Dr. Henry Louie

Abstract

Over 600 million people lack access to the electricity grid. This form of energy poverty disproportionately afflicts those living in developing countries, primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia. Closer to home, tens of thousands of households, mostly on tribal lands, are without grid electricity. Achieving universal electrification through grid extension is optimistically decades away and, in many rural areas, may never occur. This talk describes approaches to providing off-grid electricity solutions in the form of renewable energy-powered mini-grids, microgrids, energy kiosks, and solar home systems. Dr. Louie will draw upon his experiences in Zambia and the Navajo Nation to explain the technology and development approaches, barriers, and opportunities for rural electrification. Dr. Louie will also introduce IEEE Smart Village and give examples of how global IEEE members are working toward ending energy poverty.

Biography:

Speaker: Dr. Henry Louie

Biography:

Henry Louie is the Father Francis Wood, S.J. Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Seattle University. Dr. Louie is a teacher, researcher, and practitioner of electricity access in rural, under-served, off-grid communities. He has taught courses on electricity access at Copperbelt University (Zambia) as a Fulbright Scholar and at Navajo Technical University (Navajo Nation). His textbook, Off-Grid Electrical Systems in Developing Countries, is used by universities around the world. Dr. Louie co-founded KiloWatts for Humanity, a non-profit organization providing off-grid electricity access in Sub-Saharan Africa. He holds degrees from Kettering University (B.S.E.E.), University of Illinois (M.S.), and the University of Washington (Ph.D.).

Dr. Louie is the recipient of the IEEE PES Outstanding Power Engineering Undergraduate Educator Award,  Region 6 Outstanding IEEE Member who Promoted Global Humanitarian Projects Award.