Summer Of Solutions - Pick Your Challenge

The "Summer Of Solutions" is a call for applications from young people around the world to create innovative technology-based solutions to global challenges.


This is a new initiative launched by the Office of the United Nations Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth, in partnership with the United Nations Technology and Innovation Labs, United Nations Development Programme, the Office of Information and Communications Technology and Unite Ideas.


The 2019 #SummerOfSolutions aims to solve climate challenges:

#OpenCI Platform Challenge: develop an information systems solution that can serve as a platform to enhance the access of localized climate and market information.


#CircularEconomy Challenge: present ideas for ICT tools and business process innovations that are related to the Circular Economy and can result in rapid and far-reaching improvements for society.


#EthicalFashion Challenge: present ideas for ICT tools and business process innovations that are related to Ethical Fashion & Textiles, which can result in rapid and far-reaching improvements for society.


Selected participants and their ideas will be showcased at the United Nations Climate Action Summit in
New York City in September 2019.


Pick your challenge, get involved and help change the world!

THE CASE OF SOLAR ENERGY - MY PERSPECTIVE

When you mention solar energy, why do people only think you are talking about bulk infrastructure?

Solar is more than that. Solar is modern technology driven by local innovation.

In fact, the solar revolution in Africa today is driven by small solar lighting solutions wired to Pay As You Go (PAYG) software and hardware. It has less or 'nothing' to do with bulk infrastructure!!!

First and foremost, nobody pays for it, it’s just there and for the next ten billion years humans can and will be able to tap it. Interestingly, developing solar energy may seem like a no brainier but there are legitimate concerns when it comes to the capabilities of it and its implementation.

Photo Credit : Google

Over the years, there have been a lot of arguments concerning solar energy which ranges from the cost involved where the general notion is that it’s too high when adopted. But from further readings and research, it has been identified that, there are different ways for calculating costs and the alternative methods also doesn’t compare easily to each other.

There’s also been the case of how feasible it is to generate power when the sun shines on them. Other factors such as its storage, its accompanying environmental costs are all valid points in the argument for and against the case of solar energy but in my opinion, I believe the positives outweighs the negatives.

The Government of Ghana and for that matter most African governments in my opinion doesn't believe in solar energy, it is rather the citizens who do.