Solar-powered technology to level the playing field in underserved communities

October 12, 2020

People from underserved communities will have better access to renewable energy, thanks to new funding from the Efficiency for Access Research and Development Fund, which the IKEA Foundation supports.

Today the Efficiency for Access Research and Development Fund has awarded 20 organisations a total of £2.9 million for innovative, solar-powered appliance projects.

Around the world, 840 million people live without access to electricity or appliances that help them earn an income or provide access to communications or clean cooking. Vulnerable and marginalised groups such as women and girls, people with disabilities, children and stateless people are particularly affected. That’s why this award supports investment in technology that promotes social inclusion.

Newborns, students and farmers

The winning projects include Neopenda’s wireless vital-signs monitor for newborn babies. The company’s neoGuard technology allows clinical staff to monitor up to 20 babies at a time. Thanks to the new funding, up to eight healthcare facilities in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda will be able to use neoGuard technology to help newborns survive their most vulnerable time.

Another project, Jirogasy’s solar-powered computers, aims to make e-learning more accessible in Madagascar. The project will develop an energy-efficient, all in one, solar-powered PC, which can be assembled locally. Once the pilot project is complete, the company aims to provide computer access to over 10,000 students in Madagascar every year. 

Simusolar’s project will help female smallholder farmers in off-grid, off-network areas use solar water pumps and other appliances. Simusolar and the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) will develop an innovative data-syncing method that broadens the coverage of Simusolar’s pay-as-you-go platform.

The Efficiency for Access Research and Development Fund aims to accelerate the availability, affordability, efficiency and performance of appliances that are particularly suited to off- and weak-grid communities and promote social inclusion.

Jeffrey Prins, Head of Portfolio – Renewable Energy at the IKEA Foundation, said: “The IKEA Foundation is proud to support these innovative projects through the Efficiency for Access Research and Development Fund’s third funding call. We want to inspire and influence the renewable energy sector to embrace productive use of renewable energy in all aspects of human development work, which will make our societies more inclusive and greener. These awardees will do just that.”

Awardees received funding to support the implementation of their projects over a two-year period, with individual awards ranging from £50,000 to £270,000.

Find out more about the awards here: https://efficiencyforaccess.org/enabling-technologies-call

Partner

International Institute for Environment and Development
https://www.iied.org/
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Partner

Efficiency for Access Coalition
https://efficiencyforaccess.org/
Show our grants

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  • 👆Here’s what it’s like to learn about climate solutions firsthand. Last month, 37 IKEA Foundation ambassadors from 10 countries came together in Indonesia to meet leaders working on the country’s net zero transition and learn straight from the organisations making it happen. 🌏 We held black soldier fly larvae, heard stories about fishing boats now running quietly on electricity, asked key questions about switching to electric vehicles, and took an electric bus to a village where solar panels on the market roof are already saving money and cutting emissions. One thing is clear: solutions are already out there. They’re led by local communities and ready to grow. Thank you to our partner @viriyaenb for making these connections possible and introducing us to @iesr.id, @magifarm.id, @newenergynexus, and @wriindonesia. We appreciate your openness, generosity, and leadership. đź’¬ To everyone who joined us in Indonesia, what moments stood out to you? #climateaction #ikeafoundation
  • Meet Ima and Soma, co-founders of @MagiFarm.id in Indonesia. After seeing just how much food was going to waste in Bali, they set out to find a better way — one that works with nature, not against it 🪰 Now, their idea is turning food waste into value for businesses, households, and communities across Indonesia. Swipe to discover how it works and the impact it’s already making ➡️ ♻️ With support from partners like @ViriyaENB, Magi Farm is proving that rethinking the system can unlock solutions that benefit people, planet, and business alike. Want to learn more? link in bio. #ClimateAction #FoodWaste
  • 🍄 “What we do matters.” That’s the lasting message from Daughters of the Forest. The film follows Eliseete and Julieta, scientists from Indigenous communities, and the women around them, revealing how science weaves together with ancestral wisdom, and inviting us to see nature as a web of connection, mutual respect and care. It reminds us that climate solutions often grow from local knowledge and lived experience. Recognising and valuing these insights is key to a sustainable, resilient future. By sharing stories like this, we can help shift perspectives and inspire climate action. Through our partnership with @thedocsociety’s Climate Story Fund, the IKEA Foundation supports storytelling that brings forward underrepresented perspectives and engages wider audiences in climate action. ❤️ @daughters_of_the_forest_film Learn more about our partner, Doc Society: link in bio. #climateaction #ikeafoundation
  • Today, we celebrate our founder, Ingvar Kamprad, on what would have been his 100th birthday. Ingvar’s influence goes far beyond what he built. He inspired curiosity, humility, and a constant drive to improve, always rooted in everyday life. That thinking continues to guide our work at the IKEA Foundation. Together with our partners, we are working to fight global warming with and for the many people, so everyday life can be better, now and in the future. As Ingvar said, “Most things still remain to be done. A glorious future!” There is still much to do. We move forward together. Happy birthday, Ingvar. đź’™ #ikeafoundation
👆Here’s what it’s like to learn about climate solutions firsthand. Last month, 37 IKEA Foundation ambassadors from 10 countries came together in Indonesia to meet leaders working on the country’s net zero transition and learn straight from the organisations making it happen. 🌏 We held black soldier fly larvae, heard stories about fishing boats now running quietly on electricity, asked key questions about switching to electric vehicles, and took an electric bus to a village where solar panels on the market roof are already saving money and cutting emissions. One thing is clear: solutions are already out there. They’re led by local communities and ready to grow. Thank you to our partner @viriyaenb for making these connections possible and introducing us to @iesr.id, @magifarm.id, @newenergynexus, and @wriindonesia. We appreciate your openness, generosity, and leadership. 💬 To everyone who joined us in Indonesia, what moments stood out to you? #climateaction #ikeafoundation
👆Here’s what it’s like to learn about climate solutions firsthand. Last month, 37 IKEA Foundation ambassadors from 10 countries came together in Indonesia to meet leaders working on the country’s net zero transition and learn straight from the organisations making it happen. 🌏 We held black soldier fly larvae, heard stories about fishing boats now running quietly on electricity, asked key questions about switching to electric vehicles, and took an electric bus to a village where solar panels on the market roof are already saving money and cutting emissions. One thing is clear: solutions are already out there. They’re led by local communities and ready to grow. Thank you to our partner @viriyaenb for making these connections possible and introducing us to @iesr.id, @magifarm.id, @newenergynexus, and @wriindonesia. We appreciate your openness, generosity, and leadership. 💬 To everyone who joined us in Indonesia, what moments stood out to you? #climateaction #ikeafoundation
👆Here’s what it’s like to learn about climate solutions firsthand. Last month, 37 IKEA Foundation ambassadors from 10 countries came together in Indonesia to meet leaders working on the country’s net zero transition and learn straight from the organisations making it happen. 🌏 We held black soldier fly larvae, heard stories about fishing boats now running quietly on electricity, asked key questions about switching to electric vehicles, and took an electric bus to a village where solar panels on the market roof are already saving money and cutting emissions. One thing is clear: solutions are already out there. They’re led by local communities and ready to grow. Thank you to our partner @viriyaenb for making these connections possible and introducing us to @iesr.id, @magifarm.id, @newenergynexus, and @wriindonesia. We appreciate your openness, generosity, and leadership. 💬 To everyone who joined us in Indonesia, what moments stood out to you? #climateaction #ikeafoundation
👆Here’s what it’s like to learn about climate solutions firsthand. Last month, 37 IKEA Foundation ambassadors from 10 countries came together in Indonesia to meet leaders working on the country’s net zero transition and learn straight from the organisations making it happen. 🌏 We held black soldier fly larvae, heard stories about fishing boats now running quietly on electricity, asked key questions about switching to electric vehicles, and took an electric bus to a village where solar panels on the market roof are already saving money and cutting emissions. One thing is clear: solutions are already out there. They’re led by local communities and ready to grow. Thank you to our partner @viriyaenb for making these connections possible and introducing us to @iesr.id, @magifarm.id, @newenergynexus, and @wriindonesia. We appreciate your openness, generosity, and leadership. 💬 To everyone who joined us in Indonesia, what moments stood out to you? #climateaction #ikeafoundation
👆Here’s what it’s like to learn about climate solutions firsthand. Last month, 37 IKEA Foundation ambassadors from 10 countries came together in Indonesia to meet leaders working on the country’s net zero transition and learn straight from the organisations making it happen. 🌏 We held black soldier fly larvae, heard stories about fishing boats now running quietly on electricity, asked key questions about switching to electric vehicles, and took an electric bus to a village where solar panels on the market roof are already saving money and cutting emissions. One thing is clear: solutions are already out there. They’re led by local communities and ready to grow. Thank you to our partner @viriyaenb for making these connections possible and introducing us to @iesr.id, @magifarm.id, @newenergynexus, and @wriindonesia. We appreciate your openness, generosity, and leadership. 💬 To everyone who joined us in Indonesia, what moments stood out to you? #climateaction #ikeafoundation
👆Here’s what it’s like to learn about climate solutions firsthand. Last month, 37 IKEA Foundation ambassadors from 10 countries came together in Indonesia to meet leaders working on the country’s net zero transition and learn straight from the organisations making it happen. 🌏 We held black soldier fly larvae, heard stories about fishing boats now running quietly on electricity, asked key questions about switching to electric vehicles, and took an electric bus to a village where solar panels on the market roof are already saving money and cutting emissions. One thing is clear: solutions are already out there. They’re led by local communities and ready to grow. Thank you to our partner @viriyaenb for making these connections possible and introducing us to @iesr.id, @magifarm.id, @newenergynexus, and @wriindonesia. We appreciate your openness, generosity, and leadership. 💬 To everyone who joined us in Indonesia, what moments stood out to you? #climateaction #ikeafoundation
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👆Here’s what it’s like to learn about climate solutions firsthand. Last month, 37 IKEA Foundation ambassadors from 10 countries came together in Indonesia to meet leaders working on the country’s net zero transition and learn straight from the organisations making it happen. 🌏 We held black soldier fly larvae, heard stories about fishing boats now running quietly on electricity, asked key questions about switching to electric vehicles, and took an electric bus to a village where solar panels on the market roof are already saving money and cutting emissions. One thing is clear: solutions are already out there. They’re led by local communities and ready to grow. Thank you to our partner @viriyaenb for making these connections possible and introducing us to @iesr.id, @magifarm.id, @newenergynexus, and @wriindonesia. We appreciate your openness, generosity, and leadership. 💬 To everyone who joined us in Indonesia, what moments stood out to you? #climateaction #ikeafoundation
2 days ago
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Meet Ima and Soma, co-founders of @MagiFarm.id in Indonesia. After seeing just how much food was going to waste in Bali, they set out to find a better way — one that works with nature, not against it 🪰 Now, their idea is turning food waste into value for businesses, households, and communities across Indonesia. Swipe to discover how it works and the impact it’s already making ➡️ ♻️ With support from partners like @ViriyaENB, Magi Farm is proving that rethinking the system can unlock solutions that benefit people, planet, and business alike. Want to learn more? link in bio. #ClimateAction #FoodWaste
Meet Ima and Soma, co-founders of @MagiFarm.id in Indonesia. After seeing just how much food was going to waste in Bali, they set out to find a better way — one that works with nature, not against it 🪰 Now, their idea is turning food waste into value for businesses, households, and communities across Indonesia. Swipe to discover how it works and the impact it’s already making ➡️ ♻️ With support from partners like @ViriyaENB, Magi Farm is proving that rethinking the system can unlock solutions that benefit people, planet, and business alike. Want to learn more? link in bio. #ClimateAction #FoodWaste
Meet Ima and Soma, co-founders of @MagiFarm.id in Indonesia. After seeing just how much food was going to waste in Bali, they set out to find a better way — one that works with nature, not against it 🪰 Now, their idea is turning food waste into value for businesses, households, and communities across Indonesia. Swipe to discover how it works and the impact it’s already making ➡️ ♻️ With support from partners like @ViriyaENB, Magi Farm is proving that rethinking the system can unlock solutions that benefit people, planet, and business alike. Want to learn more? link in bio. #ClimateAction #FoodWaste
Meet Ima and Soma, co-founders of @MagiFarm.id in Indonesia. After seeing just how much food was going to waste in Bali, they set out to find a better way — one that works with nature, not against it 🪰 Now, their idea is turning food waste into value for businesses, households, and communities across Indonesia. Swipe to discover how it works and the impact it’s already making ➡️ ♻️ With support from partners like @ViriyaENB, Magi Farm is proving that rethinking the system can unlock solutions that benefit people, planet, and business alike. Want to learn more? link in bio. #ClimateAction #FoodWaste
Meet Ima and Soma, co-founders of @MagiFarm.id in Indonesia. After seeing just how much food was going to waste in Bali, they set out to find a better way — one that works with nature, not against it 🪰 Now, their idea is turning food waste into value for businesses, households, and communities across Indonesia. Swipe to discover how it works and the impact it’s already making ➡️ ♻️ With support from partners like @ViriyaENB, Magi Farm is proving that rethinking the system can unlock solutions that benefit people, planet, and business alike. Want to learn more? link in bio. #ClimateAction #FoodWaste
Meet Ima and Soma, co-founders of @MagiFarm.id in Indonesia. After seeing just how much food was going to waste in Bali, they set out to find a better way — one that works with nature, not against it 🪰 Now, their idea is turning food waste into value for businesses, households, and communities across Indonesia. Swipe to discover how it works and the impact it’s already making ➡️ ♻️ With support from partners like @ViriyaENB, Magi Farm is proving that rethinking the system can unlock solutions that benefit people, planet, and business alike. Want to learn more? link in bio. #ClimateAction #FoodWaste
Meet Ima and Soma, co-founders of @MagiFarm.id in Indonesia. After seeing just how much food was going to waste in Bali, they set out to find a better way — one that works with nature, not against it 🪰 Now, their idea is turning food waste into value for businesses, households, and communities across Indonesia. Swipe to discover how it works and the impact it’s already making ➡️ ♻️ With support from partners like @ViriyaENB, Magi Farm is proving that rethinking the system can unlock solutions that benefit people, planet, and business alike. Want to learn more? link in bio. #ClimateAction #FoodWaste
Meet Ima and Soma, co-founders of @MagiFarm.id in Indonesia. After seeing just how much food was going to waste in Bali, they set out to find a better way — one that works with nature, not against it 🪰 Now, their idea is turning food waste into value for businesses, households, and communities across Indonesia. Swipe to discover how it works and the impact it’s already making ➡️ ♻️ With support from partners like @ViriyaENB, Magi Farm is proving that rethinking the system can unlock solutions that benefit people, planet, and business alike. Want to learn more? link in bio. #ClimateAction #FoodWaste
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Meet Ima and Soma, co-founders of @MagiFarm.id in Indonesia. After seeing just how much food was going to waste in Bali, they set out to find a better way — one that works with nature, not against it 🪰 Now, their idea is turning food waste into value for businesses, households, and communities across Indonesia. Swipe to discover how it works and the impact it’s already making ➡️ ♻️ With support from partners like @ViriyaENB, Magi Farm is proving that rethinking the system can unlock solutions that benefit people, planet, and business alike. Want to learn more? link in bio. #ClimateAction #FoodWaste
1 week ago
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🍄 “What we do matters.” That’s the lasting message from Daughters of the Forest. The film follows Eliseete and Julieta, scientists from Indigenous communities, and the women around them, revealing how science weaves together with ancestral wisdom, and inviting us to see nature as a web of connection, mutual respect and care. It reminds us that climate solutions often grow from local knowledge and lived experience. Recognising and valuing these insights is key to a sustainable, resilient future. By sharing stories like this, we can help shift perspectives and inspire climate action. Through our partnership with @thedocsociety’s Climate Story Fund, the IKEA Foundation supports storytelling that brings forward underrepresented perspectives and engages wider audiences in climate action. ❤️ @daughters_of_the_forest_film Learn more about our partner, Doc Society: link in bio. #climateaction #ikeafoundation
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Follow
🍄 “What we do matters.” That’s the lasting message from Daughters of the Forest. The film follows Eliseete and Julieta, scientists from Indigenous communities, and the women around them, revealing how science weaves together with ancestral wisdom, and inviting us to see nature as a web of connection, mutual respect and care. It reminds us that climate solutions often grow from local knowledge and lived experience. Recognising and valuing these insights is key to a sustainable, resilient future. By sharing stories like this, we can help shift perspectives and inspire climate action. Through our partnership with @thedocsociety’s Climate Story Fund, the IKEA Foundation supports storytelling that brings forward underrepresented perspectives and engages wider audiences in climate action. ❤️ @daughters_of_the_forest_film Learn more about our partner, Doc Society: link in bio. #climateaction #ikeafoundation
2 weeks ago
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3/4
Today, we celebrate our founder, Ingvar Kamprad, on what would have been his 100th birthday. Ingvar’s influence goes far beyond what he built. He inspired curiosity, humility, and a constant drive to improve, always rooted in everyday life. That thinking continues to guide our work at the IKEA Foundation. Together with our partners, we are working to fight global warming with and for the many people, so everyday life can be better, now and in the future. As Ingvar said, “Most things still remain to be done. A glorious future!” There is still much to do. We move forward together. Happy birthday, Ingvar. 💙 #ikeafoundation
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Today, we celebrate our founder, Ingvar Kamprad, on what would have been his 100th birthday. Ingvar’s influence goes far beyond what he built. He inspired curiosity, humility, and a constant drive to improve, always rooted in everyday life. That thinking continues to guide our work at the IKEA Foundation. Together with our partners, we are working to fight global warming with and for the many people, so everyday life can be better, now and in the future. As Ingvar said, “Most things still remain to be done. A glorious future!” There is still much to do. We move forward together. Happy birthday, Ingvar. 💙 #ikeafoundation
3 weeks ago
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