Disclaimer:
Please be aware that the content herein has not been peer reviewed. It consists of personal reflections, insights, and learnings of the contributor(s). It may not be exhaustive, nor does it aim to be authoritative knowledge.
Title
Please provide a name for your action learning plan.
SMART Solar Dryer Phase 2 Scale Up
Challenge statement
Challenge type: If you are working on multiple challenges, please indicate if this is your "big bet" or "exploratory" challenge.
Please note: we ask you to only submit a maximum of 3 challenges - 1x Big Bet, 2x Exploratory. Each challenge must be submitted individually.
BIG BET
Challenge statement: What is your challenge? (Please answer in specific terms: "Our challenge is that...”.)
Our challenge is to prototype a more cost effective modular solar dryer building from successful phase 1 experiment, with relevant technologies and techniques to improve the energy efficiency for food drying processes in 3 new locations in rural areas. We will also be exploring the solar dome, solar chimney design for drying of higher moisture products eg. anchovies and seaweed for coastal communities.
Background: What is the history of your challenge? What is causing or driving it? Who is involved? How does the current situation look like? What undesired effects does it produce?
During the height of COVID-19 pandemic, the livelihood of rural communities in Sabah, the poorest state in Malaysia was badly affected due to Movement Control Order. 30% of Sabah’s small and medium enterprises have closed their business due to COVID. Many are unable to financially recover, with the poverty rate in Sabah increasing to 25.3% in 2020.
Accelerator Lab Malaysia then worked with the community in Moyog and Pagalungan to set up an e-market mechanism to connect rural produces to consumers in the urban areas to ensure the continuity of business and food supply chain. The project started with marketing of dried food due to limited facilities and infrastructure such as refrigeration to store and preserve fresh produces. Long traveling time and poor road conditions to rural farms also poses as a challenge in maintaining quality of delivered goods. However, the cost of drying food produces using conventional oven is quite high and reduces the producer’s profit margin. The energy used in the process is also not efficient and greener options are needed.
The Accelerator Lab Malaysia then won a grant for Japan SDGs Innovation Challenge in 2021 funded by the Japan Cabinet Office to prototype a SMART solar dryer in collaboration with AGC Green Tech (private company in Japan) and TONIBUNG (social enterprise in Malaysia). The first edition of the SMART solar dryer prototype was developed for communal use in rural communities to partially replace conventional oven drying with solar drying. It is designed to reduce both energy consumption and food produce wastage with an overarching goal of streamlining the journey of agricultural products from partner communities to wider markets. The SMART solar dryer was built using local materials in Sabah Malaysia and is easily dismantlable for ease of transportation in remote areas. It also utilises user-friendly technology that will improve air circulation and reduces fungus growth in traditional solar dryers.
The Accelerator Lab Malaysia will be working with the relevant partners on the second phase of this project for SMART Solar Dryer Prototype 2.0 and a solar dome in 2023 with additional fundings from the Japan Cabinet Office (CAO), in partnership with the UNDP Japan Unit and UNDP Accelerator Labs. The design of the solar dome and prototype 2.0 will serve a different rural location in Malaysia with different needs- eg. coastal communities drying higher moisture of products.
Quantitative evidence: What (official) data sources do you have on this challenge that better exemplifies the importance and urgency of this frontier challenge? You can add text, a link, or a picture.
https://www.kearney.com/why-us/social-impact-and-sustainability/article/-/insights/a-road-map-to-energy-access-for-all-in-sabah-malaysia#:~:text=Rural%20electrification%20levels%20in%20Sabah,electricity%20can%20be%20considered%20renewable.
https://greenempowerment.org/the-road-to-renewable-energy-in-sabah-malaysia/
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2022/08/17/sesb-aims-to-increase-renewable-energy-generation-to-40-from-the-present-15
Qualitative evidence: What weak signals have you recently spotted that characterizes its urgency? Please provide qualitative information that better exemplifies the importance and urgency of this frontier challenge. You can add text, a link, or a picture.
A gender analysis and evaluation session was held in September 2022 with beneficiaries to gather feedback on the solar dryer. Future users were also invited to understand the benefits and potential needs for prototypes in scale up phases. A total of 40 participants were present for the FGD including men. The session has highlighted some improvements for the next prototype and garnered a lot of interest from new users to utilise it for food drying purposes. This provide us the business case to expand the solar dryer prototype with local adjustment to other locations in Malaysia. The food drying has allowed farmers (mostly made of men) to plant higher value crops and improve household incomes. The men are therefore benefitting from the food drying endeavours that are mostly driven by women.
Value proposition: What added value or unique value proposition is your Accelerator Lab bringing to solving this challenge? Why is it your Lab that needs to work on this challenge and not other actors within UNDP, other stakeholders in the country respectively? Why is it worth investing resources to this challenge?
A prototype for community solar dryer that is easily transportable in the rural terrains and climate conducive to the local weather is developed and tested with the local community with technical expertise provided on optimum drying time and temperature for different food produces.
Short “tweet” summary: We would like to tweet what you are working on, can you summarize your challenge in a maximum of 280 characters?
SMART Solar Dryer project funded by Japan Cabinet Office scaling up to more rural communities in Pahang and Sarawak to enhance value chain production of rural enterprises and food security. #innovation #greenproduction #sustainabledevelopment #solarenergy
Partners
Who are your top 5 partners for this challenge? Please submit from MOST to LEAST important and state Name, Sector and a brief description of the (intended) collaboration.
Please state the name of the Parter:
AGC Green Tech with Ebf Germany as consultant, AGC Green Tech APAC office
What sector does our partner belong to?
Private Sector
Please provide a brief description of the collaboration.
AGC Green Tech supports the prototype enhancement of the SMART Solar Dryer and conceptualisation of solar chimney project. AGC Green Tech from Asia Pacific has been roped in to provide ETFE clean film for the building of solar dryer in an efficient manner.
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
No
Who are your top 5 partners for this challenge? Please submit from MOST to LEAST important and state Name, Sector and a brief description of the (intended) collaboration.
Please state the name of the Parter:
TONIBUNG
What sector does our partner belong to?
Civil Society
Please provide a brief description of the collaboration.
TONIBUNG builds the solar dryer and delivers to the communities. They also train the trainer on knowledge to build and maintain the machine.
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
No
Who are your top 5 partners for this challenge? Please submit from MOST to LEAST important and state Name, Sector and a brief description of the (intended) collaboration.
Please state the name of the Parter:
Global Peace Foundation
What sector does our partner belong to?
Civil Society
Please provide a brief description of the collaboration.
One of the NGO working with communities on syntropic farming in scaled up location. GPF will be guiding and monitoring the community development using the solar dryer.
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
No
Who are your top 5 partners for this challenge? Please submit from MOST to LEAST important and state Name, Sector and a brief description of the (intended) collaboration.
Please state the name of the Parter:
Langit
What sector does our partner belong to?
Civil Society
Please provide a brief description of the collaboration.
One of the NGOs working closely with community on paddy plantation in a scaled up location. Langit will be guiding and monitoring the community development using the solar dryer.
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
No
Who are your top 5 partners for this challenge? Please submit from MOST to LEAST important and state Name, Sector and a brief description of the (intended) collaboration.
Please state the name of the Parter:
Moyog Innovation House
What sector does our partner belong to?
Civil Society
Please provide a brief description of the collaboration.
MIH will be training the different community on food production and drying methods.
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
No
Learning questions
Learning question: What is your learning question for this challenge? What do you need to know or understand to work on your challenge statement?
Our lab is trying to answer the question of “How food production methods can be enhanced with green and customised appropriate technology to support rural community in tackling food security and improve livelihood resilience”
To what stage(s) in the learning cycle does your learning question relate?
Test, Grow
Usage of methods: Relating to your choice above, how will you use your methods & tools for this learning question? What value do these add in answering your learning question?
In the new locations, we will be mapping out solutions that are viable for the community including in terms of the solar dryer prototype and types of training and materials dried. Community will be included for co-creation and participatory design process. Pilots will be conducted in new areas located in Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak- making adjustments to the weather as well as higher moisture products to test out the new prototype designs.
Existing data gaps: Relating to your choice above, what existing gaps in data or information do these new sources of data addressing? What value do these add in answering your learning question?
The qualitative and quantitative data gathered through stakeholder engagement and focus group discussion will determine the enhancement needed for the prototype and finds solutions that meets the different user needs. Continuous feedback and participatory observation with the community will also help in tackling arising issues in the prototyping process.
Closing
Early leads to grow: Think about the possible grow phase for this challenge - who might benefit from your work on this challenge or who might be the champions in your country that you should inform or collaborate with early on to help you grow this challenge?
This challenge is the scale up phase and if successful, it can further expand to more locations and use for different purposes such as green house building, solar chimney building using the ETFE film and learnings from this scale up.
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