Tyndall PhD researcher Velma Mukoro wins The University of Manchester's 2021 Making a Difference Award for 'Outstanding contribution to environmental sustainability'
8 June 2021
Velma collaborated with solar energy companies in Kenya to identify areas of their business operations that are hotspots of environmental impacts to inform the design of improved business models that are less destructive
Solar energy companies are the driving force behind the growth of the energy sector in Kenya and are endowed with considerable potential to improve the environmental performance of their products and services while profitably satisfying customers’ demand for low-carbon power. Velma conducted workshops and interviews with these companies in Nairobi to devise incremental and radical strategies to reduce their potential for greenhouse gas emissions, resource depletion, and pollution. The collaboration was part of Velma’s research project on ‘life cycle assessment of solar energy business models in Kenya’ which she implements alongside Dr Maria Sharmina and Dr Alejandro Gallego-Schmid.
The project and participating companies created roadmaps for, at the least, halving greenhouse gas emissions and metal depletion through resource-efficient systems of production and disposal.