suppliers. Lead by HEED project partners, Practical Action and Scene, the workshop presented the aims of the project and introduced the Renewable Energy Recommendation Tool (HEED -RERT). In keeping with HEED's vision of encouraging collaboration between researchers, stakeholders and service users, the workshop allowed for critical discussion on RERT and ways the tool could benefit practitioners when planning energy needs in the displaced context. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | HEED selected for the EPSRC 'Engineering Research for Grand Challenges' |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The EPSRC 'Engineering Research for Grand Challenges' was part of a three-day Global Grand Challenges Summit held from the 16th-18th September at the Southbank Queen Elizabeth Hall, London. The Global Grand Challenges Summit, jointly hosted event by UK, US, and Chinese academies of Engineering, brought together 900 future engineers, researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs and policy makers. HEED was one of 16 EPSRC projects showcased at the EPSRC 'Engineering Research for Grand Challenges,' on Tuesday 17th Sept 6pm to 8:30pm. The evening event, held at the Weston Roof Pavilion, Southbank Centre, London, featured a selection of EPSRC-funded research projects to show how investment into engineering and digital technology was working towards resolving the most pressing global societal challenges. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | HEED team delivers 'interfaces' workshops in Rwanda |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | Following the installation of a micro-grid in Kigeme refugee camp in Southern Rwanda, the HEED team returned to the camp on the 28th of November 2019 to host a workshop to hear from the community on the current and potential use of the micro-grid and to showcase user interface designs. The workshop, led by Sandy Robinson and Vijay Bhopal from Scene, along with other team members from Practical Action and Coventry University, was attended by over 20 participants, including Mesh Power, who installed the micro-grid. The function of the micro-grid installed by HEED in Kigeme Camp is to provide energy via lighting and sockets to two nursery schools and a playground. Although the micro-grid is a sustainable energy solution in delivering sufficient energy to the nurseries, the workshop provided an opportunity for the participants to explore the ways in which energy from the micro-grid can be better utilised. As the nurseries are operating seasonally, there are times when the buildings are closed, and therefore using little or no power; however, the micro-grid does not currently have the capacity to add new buildings to the system. As a result, many participants felt the community would benefit from having interactivity with the micro-grid so they could manage the use of energy more effectively. The discussions illustrated the active engagement of the community in thinking about how best to maximise the use of energy created by the micro-grid. Directly after this session, Sandy and the team, along with participants, played a game specially devised to get the participants thinking about energy as a finite resource. Participants had to negotiate and share finite 'energy tokens'. Vijay commented that: 'We practised this the day before and simplified it. The participants loved the game and really got it. It was a good way of demonstrating the idea of energy as a finite resource, and it segued into a discussion on how the community can manage the energy resource themselves.' In Gihembe - another refugee camp in Rwanda in which the HEED project is also working - an interface board is already installed that are connected with multi-functional solar streetlights, which show through a series of flashing lights when the streetlight has sufficient power to support additional devices. In involving the community in thinking about an interface for micro-grid, conversations emerged about governance systems, as well as the interface itself. The insights gained from the sessions demonstrated the importance of incorporating information about the ways in which energy interventions will continue after the project has finished into the design process. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | HELP Research methods workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The first Research Methods Workshop (RM Workshop) has been held in Kigali, Rwanda from 20-22 November 2017. The RM Workshop kicked-off the Humanitarian Energy for Displaced Populations in Refugee Camp and Informal Settlements (HELP) project and brought together key stakeholders from the HELP Project, the Renewable Energy for Refugees (RE4R) Project and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). The purpose of the workshop was to design the research methods to be used throughout the project and discuss the project plans over the coming months. The workshop discussions resulted in 1) aligning the HELP and RE4R projects objectives and work, 2) a selection of potential energy interventions, 3) an understanding of how sensing can be used to measure impact, and 4) a refined survey to be deployed in the refugee and IDP communities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Humanitarian Energy Exchange Network |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | As a network explore future research and funding that can support policies around the design, deployment, and delivery of energy systems in displaced settings, particularly to better understand local, regional, or national challenges . |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022,2023 |
| URL | https://www.humanitarianenergy.org/thematic-working-areas/humanitarian-energy-exchange-network/ |
| Description | Humanitarian Energy and Action on SDG7: National Progress through Global Policy? |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Hajar Al-Kaddo and guest blogger Dr Sarah Rosenberg-Jansen reflect on the complexities of creating policies and delivery models in humanitarian energy that are inclusive of refugee and displaced populations when working to improve access to energy. This blog links to the webinar 'Future-proofing Humanitarianism: Actioning Policy and Strengthening Governance', one of three in our "People, Policy and Innovation: Humanitarian Energy from Theory to Practice" webinar series. This webinar seeks to explore, provoke and engage experts, practitioners and humanitarian energy scholars to fully comprehend what we are doing wrong in terms of designing and implementing energy policies within the humanitarian sector. T |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | http://heed-refugee.coventry.ac.uk/publications/humanitarian-energy-and-action-on-sdg7/ |
| Description | Innovation in humanitarian energy: what you think is what you get |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Guest blogger, Sam Unsworth, discusses how ideas of innovation have been enacted in a wide range of contexts, including the humanitarian sector and why the sociotechnical and environmental landscapes of refugee hosting countries appear to create major barriers to humanitarian energy innovation for and with displaced populations. This blog links to webinar 'Humanitarian Innovation: 'Move Fast and Break Things?', one of three in our "People, Policy and Innovation: Humanitarian Energy from Theory to Practice" webinar series. From this blog emerged a briefing paper on responsible innovation, which was featured in GPA newsletter and NORCap newsletter. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | http://heed-refugee.coventry.ac.uk/publications/innovation-in-humanitarian-energy/ |
| Description | International World Refugee Day 50 days of Twitter |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 1st May 2020- 20th June 20th 2020. In recognition of World Refugee Day, for 50 days starting 1st May 2020, HEED shared an image a day taken by Edoardo Santangelo on Twitter. The purpose of the campaign was to raise awareness of access to energy and refugees as part of World Refugee Day. Comments from people on Twitter indicated they were engaging in the discussion around energy access and the displaced setting. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1P6eJluFfipcDY-BvVhgb7D_L1f465S4G?usp=sharing |
| Description | Invited Talk: 1st International Conference on Health Monitoring of Civil and Maritime Structures |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Dr Ross Wilkins' invited talk centred around the use of IoT for societal applications. The presentation primatily focused on the design, and evaluation of an IoT system for structural health monitoring. The audience was mainly from a civil engineering background. The talk disseminated a new domain to those in attendance. Ross was contacted after for more information about the project work |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | http://www.asranet.co.uk/Conferences/HEAMES |
| Description | Invited Talk: Deakin University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Prof. Elena Gaura's invited talk focused on IoT systems design and deployment in engineering applications. The presentation reported on conceptualization and design cycles for cyber-physical systems that respond to well-specified problems from the Civil Engineering, Aerospace, Health and Energy domains. The presentation specifically focused on data to knowledge transformation and the engineering, computing and social science advances needed to effect it. This presentation sparked a number of questions from the audience, and requests for more information. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Presentation for Energy Power Developers |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | HEED team presented on Sustainable energy generation and distribution in the Global South. Why design for common-pool resources? to Rwanda Energy Private Developer's (EPD) association. The presentation was on HEED findings and invitation to join with CU in bidding for a Energy Catalyst Round 9 that encourage collaborations and partnerships for the development of energy sector in Rwanda |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Presentation to PowerHER |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The presentation was about HEED's work around energy and gender and how to support more women, their opportunities and influence in the Rwandan Energy Sector. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | SUSTAINABLE AND INCLUSIVE ENERGY SOLUTIONS IN REFUGEE CAMPS |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited panellist University of Oklahoma |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Softwarica College, Kathmandu, Nepal - Summer School |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | March 2018 saw the first summer school at Softwarica College, Kathmandu which was a resounding success. Over 34 attendees from Nepal affiliated to 13 institutes attended a three day series of lectures, practical based exercises and peer lead presentations. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | http://heed-refugee.coventry.ac.uk/summer-schools/ |
| Description | Talk: Coventry University Research Seminar (Ross) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Dr Ross Wilkins was invited to give a talk at the Flow Measurement and Fluid Mechanics Research Centre Research Seminar in October 2017. In this presentation, he presented an overview of IoT and project he has been involved in. The aim of the presentation was to give researchers new to the domain an overview of the field. The HELP project was specifically discussed as future work. The talk raised exposure to the HELP project, and work undertaken by CU in the IoT domain. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | The State of the Humanitarian Energy Sector: Challenges, Progress and Issues in 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Contributed insights from HEED, as well as adding to report discussion around gender and energy in the displaced setting, to the UNITAR Global Platform for Action report on "The State of the Humanitarian Energy Sector: Challenges, Progress and Issues in 2022. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://reliefweb.int/report/world/state-humanitarian-energy-sector-challenges-progress-and-issues-2... |
| Description | UK Energy Catalyst Brokerage Event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | HEED project highlighted at the Innovate UK Energy Catalyst Brokerage Event in Vietnam (26th February to 4th March), which included numerous meetings with UK and Vietnamese local energy system providers. Presentations took place at the British Embassy and other meetings included energy round table discussions organised in collaboration with the British Chamber of Commerce (BritCham). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Webinar with expert panel for humantarian energy stakeholders: Moving from the Global to the Local: Co-creation for Humanitarian Energy |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | 51 people attended a webinar that hosted an expert panel in partnership with GIZ, a key energy development policy group. The discussions engaged energy policymakers, practitioners, manufactures and academics to challenge each other on the why, what, when, where and how of co-creation in the displaced setting. The conversations led to a journal paper. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | http://heed-refugee.coventry.ac.uk/publications/moving-from-the-global-to-the-local-co-creation-for-... |
| Description | Webinar with expert panel in partnership with Global Platform for Action for Sustainable Energy in Displacement Settings (GPA): Future-proofing Humanitarianism: Actioning Policy and Strengthening Governance |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The webinar explored how to achieve higher level and more ambitious goals for energy within and outside of the humanitarian sector, including engaging multi-level partnerships with newer actors and stakeholders in the delivery of state of the art, innovative and co-created technological systems. Discussion led to more interaction between HEED researchers and GPA. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | http://heed-refugee.coventry.ac.uk/publications/future-proofing-humanitarianism-actioning-policy-and... |
| Description | Webinar with panel experts in partnership with BBOXX Humanitarian Innovation: "Move Fast and Break Things?" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The webinar was in partnership with BBOX - an leading energy supplier in the humanitarian sector. The panel discussions constructed a broader understanding of innovation is needed to account for how different people may understand innovation - considered ideas such as value creation and adaptation can be part of innovation and avoid a narrow technological definition. The webinar lead to further research resulting in a briefing paper. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | http://heed-refugee.coventry.ac.uk/publications/humanitarian-innovation-move-fast-and-break-things/ |
| Description | World Engineering day 'Engineering for a Healthy Planet' |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | To celebrate the second UNESCO World Engineering day on 4 March 2021, Coventry University hosted an event to create public awareness and engagement on how engineers are make a difference to a sustainable future. Prof Elena Gaura delivered the opening keynote on Sustainable Development -Energy futures for all. The Keynote focused on Energy - one of the main areas where engineers are needed most, in the drive to fulfil the UN's Sustainable Development Goals - and showcased how researchers at Coventry University are changing the conversation about modern, affordable and sustainable energy systems in the context of development and particularly displacement. The session was followed by Q&A and panel discussions. The audience reported change in understand of the global energy access challenge. Dr Nixon delivered a session on wind energy and other presentations and topics covered on the day included cyberspace and resilient cities, transport and infrastructure. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.coventry.ac.uk/events/2021/engineering-for-a-healthy-planet/ |
| Description | • From findings into policy impact, Chatham House Deep Dive Breakfast meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | To discuss future research collaboration that can support policies around the design, deployment, and delivery of energy systems in displaced settings, particularly to better understand local, regional, or national challenges in sub-Sahara Africa. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |