Lessons from Deploying Renewable Energy‑powered Coolers for Smallholder Dairy Farmers

Through design and research projects overseas, undergraduate students have been engaged in service-learning experiences in Uganda, Burkina Faso and Morocco for almost seven years. The theme of the projects has revolved around sustainable utilization of renewable while enhancing the earnings of the target users, who are predominantly smallholder farmers. The renewable energy-powered milk cooler is one of the projects that have reached a tipping point with respect to market penetration. The overall experience gained has been captured in a number guiding axioms or lessons that will be shared in this presentation.