Mission:
Create Innovations to restore Global Ecosystem for Air & Water quality Improvement, Climate Change Mitigation and 100% Clean, Renewable Energy Transition through Cross-disciplinary and – institutional Collaboration with local on-the-ground implementers
Project Duration:
5 years
Synergistic Impacts of the Projects:
While each project can be conducted independently, all projects, if conducted jointly, can achieve far greater synergistic effects and benefits for environmental protection, restoration, and treatment of environmental stressors.
Executing Entity:
A joint effort will be launched by world-renowned experts from distinguished institutions including Stanford University, MIT, University of California at Los Angeles, Iowa State University, and other non-profit organizations in the developing countries, in partnership with local cell manufacturers/engineers and NGOs, to execute the 3 Components. The international team will contribute their technical expertise and facilitate technology transfer to strengthen these initiatives for the developing countries, utilizing world-class nanofabrication facilities.
Implementation Strategies:
1. Energy Efficiency is an Urgent Area for Reducing GHG Emissions from the developing countries’ Energy Sector.
2. 2D TMDC Solar Cells on c-Si have shown promising results in terms of Power Conversion Efficiency.
3. Photovoltaic energy harvesting is a great choice given its high energy density as compared to other sources.
4. All technologies for implementation, installation, deployment, piloting and adoption within this Program must have undergone rigorous testing and successfully transitioned to the industrial scale, demonstrating their ability to significantly impact climate change.
5. By increasing the use of local renewable energy and reducing the reliance on imported fossil fuels, the developing countries will benefit economically and will be less vulnerable to economic shocks from price fluctuations, as well as benefiting from fewer supply chain interruptions due to climate change induced extreme weather events.
6. From a technological aspect, the Programme will accelerate the implementation and adoption of new High-Impact energy efficient technologies for a mix of RE sources, NOT one source fits all, in the local communities as well as industrial sectors, contributing to a more sustainable future of the developing countries.
Theory of Change
The Theory of Change (TOC) for the proposed Program of 9 Projects (mergeable into 6 Projects for maximum synergistic impact) is organized into three main components. Component 1 consists of Project 1, while Component 2 is further divided into Sub-Component 1 (consisting of Projects 2, 4, 6, and 8) and Sub-Component 2 (consisting of Projects 3, 5, and 7). Component 3 comprises Project 9.
The objective of the Program is on-the-ground implementation of Model Adaptable Innovative Renewable Energy Solutions for Climate Neutral Energy Resilience in developing countries(including the Philippines).
Component 1:
Implementation & Technical Assistance
Project 1:
Empowering off-grid communities through interconnected solar PV microgrids for clean energy access and sustainable development
Component 2:
Advancing and transferring innovative renewable energy technologies and agrivoltaic implementation.
Sub-Component 1:
Advancing and transferring innovative renewable energy technologies(Projects 2, 4, 6, 8)
Sub-Component 2:
Strengthening Communities with Sustainable Solar Energy(Projects 3, 5, 7)
Project 2:
2D Transition Metal Dichalcogenide (TMDC) Solar Cells on c-Si Enabling Widespread Solar Adoption
What makes us unique?
1. TMDC solar cells on c-Si could be used in a variety of applications, for example as a pico to micro renewable energy source for wearable electronics and internet of things (IoT) devices, which are expected to scale to trillions of units by 2030.
2. Moreover, when integrated on buildings’ smart windows, TMDC solar cells on c-Si could significantly increase the energy efficiency and conservation in buildings, which constitute about 40% of global energy consumption.
3. In a retrofit renewable energy system, TMDC solar cells could be integrated on top of existing silicon solar panels to improve their power conversion efficiency by nearly 30%.
4. Providing high power-per-weight (specific-power) and flexibility at high reliability and potentially low cost. No other solar cell technology has all these merits at the same time.
Project 3:
Enhancing Energy Efficiency and Implementing a Renewable Energy-Based Circular Economy for Climate-Resilient Agriculture
Project 4:
Energy efficiency and conservation towards fully autonomous energy
Project 5:
Renewable Energy Household Desalination for Climate-resilient Communities
Project 6:
Green Wireless Energy Harvesting for Agrivoltaics, Health and Environmental Monitoring
Project 7:
Installation and Implementation of sustainable Agrivoltaic systems on Offgrid Communities
Project 8:
Innovative Mobile Agrivoltaic System for strengthening Sustainable Energy-Food-Water nexus and Environmental Sustainability
Component 3:
Advisory services & Knowledge Transfer for Rural Communities
Project 9:
Advisory services and Implementing Existing Roadmaps to Transition to 100% Wind-Water-Solar Plus Storage
Economic, Environmental & Financial Co-Benefits:
1. The advancement of high-efficiency, environmentally benign, low-cost silicon/TMDC tandem solar cells on c-Si can facilitate the widespread adoption of solar energy, leading to a significant reduction (~30%) in global greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change.
2. Lightweight, bendable, and transparent TMDC solar cells on c-Si have diverse applications in electric vehicles, drones, Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, unmanned aerial vehicles, consumer electronics, and architectural buildings.
3. Applications of TMDCs have high potential to contribute to pollution reduction in (i) gas sensing technology, (ii) gas adsorption and removal, (iii) wastewater treatment technology, (iv) fuel cleaning, and (v) carbon dioxide valorization and conversion to clean fuels.
4. Energy Harvesting can reduce electromagnetic pollution
5. Increased energy autonomy can reduce electromagnetic and chemical pollution
6. The beneficiary country has promising economic development co-benefit opportunities in the global Energy Harvesting System Market, Solar Cells Market, Transition Metal Dichalcogenides (TMDC) market, MOLYBDENUM DISULFIDE MARKET, global solar photovoltaic (PV) market, renewable energy market, worth USD 2172.37 billion by 2030 (Source: https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2021/11/09/2330394/0/en/Renewable-Energy-Market-worth-USD-2172-37-billion-by-2030-registering-a-CAGR-of-10-13-Report-by-Market-Research-Future-MRFR.html). This includes improving the efficiencies and lowering the cost of these technologies.
Retrofit renewable energy systems, developing TMDC solar cells, and implementing environmental monitoring technologies can induce financial development co-benefits for the beneficiary country, leading to environmental co-benefits, i.e., better air and water quality, air pollution removal, better climate, and global climate change mitigation, as well as providing thermal comfort.