News

Updates from Energy for Development team

Professor Bahaj presented a paper at the SET 2022 conference entitled, ‘Enhancing off-grid rural electrification through sustainable PV powered Milk Collection Centers in Rwanda’ based on the collaborative research works carried out by the DeSiRABLE project team. This paper suggests that PV systems can deliver uninterrupted power supply to the milk collection centers with an […]


The University of Southampton’s Energy and Climate Change Division hosted the inaugural Showcasing Engineering for Development one-day conference in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Engineering, London, UK. The conference took place on March 18, 2022  from 09:30-16:00 with 130 registrants attending in person and online from 65 organizations situated within 22 countries.  See more details about this event here.


Energy for Development (e4D) team conducted a hands-on training for the young engineers of Kenya. Attendees learned how a small solar mini grid can support the near end of the utility grid while safely connected to the grid. Also, learned the technological know how for grid interconnection, control strategies, grid export-import. 


Dr Luke Blunden presented “Why does energy demand grow at different rates in similar mini-grids?” in the ‘Energy Poverty’ special session of the Evolving Cities Conference 2021. The research presentation focused on key aspects of electricity demand growth in off-grid mini grids. Lessons from the six operational Energy for Development (e4D) mini grids in East Africa […]


Energy for Development (e4D) PhD researcher Aya Mohamed carried out extensive surveys in different off-grid locations in Sudan. Fulcrum digital survey tool was used to conduct all these surveys in July 2021. This work was supported by Higher Council for Environment and Natural Resources (HCENR), National Energy Research Center (NERC) and Ministry of Energy and […]


Professor Bahaj chaired the steering committee meeting of the Fortis Unum research project on the 18th April 2021 which was held virtually due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. Eng Issac Kiva from the Ministry of Energy, Kenya; Eng Jonathon Mbutu, REREC, Kenya; Mr Benon Bena, REA, Uganda, and Mr Samson Ondiek, KPLC, Kenya attended the meeting. […]


Professor Patrick James, Energy and Climate Change Division delivered guest lecture on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the ITS Global Engagement. The virtual lecture entitled ‘Rural Electrification in sub-Saharan Africa: Lessons from the Field’ was delivered on 24 March 2021. His lecture focuses the rural electrification programme of the e4D team and shared the experience […]


The 6th Africa Mini Grid Summit 2021 was held virtually this year 25-26 February because of COVID-19 travel restrictions. Professor  A S Bahaj chaired the summit. The e4D team along with Fourtis Unum research partners in Kenya and Uganda delivered seven presentations in two researchers’ forums on Day 1 and Day 2.  The summit was […]


Professor Bahaj chaired the steering committee meeting on the 27th August 2020 which was held virtually due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. Eng Issac Kiva from the Ministry of Energy, Kenya; Eng Jonathon Mbutu, REREC, Kenya; Mr Benon Bena, REA, Uganda, and Mr Samson Ondiek, KPLC, Kenya attended the meeting. Research presentations by the Fortis Unum […]


Professor AbuBakr Bahaj, head of the Energy & Climate Change Division (ECCD) at the University of Southampton delivered Keynote speech at the 1st International Conference on 4th Industrial Revolution (IC4IR) (5 – 6 December 2020), Bangladesh. This conference was held virtually because of COVID-19 travel restrictions.