Ayrton research grant

IGDC has been instrumental in winning a substantial new research grant to work with partners in Africa on solar electricity for off-grid communities.

The Co-Designing Clean Energy for Rural Africa with Service Innovations and Digital Twins (CREDIT) project will see the deployment of off-grid solar ‘mini-grids’ in three rural African communities.

It’s one of 13 UK research initiatives funded through the UKRI Ayrton Challenge Programme. The project will rely on a participatory technology development approach to co-design novel business models and 'digital twin' technologies. The  vision is to create an inclusive energy platform that overcomes market, innovation, and political barriers by integrating current socio-cultural practices, existing skill levels, and leveraging data from digital platforms.

The project was developed through an interdisciplinary workshop that was hosted by IGDC and York’s Equitable Technology Lab, and is being led by Professor Suresh Perinpanayagam of the School of Physics, Engineering and Technology. More details can be found here.