Status of ISV Current Active New Initiatives

Challenges

• Financial issues threaten progress, working on it. 
• NPSS continues stellar support into 2024. 
• PES support delayed in 2023 but strong in 2024.
• Just a few of the 15 Societies on our governing board responding with finances; participation donor- designated but often bypassing ISV procedures, goals. 
• Challenges to reaffirm values that make ISV unique.
• Turnover of Governing Board reps is opportunity to educate in group(s), participate, champion approved initiatives in field.

Advent of IEEE Humanitarian Technologies Board (HTB)

• Approved by IEEE Board in Q1 2023
• Oversees existing HAC and SIGHT activities with increased budget of $3.6M
• ISV impact is being discussed but remains a separate entity.
• New Director of HAC contacts made and collaboration discussions beginning.
• Working toward a mutually beneficial relationship. 

ISV Regional Working Groups (WG) Activities

To date five WGs have been appointed and assigned to take the lead in finding and filtering new proposals, visiting sites, offering support, progress monitoring, and helping raise funds for new initiatives.

South Asia Working Group (SAWG) 

• Under outstanding new management, very well organized, growing.
• Leadership taking lead in revising Project Services Agreement (PSA), new applications.
• Africa Working Group (AWG)
• Members from 37 of 54 African countries, first ISV Student branch at U of Johannesburg.  

Latin America Working Group (LAWG)

The newest group to launch is focusing on supporting a major Amazonia initiative just getting organized. Has partners interested in Amazonia women’s group with goal of developing a million women entrepreneurs. Partners include main group of women from Peru, support from University of Calgary, and Schneider Electric in Germany.  

North America Working Group (NAWG)

Focused on indigenous tribes in US snd Canada. Attended tribal government conferences in Anchorage and Sacramento, by invitation. Multiple groups collaborating on first Alaska solar-wind community solution, community-owned. Logistics are extremely difficult due to small, isolated communities but making good progress in helping define first initiative which will cost $1M and must be sustainable to be replicable to many villages. The Business Model is the main challenge, but good progress is reported. The model is a partnership among government, Tribes and Smart Village to help with funding and mentoring.

China Working Group (CWG)

The China Working group started a year ago and in its first year held a very successful hybrid conference in China with university researchers, government officials and Smart Village leadership as speakers The result was remarkable in that it opened new doors and intense interest in the ISV approach to problems in rural China. For the first time we heard that energy poverty was impacting almost half the population. 

This year, just completed, was held the Second China IEEE Smart Village Green Low Carbon Conference, Nov. 15^th -16^th, which was equally successful, also celebrating the ISV launching of the first two ISV-supported entrepreneurial startups in China.

This hybrid conference was organized around 50 invited specialists from China, the US and other countries involved in both university and government research on climate change impacts and solutions. The principal organizer was again Xiaofeng Zhang, Founder and Chair of the CWG. ISV President Rajan Kapur attended in person and gave a lead paper, while Ray Larsen gave a second session lead paper on ISV accomplishments and challenges. Valuable contacts for collaboration were made with several entities as well as Nobel Laureate Daniel Kammen of UC Berkeley who is heavily engaged with a USAID program to build thousands of microgrids in Africa and is eager to collaborate with ISV. He has agreed to address the upcoming ISV-Power Africa Conference in Morocco. 

Initiatives Currently Underway

There are 19 approved initiatives currently underway, listed below:

• Africa Development Promise, women-led Cold Storage Coop, Rwanda —  $44K
• Kumba Zed, women-led Gemstone Cutting, Zambia —  $22K
• Nigeria Ltd, Solar Rice Mill — $140K
• Darway Coast Nigeria, Solar Microgrid Fleet — $200K
• Nile University Women-led Bagasse Packaging Plant, Egypt — $25K
• Global Telehealth Network, Uganda & Kenya, joint w/Rotary — $70K
• Bright Hope Turkana Natoot Farm Upscale, Kenya w/IEEE Foundation — $ 24.4K
• Honey Farming Hub, Tanzania — $28.1K
• Congo Agriculture Tech-Powered Bakery, IEEEF — $100K
• Congo Agriculture Solar-Powered Milling, IEEEF — $50K
• Dacheng Low Carbon Energy Technology Home Heating, China, IEEEF — $40K
• University of Chile Drought Mitigation, IEEE R9 — $25K
• Monte Adentro Assn Electrification to fight deforestation Argentina —$200K
• Computers LLC Molokai Solar Hawaii —$25K
• Global Himalayan Expedition Electrification Nagaland India — $32K
• Global Himalayan Expedition Batase Solar School Nepal —$35K
• SunMoksha Kudagaon Solar Smart Irrigation, India — $44K
• Sangrahakya Samiti: Empower youth, women, Aravalli India/(WHEELS) —$23.7K
• Tezpur University: Sustainable rural development, India— $59.7K  
• Total Underway — $1,313K

The above funds, some from multiple sources, are in hand. However, in addition to the active list, there are approximately 15 new applicants in the pipeline that will require approximately $1.5 million to cover. Appeals are being made to all Societies for year-end funding. ISV has no guaranteed funding and relies primarily on IEEE Foundation and Society funding while it continues to seek outside donors. Its goal has been to raise $2.5M per year to fund the equivalent of ten (10) new startups per year at $200K each, each pledged to bring benefits to at least a million people; this was the charter adopted in 2015 when we became renamed IEEE Smart Village and a Signature Program of IEEE Foundation.

Special Thanks to NPSS: You have been a pillar in helping ISV continue striving to fulfil its charter.

Respectively submitted, Ray Larsen, ISV Senior Advisory Chair 2020-23, NPSS AdCom Liaison to SSIT & Humanitarian Activities, CSI/ISV Co-Founder & Chair 2009-2020, NPSS Past President 1989-90

Ray Larsen can be reached by E-mail at [email protected]