News & Updates
🏆🌾 SEED Center Wins Track Prize at the IEEE Empower a Billion Lives Global Final
The Global Final took place from 1 to 4 December 2025 at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa and was organized together with the Southern Power Electronics Conference (SPEC).
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CPUE in Practice: The Kyampisi Living Lab (Uganda)
The award-winning demonstration was implemented in the SEED Living Lab in Kyampisi, Uganda. The rural community consists of around 1,500 residents and approximately 420 households. Although the village was connected to the national grid in 2024, residents still experience frequent power outages. Agriculture remains the main source of income for most households.
The Kyampisi mini-grid was installed in 2022 and includes:
- a 10 kWp solar photovoltaic system,
- battery storage,
- and productive-use applications for local businesses and households.
Within the CPUE pilot, the SEED Center introduced an “Agro Value-Add Kit” that combines three interconnected productive-use applications:
- a solar-powered irrigation system,
- a maize milling unit,
- and briquette production from agricultural residues.
The idea behind the model is that the output of one activity becomes the input for another:
- irrigation increases agricultural production,
- increased harvests create more milling demand,
- milling residues are converted into briquettes,
- and briquettes create additional income streams while reducing waste.
Early Results from the Field Test
The first field tests showed promising results regarding both energy utilization and local economic impact.
Energy Utilization
Before the intervention, the mini-grid operated at only around 10–15% of its available capacity. After introducing productive-use applications, utilization increased to approximately 35–40% of daily generation.
Local Economic Impact
The pilot also demonstrated measurable socio-economic benefits:
- farmers reduced transportation costs and saved time through local milling,
- new income opportunities emerged through briquette production,
- and the irrigation system is expected to increase agricultural yields and seasonal income.
Community feedback has so far been highly positive, particularly regarding affordability, reliability, and local accessibility of the services.
Photo: Juri Mazumdar / Juri & Aki Films GmbH
Photo: Juri Mazumdar / Juri & Aki Films GmbH
Photo: Juri Mazumdar / Juri & Aki Films GmbH
Photo: IEEE Empower a Billion Lives
Photo: IEEE Empower a Billion Lives
Photo: IEEE Empower a Billion Lives
Acknowledgements
The SEED Center would like to thank all researchers, students, technicians, and community members involved in the Kyampisi Living Lab and the IEEE Empower a Billion Lives competition.
Special appreciation goes to:
- Prof. Dr. Frank-Martin Belz,
- Dr. Alessia Argiolas,
- Saltanat Kuntuarova,
- Francis Mijuni (PhD),
- Dr. Betty Nabuuma,
- Nitin Akhade,
- Olivia Kiwanuka,
- and the local community partners in Kyampisi.
The TUM SEED Center is funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) through the exceed programme and supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).