By Issa Batarseh, PhD, EBL Global Steering Committee Vice-Chair, PELS Technical Committee for Energy Access and Off-Grid Solutions, Chair
This month, during the IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Expo (ECCE 2024-Europe) in Darmstadt, Germany, IEEE officially launched the third round of the Empower a Billion Lives (EBL) competition. This global initiative seeks to accelerate scalable energy access solutions for nearly two billion people living without reliable energy. The competition, organized by the IEEE Power Electronics Society (IEEE PELS), invites teams from around the world to participate in EBL 2025 and tackle the critical challenge of energy poverty.
Billion People Live in Energy Poverty
Currently, three billion people live in energy poverty, and 675 million have no access to electricity. This issue isn’t just a statistic—it’s a global crisis requiring immediate attention. Projections suggest that by 2030, the world may still fall short of achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG7) for universal energy access. Providing affordable, sustainable energy can dramatically improve quality of life, health, education, productivity, and inclusion in modern society, while also reducing up to 3.8 gigatons of carbon emissions annually. The urgent need for scalable energy solutions drives the EBL competition’s mission.
Energy Competition to Create Technological Solutions
The competition, open for registration, calls for multidisciplinary teams to design, develop, and demonstrate innovative and sustainable solutions that can address the energy needs of underserved populations. EBL’s objective is not only to find technological solutions but also to create economically viable models that can be scaled and adapted globally. Special panels, team activities, and an energy access program will be held at the IEEE-PELS International Decentralized Energy Access Solutions (IDEAS) Conference in Bali, Indonesia, from January 7 to 9, 2025.
Building on the success of previous competitions in 2019 and 2023, EBL 2025 will introduce new and challenging tracks, including energy resilience, local entrepreneurship, clean cooking, enabling technologies, and more. Teams will be evaluated on their ability to create innovative solutions with strong business plans that can be scaled to different regions. Past EBL competitions have attracted over 550 teams from 70 countries, with field demonstrations and global finals in the US. The grand prize of $150,000 USD awarded to Nanoe from Madagascar in 2023 exemplifies the high stakes and the potential for impact.
Success Comes from Global Competitors
Success stories from the competition include past winners like SolarWorx (Germany), Havenhill Synergy (Nigeria), and SoULS (India), all of which have developed groundbreaking technologies to improve energy access in their regions. These achievements are a testament to EBL’s ability to foster innovation and provide real-world solutions for energy access challenges.
Empower a Billion Lives is a platform for innovators, entrepreneurs, and student teams to harness 21st-century technologies to deliver affordable energy solutions for those living on less than $2.15 USD per day. Participants will have the opportunity to reduce technology and market risks, showcase their creativity, and make a meaningful global impact.
Joining the Competition
Participation in EBL 2025 is open to teams from small businesses, start-ups, research institutions, and universities across the globe. To learn more about the competition, past winners, and how to get involved, visit www.empowerabillionlives.org. Together, we can help shape a future where affordable and sustainable energy is accessible to all.