The Global Center of Excellence in Affordable and Clean energy was recently launched at IIT Dharwad. The center will enhance the research in affordable and clean energy. The center will create, incubate technologies, physical infrastructure. Also, it will create clean energy solutions. The solutions will target on livelihoods of rural communities.
The center is to be supported by CSR funds. CSR is Corporate Social Responsibility. The CSR funds are to come from HHSIF. HHSIF is Honeywell Hometown Solutions India Foundation. HHSIF provides funds in five main areas such as family safety and security, science and math education, housing and shelter, sustainability and humanitarian relief.
What is the plan?
- IIT Dharwad and HHSIF will jointly develop a platform. The platform will build interactive databases related to energy challenges in the country.
- The center will analyze the challenges and choose the appropriate and valid ones. It will then take these challenged through robust stages of the innovation cycle. This includes research, prototyping, testing, piloting and building channels.
- The center will also focus on designing, incubating and creating energy-efficient engineering affordable products. These products will be powered by renewable energy. The product will mainly enhance the lives of rural communities. All the ideas created will be based on recent advanced technologies.