Collins Aerospace and Our Shared Commitment to Advancing Clean Energy Worldwide
EWB-USA’s humanitarian engineering projects fall into several categories but are united by a shared focus on climate resilience and sustainability.
As EWB-USA celebrates our 20th anniversary and start of our 2,000th project, it’s clear that the climate challenges of the coming decades will require our entire EWB-USA community to redouble our efforts to innovate and deliver sustainable clean energy solutions.
This month we are taking a closer look at EWB-USA’s clean energy projects, our partner communities that benefit from these projects, and our generous partners that ensure these projects can continue.
Collins Aerospace supports a broad portfolio of EWB-USA clean energy projects around the world. Two projects, led by the EWB Central Houston Professional Chapter, in Chipiya, India and Payorote, Peru, showcase the collaborative and community-driven work that Collins Aerospace advances with its support of EWB-USA.
“Collins and EWB-USA have a long-standing partnership and through our joint Clean Energy Initiative, we’re sponsoring a portfolio of clean energy projects that will deliver an even greater impact,” said LeAnn Ridgeway, Chief Sustainability Officer at Collins Aerospace. “Together we’re addressing climate resiliency through engineering projects that improve access to sustainable power sources in underserved communities around the globe.”
Addressing the growing demand for fuel in Chipiya, India
As the demand for fuel increases for agriculture, commercial and household use, the supply of fuel falls short in this region, which is in the Gondia district in Maharashtra state. Chipiya is located 800 km from Mumbai with good access to neighboring towns via car and other modes of transportation. The community is primarily made up of local Sondhiya tribesmen who are eager to implement technologies for rural development projects. The average net annual income in Chipiya is $400. The primary goal of the project is to bridge the gap between lack of supply of fuel and the local community’s needs. After extensive review of the issues alongside the community, a consensus was reached to construct a Biogas Plant. To generate biogas, a mixing tank with a macerator chops up solids and mixes the cow manure and water before entering the digester.
- Local NGO partner: The Reliance Foundation
- Project start date: 6/2/2014
- Project completion date: 6/30/2019
- Project phase: Active monitoring
- Direct beneficiaries: 600
Providing solar to light the dark in Payorote, Peru
In this small remote village in Peru, deep in the Amazon jungle, low-tech solar solutions can dramatically improve the lives of residents. The community is extremely remote with an aging population that survives on minimal or no income. Simple lighting solutions give people more time in a day to accomplish important tasks, including schoolwork. This rural electrification project leverages simple LED hand lanterns to provide flexible light at night and reduces the villagers’ need to purchase polluting fossil fuels.
- Local NGO partner: Amazon Promise
- Project start date: 5/26/2017
- Project phase: Preliminary design
- Direct beneficiaries: 250
“With their funding support and expertise, Collins Aerospace is driving forward a long list of EWB-USA clean energy projects that will improve the lives of tens of thousands of people,” said Gerard Dalziel, EWB-USA’s Chief Engineer.
“Beyond that, Collins Aerospace engineers are helping EWB chapters and staff expand our understanding of what is – and will be – possible. This transfer of knowledge and partnership with the experts is a big part of what drives our mission forward.”
PHOTO CREDITS: Engineers Without Borders USA Central Houston Professional Chapter