Renowned universities like Oxford, Cambridge and 12 other British and Indian universities have received a 7-million-pound grant from the UK government to build five self-sufficient solar-powered buildings in remote Indian villages. 
 

The government has given the grant as part of a new solar project ‘SUNRISE’ which works towards developing printed photovoltaic cells and new manufacturing processes to make solar energy products which can then be integrated into buildings in at least five villages of India, enabling the residents to make productive use of solar power to provide their own energy and run off grid. 

The programme is part of the Swansea University led SPECIFIC Project. It aims to work towards achieving the "buildings as power stations" concept. 

It has also started the energy-positive classroom in the UK which shows that this technology works, successfully turning buildings into power stations. Professor Dave Worsley of Swansea University, head of research at the SPECIFIC project and leader of the SUNRISE team said that this funding will enable them to export this model to support India's plans to boost solar energy.

He said that the Swansea team will be working closely with partner universities in the UK and India. He feels that if the work on five villages in India is successful,  then the project could be rolled out to other buildings in India and around the world.

According to the Swansea University,  the project supports the Indian government's plans to turn the country into a solar energy leader where solar energy will replace fossil fuels and boost the Indian manufacturing sector. 

The UK government granted the  7-million-pound award from its Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), which uses its cutting-edge research to help solve global issues faced by developing countries.