Empower a Billion Lives (EBL) unleashes innovation through the development and demonstration of new regionally relevant, holistic, scalable, and economically viable solutions by leveraging 21st-century technologies that feature exponentially declining prices and have shown rapid global adoption. The competition is agnostic to energy sources, technologies, and business models while evaluating the potential impact and ability to rapidly and sustainably scale solutions to a billion customers. Teams are invited from across the globe and from all walks of life, including companies, entrepreneurial startups, research organizations, and student teams from colleges and universities. It is organized by PELS under the Global Energy Access Forum (GEAF).
EBL II is underway with nearly 200 Teams registered, 100 Teams submitting concept papers, and 50 Teams submitting Full Proposals. Accepted teams will be invited to Field-test their solutions followed by the Global Final at IEEE PELS APEC Conference in Orlando, Florida in March 2023.
EBL II builds on the success of EBL I which provided over $500,000 in awards and direct support for teams.
A Sampling of the Empower a Billion Lives II Proposed Solutions:
♦ Leveling carbon credit financing mechanisms for the SHS Market ♦ Battery Technology
♦ Robust DC Systems and DC Powered Appliances ♦ Open Source load management solutions
♦ Innovative Business Models ♦ AC Microgrids ♦ Integrating digital access and energy access
♦ Productive Agricultural solutions ♦ Enabling energy trading and automation
♦ Grid Forming microinverters ♦ Waste to energy solutions
Where the EBL II Teams are from:
Competition Guidelines are available below. Stop by and see us at The Global Off-Grid Solar Forum and Expo in October, follow the EBL II Teams' progress, and get ready your team ready for EBL III.
