Participating Teams

The Grand Final took place on the 25 June 2020. A total of 14 projects were submitted by the participating teams from nine universities:

• Durham University

• Independent University, Bangladesh
• Loughborough University
• Makerere University
• Strathmore University
• Swansea University

• University College London
• University of Bath
• University of Strathclyde

The 14 projects included a range of off-grid technologies and appliances including:

Read more about the projects in the Project Submissions Summary.

Winning Teams

Six teams received gold, silver and bronze awards in the first year of the Efficiency for Access Design Challenge.

Gold award winners:

• University College London, ‘Off-grid Electric Pressure Cookers for Sub-Saharan African Communities’
• Makerere University, ‘Standalone Solar Load Management System’

Silver award winners:

• University of Strathclyde, ‘e-Cook for Developing Countries’
• Makerere University, ‘Solar Energy Efficient Dish Dryer’

Bronze award winners:

• Strathmore University, ‘Kijiji, a solar powered container with essential services for empowering rural communities’
• University of Bath, ‘Off-grid refrigeration systems (ACE)

“It was amazing to bring an entrepreneurial experience to my studies. Our project involved a lot of innovation, design-thinking, uncertainty… unlike structured academic projects, pushing us outside our comfort zone continuously. In the end, it was incredibly rewarding. For me, this made the experience very enjoyable and incredibly valuable.” -Joris Simaitis, University College London

Highlights from Year One

Watch the video below for an overview of the inaugural year of the Efficiency for Access Design Challenge.