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Interconnected Mini-Grids provide reliable electricity to underserved main-grid connected customers.
They are a new phenomenon in the mini-grid space and beyond that provide profitable investment opportunities to mini-grid companies thanks to significantly larger electricity demand in semi-urban areas, where interconnected mini-grids are typically situated compared to rural sites, where isolated mini-grids can typically be found.
Can interconnected mini-grids become the "leapfrogging" opportunity that the sector has been waiting for?
Aaron Cheng from Power Gen, operating an interconnected mini-grid in Nigeria and Chris Greacen who published a book covering the interconnected mini-grid subject discuss the above subjects with host Nico Peterschmidt.

Resources:
 
Mini Grid Solutions for Underserved Customers: New Insights from Nigeria and India Open Knowledge Repository (worldbank.org)

Mini Grids for Half a Billion People: Market Outlook and Handbook for Decision Makers (worldbank.org)

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In this flagship episode, we uncover the transformative power of Rural Industrialization through mini-grids with insights from industry leaders Peter Nyeko of Mandulis Energy (Uganda), Camille André-Bataille of Anka (Madagascar), and Oluwatobi Soyombo of Havenhill Synergy Limited (Nigeria). The host Nico Peterschmidt of INENSUS (Tanzania, Uganda) contributes with his own experience in Rural Industrialization.

We discuss
- effort vs. profitability.
- risk increase vs. decrease through linking two businesses to each other while diversifying revenue streams.
- combining rural development with company profitability
- how to scale electricity and product sales fast

We share lessons learned and obstacles overcome.

Here are some resources mentioned in this epoisode:
- KeyMaker Model fundamentals (afdb.org) - for the INENSUS' Rural industrialization model
- AgriGrid - EnAccess - for the ANKA's Rural Industrialization model
- Please also search the internet for "Reparle AND Uganda" to learn more about Mandulis Energy's Rural Industrialization model

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This is part 2 of the meeting between Olu from "The Energy Talk" and Nico from "The Mini-Grid Business". In this session, we delve into the complexities, breakthroughs and innovations within the mini-grid industry based on Olu’s extensive knowledge of the electrification landscape across Africa.

Below are some links to "The Energy Talk" -  listen to these highly informative and entertaining interviews!

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-energy-talk/id1467655589

https://open.spotify.com/show/4FQMxAZ43y6QIs5UtIHHfg

https://theenergytalk.simplecast.com/episodes

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As a podcaster, you meet people and gain a good overview of what the sector is all about. Therefore, it is sometimes enlightening to talk to fellow podcasters and get their view on the sector. That is exactly what Olubunmi Olajide from the podcast "The Energy Talk" and Nico Peterschmidt from "The Mini-Grid Business" did during the Energy Access Investment Forum 2024 in Lagos.

This is part 1 of this recording, where Olu interviews Nico for his podcast "The Energy Talk".  As a listener of "The Mini-Grid Business," this might be more of a summary of familiar topics. In part 2, Olu and I will enter into a discussion about innovations in the mini-grid sector.

Part 2 of the recording is published as a separate episode.

Below are some links to "The Energy Talk" -  listen to these highly informative and entertaining interviews! 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-energy-talk/id1467655589

https://open.spotify.com/show/4FQMxAZ43y6QIs5UtIHHfg

https://theenergytalk.simplecast.com/episodes

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Mini-grid consultants support the establishment of regulation or grant funding programs for the sector, advise on transactions or conduct due diligences. However, recent years have seen growing tensions between consultants and mini-grid companies. 
 
Host Nico confronts consultants Moses Kakooza (independent consultant, Uganda) and Maylis Bravard (INENSUS, francophone team) with some of the frustrations mini-grid companies express. 

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Mini-Grid Due Diligences are always complex and costly? - Wrong!

The Mini-Grid Due Diligence One-Stop-Shop established by INENSUS, DETAIL Solicitors and Steinbeis Consulting Impact Investing reduces complexities by providing one contact point for all parts of a mini-grid due diligence (demand, technical, commercial, legal, environmental, etc.). Efficiency and quality gains from this coordinated approach to mini-grid due diligences are the result and may even unlock financing for portfolios of projects that have so far been too small to run through a financing process.

Listen to the commercial lawyer Dolapo Kukoyi (DETAIL) and the impact investing expert Lothar Jakab (Steinbeis) as they discuss the benefits of the Due Diligence One-Stop-shop with their host Nico Peterschmidt (INENSUS).

Impact Investing (steinbeis.de)

Detail Solicitors | Nigeria's first commercial solicitor form specializing exclusively in non-courtroom practice

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Unlock the hidden complexities of mini-grid company valuation with the brilliant minds of Brian Lukera Wambani from Camco and Michael Feldner from the GET.invest Finance Catalyst. This episode promises to equip you with the nuanced understanding required to navigate the valuation challenges faced by mini-grid enterprises, which operate at the crossroads of traditional utilities and agile startups. We tackle the pivotal questions: How do investors perceive the value of these companies, and what factors should CEOs and CFOs weigh when determining their company's worth?

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In this episode, Aaron Leopold and Edwin Kwesiga from EnerGrow discuss the impact of introducing productive electricity in rural areas. The conversation covers the challenges and strategies of providing asset financing in rural small businesses in Africa, particularly for entrepreneurs and individuals with modest incomes.

EnerGrow's approach, which combines technology with financial literacy, aims to improve accessibility and foster sustainable economic growth. The guests discuss building relationships with energy providers and the importance of scalability.

The future of rural economies, with a focus on electric cooking and e-mobility, is also explored. Aaron and Edwin describe the role of mini-grids in supporting rural development and the potential to reverse urban migration trends. This episode presents a realistic look at the benefits and challenges of productive electricity use in rural settings.

EnerGrow (ener-grow.com)

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Learn from Lynne Wesonga of Crossboundary Access and Gillian-Alexandre Huart from ENGIE Energy Access about the untapped potential of integrating mini-grids, solar home systems and other power supply technologies under one unified management and financing structure. This innovative approach aims to harvest synergies, reduce costs, and improve profitability, thereby attracting new capital flows from climate financing and large-scale impact financiers.

For this integrated approach to rural electrification to materialize, there is a clear need for adaptability in policy frameworks and tender designs. Governments and grant providers must consider these factors in the evolution of funding structures, paving the way for increased private capital inflow into the sector.
 
 

To make multi-technology approaches in rural electrification a reality, collaboration across all sector participants is required. That's why the Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE) is excited to bring you to the forefront of clean energy investment at the ARE Energy Access Investment Forum (EAIF) 2024, taking place in Lagos, Nigeria from May 21-23, 2024.
 
ARE Energy Access Investment Forum 2024 (eaif.energy)
CrossBoundary Access - Building the grid of the future
ENGIE Energy Access: Best Solar Best Life - Engie (engie-energyaccess.com)

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Explore with us Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), a potentially lucrative revenue stream for operators of renewable mini-grids. We delve into the various forms of RECs, including I-RECs, P-RECs, D-RECs, and R-RECs, breaking down their characteristics, differences, and unique features.

Our expert guests Linda Wamune (P-RECs), Stuti Dubey (D-RECs) and Nicholas Selby (R-RECs) provide valuable insights into the appropriate contexts for using each type of REC and discuss which are the easiest to manage and which ones are best integrated into the marketplace. Additionally, we examine which RECs offer the highest potential revenues and which ones require the lowest level of effort to administer the REC registration and sales process.

Links to the organizations participating in this episodes:
Landing - D-REC Initiative (drecs.org)
P-REC — Energy Peace Partners
R-RECs

Links to papers cited in the show:

• Power Africa Report showing that only 30% of the revenues are going to project developers: https://scms.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/2023-11/Power-Africa-Carbon-Credits-for-OGS-Companies.pdf
• The R-REC Standard: https://www.r-recs.com/The%20R-REC%20Standard.pdf
• The I-REC Standard: https://www.trackingstandard.org/wp-content/uploads/The-International-Attribute-Tracking-Standard-v1.0.pdf
• UNFCCC tool to convert renewable energy generation from mini-grids into carbon reduction: https://cdm.unfccc.int/UserManagement/FileStorage/PC1WKORVI7DGMFS84L5N03JTXZBY9U
• First peer-reviewed, comprehensive socioeconomic impact analysis of mini-grids in rural Africa: https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.02445
• McKinsey report estimating VCM hitting $50B by 2030: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/sustainability/our-insights/a-blueprint-for-scaling-voluntary-carbon-markets-to-meet-the-climate-challenge
• Daedal Research article showing global carbon market hitting almost $3T by 2028: https://www.researchandmarkets.com/report/carbon-credit
• Guardian article showing 90% of the carbon assets from one of Verra's sales were fraudulent: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/18/revealed-forest-carbon-offsets-biggest-provider-worthless-verra-aoe
• New Yorker article about similar event: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/10/23/the-great-cash-for-carbon-hustle

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