The Mini-Grid Business
by Nico Peterschmidt / INENSUS
IGNITE Energy Access in Zambia
About this podcast
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.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 49 episodes
- IGNITE Energy Access in Zambia · 20 min · Season 1 Episode 48Send 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…
- Power For Refugee Settlements · 54 min · Season 1 Episode 47Send 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…
- Mission 300 · 54 min · Season 1 Episode 46Send 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…
- Learnings from Nigeria · 1 h 4 min · Season 1 Episode 45Send 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…
- Master Micro-Utility Management in Less Than 4 Hours - Playing ELECTR!FY · 29 min · Season 1 Episode 41Send 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…
- The TAMARSO story · 17 min · Season 1 Episode 40Send 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…
- Learnings from Sierra Leone · 52 min · Season 1 Episode 41Send 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…
- Electricity and Power: The Geopolitics of Energy Independence (English interpretation) · 44 min · Season 1 Episode 39Send 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…
- Electricity and Power: Energieunabhängigkeit in Zeiten geopolitischer Umwälzungen · 34 min · Season 1 Episode 40Send us Fan Mail Sigmar Gabriel — ehemaliger Vizekanzler der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, ehemaliger Bundesaußenminister sowie früherer Bundesminister für Wirtschaft und Energie…
- The CEESOLAR Story · 33 min · Season 1 Episode 38Send 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…
- Cold Chains powered by Minigrids · 40 min · Season 1 Episode 39Send us Fan Mail Bas Hetterscheid from Wageningen University and Nico discuss Cold Chains in Africa and the role minigrids can play in their development. The growing urban middle…
- Mini-grid company valuation in equity transactions · 43 min · Season 1 Episode 20Send us Fan Mail 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…
- Boosting managerial capacities - The AMAP 2.0 opportunity · 26 min · Season 1 Episode 37Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Benjamin Curnier from AfDB’s Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) breaks down AMAP 2.0—what it is, who it’s designed for, and how it works…
- State of the Sector: Nico at INENSUS’ 20th Anniversary · 16 min · Season 1 Episode 37Send us Fan Mail Join us for a special episode featuring Nico’s State of the Sector address, delivered in Nairobi during INENSUS’ 20th anniversary celebration in September 2025…
- Bridge Financing Minigrid Construction · 58 min · Season 1 Episode 36Send us Fan Mail Results-Based Financing (RBF) is now the go-to model for mini-grid subsidy disbursement—but there’s a catch: the money only comes after the connections are in…
- Containers vs. pre-fab vs. constructed power houses · 1 h 1 min · Season 1 Episode 34Send us Fan Mail What's the best way to house a mini-grid system in remote areas? Should developers opt for the plug-and-play convenience of containerized solutions, the flexible…
- Mergers and acquisitions as a path to financial sustainability of mini-grids · 1 h 3 min · Season 1 Episode 33Send us Fan Mail Minigrids need scale to become profitable — and mergers & acquisitions (M&A) can be a powerful way to get there fast. But what does it really take to acquire or…
- INENSUS' 2025 Mini-Grid Market Outlook · 55 min · Season 1 Episode 32Send us Fan Mail Join Kellie, Diego, and Nico from INENSUS' management as they peer into the future of the mini-grid sector for 2025 and beyond. If you're still shaping your…
- DC Mesh Grids · 58 min · Season 1 Episode 32Send us Fan Mail In recent years, DC mesh grids have gained recognition as a cost-effective and safe low-voltage solution for rural electrification, particularly for residential…
- How minigrids can help solve the migration crisis · 51 min · Season 1 Episode 31Send us Fan Mail Migration remains a pressing issue in Europe and the United States, often spurred by conflict but increasingly influenced by climate change as a root cause. In…
