Distributing Solar

In this episode, we speak to Naomi Kioi from Greenlight Planet, one of the largest solar companies in Africa. Greenlight Planet is a social-mission, for profit company which has sold over 1.3m of their Sun King products since 2009 working in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Nigeria, expanding at a rate of over 65,000 new solar installations per month.

We discuss:

• The growing influence of telecoms companies in off-grid energy
• How energ...

We speak with Cameron Smith, Product Management Lead at ZOLA Electric, on the process and challenges of developing energy solutions for emerging markets.

We discuss:

• The types of products ZOLA Electric has developed
• Challenges of product management for energy solutions 
• Differences in customer needs and demands across various geographies.

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We speak with Tonya James and Piper Foster Wilder and from 60Hertz. 60 Hertz develops maintenance software for off-grid microgrids in remote locations, including solutions for areas where mobile and internet connectivity may be poor. They’re based in Alaska, which is home to 13% of the world’s microgrids, and are expanding their operations and working on projects around the world. We have a wide ranging conversation, discussing why...

In this conversation, we speak with Brave Mhonie, General Manager of SunnyMoney in Malawi. SunnyMoney is the largest seller and distributor of solar lights in Africa, and is a social enterprise owned by SolarAid, an international UK-based charity. 

We speak about their business model innovations to enable Sunny Money to grow sales in a sustainable and profitable way; how SolarAid and SunnyMoney work together to innovate entrepre...

In this episode, we speak with Maya Stewart, co-founder of Yellow Solar Power, a digital-first solar energy retailer in Malawi.

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Episode notes:

(1:15) Introduction to Yellow Solar Power, Maya's background in marketing ...

In this episode, we speak with Emily McAteer, CEO and Cofounder at Odyssey Energy Solutions and Eitan Hochster, VP of Business Development. Odyssey is a web-based platform that is facilitating rapid deployment of microgrids in emerging markets. Their data platform manages how mini-grid data is analyzed and communicated via software tools, data analytics and marketplaces, enabling mini-grid project developers to connect with investo...

We speak to Tobias Engelmeier from TFE Energy and VIDA about data and analytics in the off-grid energy access sector.

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VIDA website: https://www.villagedata.io/

Show notes: 

(1:55) Tobias' background and how he entered the energy sector

(4:00) The reason they produced a report on digitalisation, and the limited pr...

In this episode, we speak with Abhishek Jain from CEEW in India. We speak about Clean Cooking, and Abhishek shares his top 12 (not-so-obvious) findings about the Productive Energy Use industry.

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CEEW: company website

Abhishek Jain's Nature article on LPG and clean cooking

Abhishe...

We speak with Abhishek Jain from the Council for Energy Environment and Water in India. We discuss energy access, productive energy use, solar water pumps, and the electricity sector in India.

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Show notes:

(1:40) Introduction to CEEW, the Council on Energy Environment and Water - a not-for-profit think tank. Abhi...

We speak with Waringa Matindi, CEO of Village Energy, a Ugandan company providing custom solar installations for rural businesses, institutions & agriculture that enable improved incomes, job creation, and access to services. We speak about Waringa’s experience as a new CEO, how gender equality interacts with energy access, the cultural differences between Kenya and Uganda, and even blockchain and cryptocurrency!

Recorded in...

In this episode, we speak with Manuel Wiechers from Iluméxico about last mile electrification in Mexico. We discuss the challenges of providing energy access to remote communities in Mexico and Latin America, the regulatory setting for energy in Mexico, the challenges for the off-grid sector in portfolio management, and their shifting business model to a servicing and PAYG model.

Recorded in June 2020

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We speak with Henry Louie, Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at University of Seattle, and author of 'Off-Grid Electrical Systems in Developing Countries'. We discuss the technical considerations for off-grid electrical systems, common pitfalls or misunderstandings in off-grid energy systems, his work with the non-for-profit organisation 'KiloWatts for Humanity', and the importance o...

We speak with Henry Louie, Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at University of Seattle, and author of 'Off-Grid Electrical Systems in Developing Countries'. We discuss the technical considerations for off-grid electrical systems, common pitfalls or misunderstandings in off-grid energy systems, his work with the non-for-profit organisation 'KiloWatts for Humanity', and the importance o...

We speak with Andreas Lehner, co-founder of Trine. Trine is a crowdfunding platform that enables retail and institutional investors to invest in off-grid solar projects in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America. They provide debt financing for energy projects, and have raised over EUR36 million to date. We discuss debt finance to provide working capital for companies working in growing and emerging markets, the trends towards s...

We speak with Richard Harrison, CEO of Smart Power Myanmar, a non-profit organization working to accelerate the adoption of decentralised renewable energy in Myanmar by providing data and evidence, convening key stakeholders, and offering financing solutions. We discuss the current energy landscape in Myanmar, the need for an integrated approach to electrification, the importance of offering financing solutions alongside electrific...

We speak with Leslie Labruto, Head of Energy Access at Acumen, about the equity investment landscape in off-grid solar. We discuss Solar Home Systems (SHSs), minigrids, impact investment, successful business models, challenges and opportunities in the sector, and what makes a great investment for Acumen.

Recorded in 2019

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Show notes:

(0:55) Introduc...

We speak with Nicholai Lidow from LIB Solar about community solar in Liberia. We discuss the challenges of energy access and doing business in one of the poorest countries in the world, the trade-off between social and environmental impact, how rebel groups inspires his work (!), the challenges for equity finance in off-grid solar, and the potential for productive energy use.

Recorded in 2019

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Cont...

We speak to Jay Patel from Enlight Institute about setting up a solar academy in Uganda. We discuss the need for training and development programs to develop technical and soft skills, the solar landscape in Uganda, and the broader demand for training services across other sectors.

Recorded in April 2020

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We discuss:

Uganda's energy and sola...