The Mini-Grid Business

Hosted by Nico Peterschmidt / INENSUS

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Jul 2026

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About the show

Welcome to "The Mini-Grid Business," hosted by Nico Peterschmidt, CEO of the consultancy company INENSUS. With nearly two decades of experience working with over 100 mini-grid companies across Africa and Asia, INENSUS created a podcast, which becomes your gateway to the world of rural electrification through mini-grids. In each episode, Nico and his guests – seasoned experts who have navigated the complexities of the mini-grid sector – offer candid insights based on real-life experiences. Whether they're individuals who have overcome significant challenges, policy makers shaping the sector’s frameworks and funding structures, or visionaries crafting the future of mini-grids, they all have unique perspectives to share. From exploring successful pathways to profitability, to dissecting the reasons behind a company's struggles, "The Mini-Grid Business" delves deep into both theory and practice. It questions the accepted status quo of the mini-grid sector, aiming to unearth new perspectives or expose misunderstandings that need addressing. This is a space for thought-provoking discussions, innovative ideas, and invaluable knowledge exchange. Whether you are an industry veteran, a newcomer, or simply curious about the transformative potential of mini-grids, this podcast invites you to challenge your thinking, learn from others, and engage with a community that’s shaping a brighter, more sustainable future. So, tune in, and enjoy "The Mini-Grid Business"! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inensus-gmbh/mycompany/ Twitter: INENSUS (@INENSUSgmbh) / X (twitter.com) Visit www.inensus.com for more info.

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July 20, 2026Episode 4820 min

IGNITE Energy Access in Zambia

Send us Fan Mail In Zambia, fewer than 24 people live per square kilometre. Across these vast, scattered distances, extending the national grid is often economically unfeasible, leaving around half the population without reliable power. Before a solar mini-grid reached Kaselo Village, Zeferino Tembo travelled nearly 50 kilometres to shell his sunflower harvest. Today, electricity from PowerCorner Zambia, enables him to run his own shelling business, processing up to 50 bags a day and serving farmers locally. In this episode, we explore how PowerCorner Zambia, part of the Ignite Energy Access Group, is using smart solar mini-grids, battery storage and blended finance to turn electricity access into economic opportunity. With 31 mini-grids now operating, the company is helping reshape rural life while contributing to Zambia’s ambitious 1,000 Mini-Grid Initiative. It is a story of how reliable power can strengthen businesses, schools, clinics and entire communities—one village at a time. Home - Ignite Energy Access Minigrid Development in Africa - AMDA | Africa Minigrid Developers Association Home | ESMAP LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inensus-gmbh/mycompany/ Visit www.inensus.com for more info.

June 14, 2026Episode 4753 min

Power For Refugee Settlements

Send us Fan Mail Host Nico is joined by Aimee Jenks from the Global Platform for Action on Sustainable Energy in Displacement Settings, Desalegn Woldemariam, Managing Director of Humanitarian Energy Plc in Ethiopia, and Douglas Cox, who leads Renewvia’s work in East Africa from Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. Together, they discuss what it really takes to electrify refugee settlements in Kenya and Ethiopia. The conversation explores how camps differ from rural villages, what electricity is used for in displacement settings, and why power is still often overlooked in humanitarian planning. They also unpack the realities of financing, subsidies, diesel lock-in, private-sector risk, UN compounds as anchor clients, and the regulatory conditions needed to scale mini-grids and energy access for both refugees and host communities. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inensus-gmbh/mycompany/ Visit www.inensus.com for more info.

May 21, 2026Episode 4653 min

Mission 300

Send us Fan Mail Everyone in our sector has heard about Mission 300. But who knows the range of instruments and processes behind this term? We sit down with World Bank representatives Jan Kappen (Regional DARES - Africa West) and James Knuckles (ASCENT - Africa East), plus Lamide Niyi-Afuye, CEO of the African Mini-Grid Developers Association, to unpack Mission 300 and why it could be a turning point for energy access in Africa and the mini-grid sector. We get specific about what makes Mission 300 different: country compacts endorsed at the top of government, detailed reform roadmaps, and real consequences when timelines slip. That takes us straight into the issues that decide whether mini-grids can scale sustainably: cost-reflective tariffs, clear rules for grid encroachment, licensing versus concession models, and the need to stop treating long-term operations of schools and health center power systems as something a one-time CapEx subsidy can fix. You will also hear why the private sector has to treat policy advocacy as a core part of commercial risk management. Then we move from strategy to delivery. We compare the West Africa-focused DARES approach with the East Africa-focused Ascent program and its “menu” of support across grid densification, distributed renewable energy, and policy and planning. We talk through the financing stack developers actually need, including results-based financing, debt via regional lines of credit, equity vehicles like Zafiri, and complementary patient capital options for smaller ticket sizes. We also dig into electrifying schools and health centres through energy as a service, stacked with digital connectivity, and backed by long-term payment security. If you care about electrification, mini-grids, distributed renewable energy, and what it takes to turn big targets into money that moves, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share the episode with one operator or policymaker, and leave a review, what reform would unlock the most mini-grid scale where you work? LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inensus-gmbh/mycompany/ Visit www.inensus.com for more info.

February 19, 2026Episode 451 hr 4 min

Learnings from Nigeria

Send us Fan Mail Nigeria shows what happens when mini-grids move from pilot projects to infrastructure policy. With over 200 million people and a vast rural electrification gap, the country has built one of the most mature regulatory and financing ecosystems for decentralized power in Africa—and a living laboratory of what works and what breaks at scale. In this episode, Nico is joined by Joanis Holzigel (COO, INENSUS) and Hannah Kabir (CEO, Creeds Energy) to unpack the success factors and challenges the Nigerian mini-grid sector faced on its path to scale. Clear rules enabled investment: standardized permitting, protection against grid arrival, and portfolio-level approvals allowed financiers to underwrite pipelines instead of single sites. Performance-based grants proved more effective than centrally selected tenders, letting developers choose commercially viable communities and scale faster. Local companies grew alongside international players, while interconnected mini-grids opened collaboration with utilities rather than competition. But scale exposed pressure points. Political expectations capped tariffs below cost, inflation and currency depreciation eroded revenues, and higher prices reduced consumption instead of improving profitability. The sector responded with local-currency financing, updated regulations, and decentralization to state governments—steps aimed at restoring bankability and speeding deployment. The key outcome: mini-grid roll-out in competitive markets succeeds when regulation is predictable, grants reward performance, and developers retain site selection freedom. Long-term sustainability, however, depends on realistic tariffs, FX-resilient finance, and integrating productive use and rural industry from the start. Nigeria’s experience turns mini-grids from a technical solution into an economic system—and offers a replicable roadmap, with clear cautions, for other countries. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inensus-gmbh/mycompany/ Visit www.inensus.com for more info.

January 24, 2026Episode 4128 min

Master Micro-Utility Management in Less Than 4 Hours - Playing ELECTR!FY

Send us Fan Mail The INENSUS team introduces ELECTR!FY , a real-data simulation game that allows players to run a virtual mini-grid company and experience the real-world trade-offs operators face every day. Stepping into the role of a mini-grid CEO, players navigate decisions around tariffs, site selection, staffing, digitisation, and financing—balancing profitability with customer satisfaction. The episode explores how ELECTR!FY addresses talent gaps in the sector, challenges common misconceptions among policymakers and investors, and provides a hands-on learning tool for entrepreneurs, regulators, financiers, and mini-grid companies alike. By modeling real factors such as foreign exchange risk, diesel price volatility, demand elasticity, and clustering effects, the game offers a practical lens into what it truly takes to scale sustainable mini-grid businesses. Play free of charge under the following link: Minigrid Game LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inensus-gmbh/mycompany/ Visit www.inensus.com for more info.

January 16, 2026Episode 4017 min

The TAMARSO story

Send us Fan Mail When TAMARSO’s founder returned to Somalia after the end of the war, he knew exactly where to focus: solar minigrids. A countdown to ten. Then a village lights up—and everything changes. Children study after dark. Fishers navigate safely at night. Refrigerators keep goods cold. That moment captures the heart of TAMARSO’s story: a Somali minigrid company transforming sunshine into reliable, affordable electricity—and reshaping everyday life, one village at a time. Tamarso | Clean Energy for Somalia Minigrid Development in Africa - AMDA | Africa Minigrid Developers Association Home | ESMAP LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inensus-gmbh/mycompany/ Visit www.inensus.com for more info.

January 12, 2026Episode 4151 min

Learnings from Sierra Leone

Send us Fan Mail Sierra Leone has been one of the early large minigrid roll outs in Africa. A great success and milestone for the sector with a lot of learnings. Tariffs fell, demand jumped, and batteries died faster—that’s the uncomfortable arc of many rural mini-grids in Sierra Leone. We sit down with Dipta Majumder of INENSUS and Momori Kamara of MIK Energy to unpack how a pioneering regulatory framework, ambitious rollout programs, and political pressure on prices created both progress and pain. From RREP’s health-focused Work Package 1 to larger Work Package 2 sites and the UEF portfolio, we map where systems thrived, where they underperformed, and what must change to deliver reliable power without bankrupting operators. We get specific on how elasticity-driven tariff cuts unlocked consumption but strained undersized PV and lead-acid storage, why reserve accounts for replacements failed, and how a split-asset model blurred accountability between public and private players. The conversation tackles FX shocks and inflation that halved effective tariffs in USD terms, the real cost of building a framework from scratch, and why distance between small villages quietly inflates OPEX. You’ll hear clear guidance on right-sizing PV and storage, shifting toward lithium, simplifying ownership structures, and using operator-led installations to cut EPC overheads. The way forward is pragmatic and within reach. Differentiated subsidies can keep remote, low-income communities on the map without forcing operators into unviable sites. Clustering reduces logistics costs and improves uptime. Transparent tariff indexation protects revenues, while joint ventures blend international capital with local execution. With fresh EU and regional DARES funding, a regulator and ministry experienced in mini-grid realities, and two seasoned operators on the ground, Sierra Leone can turn hard lessons into durable gains. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inensus-gmbh/mycompany/ Visit www.inensus.com for more info.

October 30, 2025Episode 3943 min

Electricity and Power: The Geopolitics of Energy Independence (English interpretation)

Send us Fan Mail Sigmar Gabriel — former Vice Chancellor of Germany, former Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, and former Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, as well as former Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety — joins us to discuss how Europe sees Africa’s development, its energy transition, and the geopolitical forces shaping both. We explore how a shifting global order intersects with energy policy, why Europe often finds itself on the sidelines, and where decentralized renewables could enable African countries to industrialize on their own terms. Gabriel provides a pragmatic view on risk, supply chains, hydrogen strategies, and the “migration hump” — and what a more balanced partnership between Europe and Africa would require. Topics We Cover • postwar order challenged by a confident global south and a retreating US • Europe’s limited agency in conflict zones and energy strategy • Germany’s energy dependence story • Africa’s decentralized mini-grids as a leapfrog path • storage, smart grids, and system stability beyond dunkelflaute • China’s no-questions-asked model vs. models with more growth potential • risk premiums, governance, and public de-risking tools • hydrogen siting, grid integration, and export versus local use • rural industrialisation and local value creation near resources • supply chain diversification and partnerships through GAIN LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inensus-gmbh/mycompany/ Visit www.inensus.com for more info.

October 30, 2025Episode 4033 min

Electricity and Power: Energieunabhängigkeit in Zeiten geopolitischer Umwälzungen

Send us Fan Mail Sigmar Gabriel — ehemaliger Vizekanzler der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, ehemaliger Bundesaußenminister sowie früherer Bundesminister für Wirtschaft und Energie und Bundesminister für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit — spricht mit Nico Peterschmidt darüber, wie Europa auf Afrikas Entwicklung und Energiewende blickt und welche geopolitischen Kräfte beide prägen. Wir sprechen mit Sigmar Gabriel, darüber, wie eine fragmentierte Weltordnung mit dem dringenden Bedarf kollidiert, Afrika zu elektrifizieren und die Energie-Resilienz wieder aufzubauen. Die Nachkriegsordnung verblasst, die Vereinigten Staaten verengen ihren Fokus, und der Globale Süden tritt selbstbewusst auf die Bühne. Inmitten dieses Umbruchs steht Europa vor einer harten Realität: Energie- und Ressourcen-Autarkie ist ein beruhigender Mythos – klügere, diversifizierte Interdependenz ist die einzige tragfähige Strategie. Wir beleuchten Afrikas Elektrifizierungsherausforderung und den Aufstieg von solaren Mini-Grids, die zuverlässigen Strom dorthin bringen können, wo große Netze nur schwer hinkommen. Gabriel zieht Lehren aus dem deutschen Weg – liberalisierte Märkte auf der Suche nach billigem Gas, ein schneller Ausbau erneuerbarer Energien und die mühsam gewonnene Erkenntnis, dass Speicher, Netzverstärkung und intelligente Steuerung unverzichtbar sind. Das Gespräch stellt unbequeme Wahrheiten über Lieferketten und Einfluss in den Mittelpunkt. Chinas Dominanz bei kritischen Mineralien und der Infrastrukturfinanzierung lässt sich nicht ignorieren – Europa braucht Technologiepartnerschaften, die Wert teilen, nicht entziehen. Wir benennen die Fehler früherer „Wüstenstrom“-Visionen, die Exporte über lokale Vorteile stellten, und skizzieren ein besseres Modell: Erneuerbare Energien mit Wasser, Landwirtschaft und Verarbeitung verknüpfen, damit Länder mehr Wertschöpfung im eigenen Land behalten. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inensus-gmbh/mycompany/ Visit www.inensus.com for more info.

October 25, 2025Episode 3832 min

The CEESOLAR Story

Send us Fan Mail What if electricity didn’t stop at lighting a room but kick-started a local economy? We head to Nigeria to unpack CEESOLAR’s journey from a bold 2017 idea to a working blueprint for mini-grids that power livelihoods—milling grain, cooling goods, charging e-tricycles, and teaching digital skills in a rural computer lab. The result is a simple but radical mindset shift: energy is not the goal; income and opportunity are. We walk through the hard realities of building mini-grids—patient capital, long payback cycles, and rough logistics—and how a USAID win funded a 27 kWp pilot serving 217 customers. That's where proof met practice. Through community listening sessions, smart metering, and modular design, the team built trust and uptime. Then came the flywheel: pairing clean power with productive-use equipment like cassava and rice mills, packaging machines, cold storage, and irrigation. As farmers processed faster and shop owners cut spoilage, demand for electricity rose with incomes, turning a utility bill into a business tool. You’ll hear community voices describe real change: lower operating costs versus generators, later closing times, new jobs, and students learning computers for the first time. We dig into the tech backbone—remote monitoring that flags faults and reduces outages—and the brand focus that keeps projects aligned with productive customers. The takeaway is clear: mini-grids are more than panels and wires; they’re platforms for growth when designed around outcomes. Ceesolar Energy Limited | Solar Energy company | Plot 1143b Adeniyi Olatoke, Utako Abuja Nigeria Minigrid Development in Africa - AMDA | Africa Minigrid Developers Association Home | ESMAP LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inensus-gmbh/mycompany/ Visit www.inensus.com for more info.