Deadline Approaches For USAID Powering AG Grants


What is the opportunity? The United States Agency for International Development, in partnership with the Government of Sweden, Duke Energy Corporation, the Government of Germany, and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, isfundingmarket-based clean energy solutions for agriculture in developing countries under the Powering Agriculture: An Energy Grand Challenge for Development (PAEGC) Second Global Innovation Call.

PAEGC supports new and sustainable approaches to accelerate the development and deployment of clean energy solutionsthatcanincrease agricultural productivity and/or incomes derived from agriculture in developing countries; leading to increased accessibility to food for communities, increased incomes for farmers and other related businesses and decreased dependency on fossil fuels.

PAGEC’s second Global Innovation Call will issue individual awards ranging from $500,000 to $2,000,000 USD for Clean Energy Solutions that are (i) at the early stages of research and design; or (ii) at the later stage of product/business model development to assist with expansion to commercial scale and/or replication of successfully piloted solutions elsewhere.

Who is eligible to apply? Applicants from a wide range of U.S. and non-U.S. organizations and institutions are encouragedto apply, including academic institutions, not-for-profit and for-profit organizations, foundations, civic groups, and cooperatives.See attached a profile of the first round winners.

In its inaugural round, more than 475 organizations from 80 countries applied to the Powering Agriculture: An Energy Grand Challenge for Development initiative, offering market-based, clean energy innovations for the agricultural sphere in developing countries. Eleven winners working in 13 countries received awards of between $800,000 and $1.5 million.

Help tell their stories so that others might be as inspired as we are.

Ethiopia: African Bamboo PLC
African Bamboo is developing an environmentally friendly bamboo thermal modification process called ThermoBoo. Bamboo panels have now been manufactured and are currently being tested for their durability. And, as the project continues, more farmers are signing on to be suppliers. The success of this project will lead to new opportunities for export, employment, and manufacturing in Ethiopia. In addition to its socio-economic impact, bamboo cultivation of native species plays a significant role in reforestation.www.african-bamboo.com

Benin & Tanzania: CAMCO Clean Energy
In rural areas of Benin and Tanzania, access to modern energy services is extremely limited. Village Industrial Power (VIP) Plants are mini-grid systems powered through the combustion of biomass waste produced at local agricultural processing facilities. The first VIPs have being installed in Benin (3) and in Tanzania (2) and will soon be fully operationalized. This clean energy solution replaces expensive diesel fuel with low to no cost locally available biomass fuel.http://www.camcocleanenergy.com/africa

Senegal: Earth Institute, Columbia University
In Senegal, farmers currently use outdated practices for watering crops: flood irrigation with wells and buckets, or diesel-powered motor pumps. This project’s solution is to enable a small group of farmers to use a central solar energy unit to power multiple AC pumps for irrigation. This will reduce the price of energy for irrigation while reducing carbon intensity.Earth Institute has now shipped the first solar pump controller to its project site in Senegal for field testing.www.earth.columbia.edu

Haiti: EarthSpark International
Seventy-five percent of Haiti’s population lacks access to electricity. Farmers often lose value of their crops due to lack of infrastructure and processing equipment. This project has developed a solar-diesel hybrid micro-grid system to increase access to affordable, reliable electricity for agricultural processing. Agribusiness incomes will get a boost and surrounding residents will gain access to electricity.www.earthsparkinternational.org

Honduras, Nepal & Zambia: iDE (International Development Enterprises)

Globally, more than 800 million farmers manually lift and haul water to irrigate their farmland.iDE’s Clean Irrigation Solution can compete with fossil fuel pumps both in terms of cost and enhancing agricultural productivity.Its universal piston pump can run on a variety of power sources –solar steam power, photovoltaic power, and grid-connected AC where available. The system accesses groundwater from deeper depths than conventional pumps, and maintains a slow, steady discharge rate.iDE has installed its the first round of pumps in Nepal to give farmers the chance to test it. www.ideorg.org

India: Motivo Engineering LLC
In India, Agricultural productivity could be significantly boosted with more accessible machinery, and by providing a mobile energy source that runs on inexpensive renewables. Motivo, recently nominated by Neon Tommy as having one of the top 5 innovative ideas at a recent tech conference, is developing Hybrid Agriculture/Road Vehicles with Electricity Storage and Transformation (HARVEST)—that solves a wide range of agricultural mechanization and power-related problems.www.motivoengineering.com

India: Promethean Power Systems
In India, $10 billion worth of perishable foods are wasted annually because of unreliable cold-chain supply networks. Promethean’s refrigeration solution uses a thermal energy battery pack that charges on solar power and/or a few hours of grid electricity that can provide around-the- clock cold storage. This project will improve access to forward markets and higher income for dairy farmers. The project has installed and commissioned India’s first solar-powered milk chiller. This dramatically reduces the operating costs for farmers to chill milkby ensuring that none of the milk they deliver gets spoiled and that they get paid for that milk.http://www.coolectrica.com/impact/

Jordan: ECO Consult
Jordan is one of the world’s top water-scarce countries in the world. ECO Consult has developed an integrated model of hydroponic and photovoltaic farming to compete with conventional greenhouse technology and drip irrigation systems. As more large and small-scale farms adopt these new technologies, the value of their agricultural produce will increase, while their use of scarce natural resources will decrease.ECO Consult has now designed and installed indigenous hydroponic systemsat four sites and planting in each greenhouse is now underway. www.ecoconsult.jo

Mozambique: Rebound Technology
Post-harvest obstacles such as ethane production, respiration and microbial attack make getting high quality horticultural products to market a significant challenge. Removing field heat from products can double shelf life and reduce spoilage. SunChill is a novel, off-grid refrigeration solution that transforms 50°C solar thermal energy into 10°C refrigeration using zero electricity. Already, prototype testing has been conducted and a demonstration site has now been selected. www.rebound-tech.com

Kenya: SunDanzer-DC powered Refrigeration
Eighty-five percent of Kenya’s 800,000+ dairy farms do not have access to refrigerated storage and transportation. SunDanzer is developing a small-scale, clean energy portable cooling system tailored for use in the Kenyan dairy market. It aims to increase dairy farm productivity and income by significantly decreasing milk spoilage.The first 40 unitshave been fabricated andwill now undergo field testing by farmers.www.sundanzer.com

Uganda: University of Georgia Research Foundation (UGARF)

Throughout sub-Saharan Africa, the dairy industry suffers from lack of proper refrigeration options. UGARF has developed a refrigeration unit powered on biogas—which is extracted from cow manure. This project has numerous social, economic, and environmental benefits.Farmers are now being identified for the pilot study. www.research.uga.edu/ugarf

When is the deadline for applications? The deadline for applying is February 12, 2015 by 4:00 p.m. EST.

How can you learn more? Visit: www.poweringag.org
How can you help? There are three ways you can help get the word about this Grand Challenge.

1. Send an email to your contacts list using the sample text below:

Subject: Clean Energy and Agriculture | Fund your Innovation Now!

Dear __________,
USAID and the other Founding Partners of the Powering Agriculture: An Energy Grand Challenge for Development (PAEGC)are seeking to fund market-based clean energy solutions for agriculture in developing countries.PAEGC has launched its 2nd Global Innovation Call and will award up to $2,000,000 for innovative clean energy solutions that power the work of farmers and agribusinesses—from planting to harvesting and storage. PAEGC is accepting applicationsuntil February 12, 2015, 4:00 p.m. EST. Visit http://poweringag.org to learn more.

Please forward this email to your networks and help build a community of problem solvers to reduce hunger, empower farmers and improve the environment!

Sincerely, (your name and contact information)
2. Post on social media using the below sample posts

Twitter: Do you have a #cleanenergy solution to improve #agsupport farmers? @PoweringAg Grand Challenge seeking proposals. http://bit.ly/1bKaR3j

Also consider following us: @PoweringAg #PoweringAg

Facebook: Attention Innovators: Powering Agriculture is funding market-based #cleanenergy solutions that support #farmers. Learn more at: www.poweringag.org

LinkedIn: Powering Agriculture: An Energy Grand Challenge for Development is funding market-based, clean energy solutions that support farmers. Learn more: www.poweringag.org

3. Click and watch the below video, then embed the link http://youtu.be/UJPG_erSI0Aon your siteor share via social media

@PoweringAg 2nd Global Innovation call is accepting applications! To learn more, watch this video: http://ow.ly/E8tfN

Do you have #cleanenergy solution for #agriculture? learn more about funding @PoweringAg Grand Challenge watch this video: http://ow.ly/E8tfN

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