In November 2016, a UK trade delegation in Delhi witnessed air pollution so severe that particulate levels reached 999 mg per cubic metre—nearly five times the emission limit for an iron-making coke oven. The SUNRISE programme tackles two linked problems: India’s soaring energy demand as it becomes the world’s largest economy by 2030, and the agricultural waste burning that drives such choking pollution. The project aims to rapidly develop low-cost, printed photovoltaic cells and tandem solar devices that can be manufactured locally and deployed in off-grid villages of up to 20,000 people each. If successful, these solar panels would provide clean electricity without relying on fossil fuels or centralised grids. The programme also includes gasification of farm waste—turning a major pollution source into energy—and photocatalytic water purification, supported by the Gates Foundation. Beyond hardware, SUNRISE will create an Industrial Doctorate programme modelled on the UK’s successful EngD scheme, building lasting collaboration between Indian industry and institutions. The goal is not just demonstration, but a self-sustaining legacy of local manufacturing and expertise.
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In November 2016 the UK Government mounted a technical trade mission to India. During this visit the delegation witnessed some of the worst aerial pollution in Delhi's history. At times the air quality was contaminated with 999 mg per cubic metre of particulates almost five times the emission consent of an iron making coke oven! India will be the World's largest economy potentially as early as 2030 requiring a total transformation in energy generation. At the Trade summit Prime Minister Modi detailed a vision for India to leapfrog other countries reliance on fossil fuels harnessing global science implemented locally. As such the timing of SUNRISE could not be better. SUNRISE is an ambitious programme to rapidly accelerate and prove low cost printed PV and tandem solar cells for use in off grid Indian communities within the lifetime of the project. SUNRISE will combine world leading UK research teams from Imperial (Durrant/Nelson), Cambridge (Friend), Oxford (Snaith) a key Indo UK research leader (Uppadaya at Brunel) with an internationally leading photovoltaic scaling activity (SPECIFIC IKC at Swansea University (Worsley/Watson)) and key Indian institutions notably IIT Delhi (Dutta/Pathak), NPL Delhi (Chand, Gupta), CSIR Hydrabad (Giribabu, Narayan), IISER Pune (Ogale), IIT Kanpur (Garg, Gupta). The research impact of scaleable and stable low cost metal mounted PV products will be supported by technology demonstration at five off grid village communities (each of up to 20000 people). The EPSRC JUICE consortium will support the systems integration and electrical storage elements to create real technology demonstrators using local manufacturing supply chains (Tata Cleantech Capital and Tata Trust). In addition to electrical infrastructure the SUNRISE partnership includes activity on gasification of farming/crop wastes (a major cause of the incredible pollution in Delhi in November 2016) and the SPECIFIC IKC will support the practical on site demonstration of photocatalytic water purification using a linked programme with the Gates' Foundation. A key driver for this project is not only demonstration of technology in real demonstration sites but the creation of a legacy of better Indian Industry/Institution collaboration through the creation of an Industrial Doctorate programme modelled on the success of the UK EngD programme started by EPSRC in 1992 and pioneered at Swansea.
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