Off-Grid: Innovation and Technologies

Part of the founding team of Feutoix at Ulm University of Applied Sciences. She works on battery-free, solar-powered off-grid cooking appliances and conducts field tests in Malawi. Her focus is on innovative, practical technology with social benefits in Europe and Africa.

Stefan Zelazny is a Managing Director of the Access to Energy Institute, the first independent, non-for-profit collaborative research and development platform in the energy access industry, which was launched in January 2019 (www.a2ei.org). The A2EI is supported by the IKEA, DOEN and Good Energies Foundations. The A2EI is primarily putting data and engineering capabilities at the disposition of the offgrid sector, with a focus on open source hardware and software solutions. The A2EI can concentrate on solving the tough challenges in the offgrid sector, that commercial companies cannot put at the centre of their endeavour. Prior to the A2EI, Stefan has been active for eleven years in the energy access sector, since 2011 with Mobisol as Chief Innovation Officer and later leading ENGIE Energy Access' digital team. He joined the A2EI in August 2022. Until 2011 Stefan worked for several Berlin based start-ups, building businesses and teams around digital and innovative topics. He studied and graduated in Law at Humboldt Universität Berlin and Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.

Benjamin Afrifa is Managing Director of Easy Solar Sierra Leone, driving innovation in off-gridenergy through pay-as-you-go solar and scalable distribution. He focuses on technologies andmodels that expand reliable, affordable electricity access across underserved communities inSierra Leone.

Since 1983, Prof. Peter Adelmann has been actively involved in the photovoltaic (PV) sector. Beginning in 1988, he served as a lecturer and later became a professor at the University of Applied Sciences Ulm, while also taking on guest professorships at various universities across Asia and Africa. From 1990 to 2000, he worked as Manager and General Manager of Steca, where he founded the company's solar department. He then went on to found and lead Phocos AG as CEO for eight years. Since 2005, he has been a member of the IEC standardization committee (WG3 - solar components). In addition, he has been working as a senior consultant for organizations such as GIZ, the World Bank and the UN. Between 2010 and 2015, he was a visiting professor for 'Off-grid Solar Systems' at SERIS/NUS in Singapore. Since 2011, he has been the founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of fosera GmbH & Co. KGaA, followed by founding roles as Director and CEO of the Institute for Decentralized Electrification, Education and Entrepreneurship (id-eee) in 2012, Vice Chairman of the Board of BOS AG in 2014, and Chairman of the Board of fothermo AG since 2020.

Géraldine Quelle has been working for Phaesun GmbH since 2010 operating research and innovation projects in different African countries, currently coordinating the BeCool Kenya and Ghana project. She holds a diploma in International Business Administration and a Master of Science in Sustainable Energy Systems. Since its foundation in 2001, Phaesun has focused on PV Off-grid power supply for rural electrification, productive use solutions, water pumping systems and the caravan & camping sector. The main target regions are Africa, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East. Phaesun works closely with international NGOs and GOs as well as with local partner companies in the target countries to deliver and permanently establish energy in non-electrified areas.

Mithil Barath is the Promotions and Communications Coordinator at Asantys Systems GmbH and Asantys Groups, specializing in Brand Development and technical project communications. Certified in Business Analysis and Process Management, he represents the company in sharing insights from key projects and innovations, connecting with peers and industry leaders on emerging trends and collaborative opportunities.