Promotion of Renewable Energy Products for the Urban Poor - Uganda

Energy Explorerz is an educational campaign in Uganda that enables school students to understand the effects of climate change, the importance of energy efficiency and the potential of renewable energy.

Fast facts:

Energy Explorerz applies – based on modern neuroscience insights – a teaching concept that enables individual activity and conveys content through vivid experiments. Some activities and experiments include:
○ Energy bikes: participants produce electricity by cycling on a stationary bike. By switching on different electronic appliances, they can experience the great variations in energy demand and the heat emissions of a traditional light bulb versus an energy-efficient lamp.
○ “Magic Planet” is an interactive globe that shows animated films demonstrating the phenomenon of the climate in general and climate change.
○ The “Cooking Box” is a box that demonstrates how one can save energy while cooking. By using a digital thermostat the instructors demonstrate how fast the energy falls within a cooking pot if there is no isolation.

The problem

There is a large knowledge gap when it comes to energy, energy efficiency and renewable energy and anthropogenic caused climate change in Uganda. There are also barriers to sustainable energy access, contributing to unsustainable practices, which leads to environmental degradation. Approximately 15% of Ugandan households are connected to the grid. In addition to this economic and social disadvantage, the usage of firewood for indoor cooking or of kerosene lamps for lighting homes causes severe health problems.

The solution

This activity visits secondary and vocational schools in Uganda. Through the application of an interactive exhibition including power generating bicycles and solar cookstove demonstrations the students can experience how important it is to save energy and how they can use renewable energy technology. In doing so, the campaign provides knowledge that people can use immediately in their daily lives. For instance, Energy Explorerz does not only convey the effects of global climate change, but also discusses the impact of changes in the local microclimate (as a consequence of deforestation).

Helping the planet

Energy Explorerz creates awareness on the potential of renewable energy and demonstrates to young students how clean technology could enhance their lives. This activity also hopes to curb deforestation in Uganda.

Helping people

Besides the school visits, Energy Explorerz reaches out to the local society by means of public events. The campaign invites local companies to demonstrate and sell renewable energy products. The usage of improved, energy efficient cookstoves can reduce indoor air pollution significantly, avoid deforestation and lead to energy savings. Through these actions people have the opportunity to take the economic development of their region into their own hands in a decentralized and independent way.

Scaling Up

Energy Explorerz intends to bring the campaign to other countries in the future. In many African, Asian and Latin-American countries as well as in the Middle East and North Africa region exists a demand for energy and climate change education. Energy Explorerz has the potential to evolve into a global campaign.