The OFF-GRID Conference

Conference Agenda 2025

• Oct 30 I 9:30 am I Welcome & Kick-off OFF-GRID Expo + Conference 2025 & Keynote Opening

  welcome by Messe Augsburg, representatives of the Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE) – the official industry partner and official representatives of the OEC 2025.

  • Mr. Lorenz A. Rau, Messe Augsburg
  • Mr. Jens Jæger, Alliance for Rural Electrification

  Keynote Opening:

  • Mr. Robert Winkler, Bavarian State Ministry for the Environment and Consumer Protection

   

• Oct 30 I 10:00 am I Panel Discussion Scaling Up Off-grid Electrification Measures in Kenya with OEC Partner Country Kenya

  Moderation: Mr. Kevin Mwangi, GIZ and Yvonne Odhiambo
  Speaker / Panelists:

  • Remarks: H. E. Ms. Stella-Mokaya Orina, Ambassador of the Republic of Kenya to Germany
  • Keynote: Mr. Alex Wachira, Principal Secretary for Energy, Ministry of Energy, Kenya
  • Panel Discussion: Mr. Prof. Erastus Gatebe, Secretary, Industrialization, MITI
    Trade and Industry, Kenya
    Mr. Prof. Joseph Kamau, Head IEET, JKUAT
  • Mr. Prof. AbuBakr Bahaj, Head of Energy and Climate Change Division, University Southampton (UK)
  • Mr. Dr. Jeremiah Kiplagat, Director, IESR, KPLC

  Description: The panel consists of key stakeholders, from government ministries, academia, ambassadors, to development agencies, and will discuss and exchange insights from the mobilization and coordinated actions undertaken by of Kenya to support its off-grid electrification ambitions. The panel will present a high-level discourse to highlight replicable progress that addressed persistent challenges fostering synergies for a Kenyan sustainable energy access by 2030.

• Oct 30 I 10:45 am I Water meets Energy – innovative technologies and solutions made in Germany - supported by German Water Partnership

  Moderation: Mrs. Lucie König - German Water Partnership e.V.
  Speakers (invited):

  • Mr. Dr. Hamed Beheshti, Boreal Light
  • Mr. Dr. Carsten Persner, GEMÜ Gebr. Müller Apparatebau GmbH & Co. KG
  • Mr. Dr.-Ing. Bernd Vogl, goodmen energy GmbH

  Description: The interplay between water and energy is essential for creating self-sufficient and sustainable infrastructures. In this session, German Water Partnership, together with partners from industry and practice, will explore the challenges and potential of this nexus. Participants will gain insights into innovative German technologies and forward-looking projects from water treatment for hydrogen electrolyzers, heat from river water and solar seawater desalination. These examples showcase the broad expertise of the German Water industry and the many ways water can be harnessed and used to meet global needs. Join us in discussing how technological synergies connect global goals such as SDG 6 (Clean Water) and SDG 7 (Renewable Energy) in practice. The session will feature ideas and practical examples from water treatment for hydrogen electrolyzers, heat from river water and solar seawater desalination. These broad topics are intended to illustrate the wide range of areas covered by the German water industry and the many different ways in which water is used.

  This conference session is organized by the German Water Partnership e.V.

• Oct 30 I 1:30 pm I Off-Grid Financing in Africa: A Reality Check - supported by German African Business Association

  Moderation: Mr. Ulf-Peter Noetzel - German African Business Association
  Speaker/Panelists:

  • Mr. Eng. Isaac Kiva, Secretary of State Renewable Energy Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, Republic of Kenya
  • Mrs. Katja Tauchnitz, CEI Africa
  • Mr. Ralph Schneider, EWIA Green Investments
  • Mr. Christian Etzel, FIB Frankfurt International Bank AG
  • Mrs. Xenia Rebsam, Off-Grid Europe GmbH

  Description: What is feasible? What is challenging? And where are the opportunities? A discussion on off-grid financing that highlights the [untapped] potential in Africa.

  Bringing reliable, sustainable power to off-grid communities is essential for development, yet financing these projects remains a major challenge. High upfront costs, uncertain revenue streams, and limited access to credit create significant barriers for investors and developers alike. Policy instability, data gaps, and perceptions of high risk further complicate efforts to mobilize private capital. This panel will bring together a variety of financing experts to explore innovative financing models, risk-mitigation tools, and enabling policies. Join us for a reality check and discussion on how to unlock the investment needed to scale off-grid energy in Africa.

  This conference session is organized by the German African Business Association and moderated by Ulf-Peter Noetzel, who has been a Senior Policy Advisor at the German-African Business Association since 2022. He brings his expertise to the association’s Working Group on Financing and serves as the host of the podcast AFRICast Business.

• Oct 30 I 3:30 pm I Decentralized and Decarbonized: Carbon Credits in the DRE Ecosystem

  Moderation: Mr. Peter Renner - Foundation Development and Climate Alliance
  Speaker/Panelists:

  • Mrs. Karin Jeanneret Vezzini, ennos ag
  • Mr. Nitin Akhade, Customized Energy Solutions
  • Mr. Mahlon Walo, Afrinet Carbon Ltd/Carbon Markets Association of Kenya (CAMAK)
  • Mr. Wilfred Boerrigter, Tamarso Minigrids

  Description: Decentralised Renewable Energy (DRE) systems are not only essential for expanding energy access, but they also offer measurable climate benefits that can be translated into carbon credits. This session explores how DRE solutions can unlock new streams of climate finance by reducing emissions in hard-to-reach, off-grid regions while also focusing on various platforms or companies offering such services. However, while the potential is significant, real-world implementation reveals challenges around financing, aggregation, and the technical complexity of monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV). Speakers in this session will discuss emerging models, tools, and partnerships that aim to make carbon markets more accessible and equitable for small and medium DRE enterprises. Attendees will gain insights into how the carbon economy can help scale decentralised solutions as it contributes to both climate mitigation and local development.

• Oct 30 I 4:45 pm I Scaling Impact: Minigrid Developers and Productive Energy Use - supported by TUM Seed Center

  Moderation: Mr. Prof. Dr. Frank-Martin Belz, Director TUM SEED Center
  Speaker/Panelists:

  • Mr. Eng. Kihara Mungai, Renewable Energy, Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), Kenya
  • Mrs. Mukabanji Mutanuka, Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), Zambia
  • Mr. Prashant Pant, Doctoral Candidate & Research Coordinator in Renewable Energies, TUM SEED Center
  • Mrs. Dr. Betty Nabuuma,  MAK-TUM SEED Center

  Description: This panel explores strategies to scale the impact of decentralized renewable energy solutions - particularly mini-grids and productive use of energy (PUE) applications—in the Global South. Drawing from insights across SEED Center Living Labs in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, the session will highlight real-world interventions that catalyze local enterprise development, enhance livelihoods, and promote energy access beyond basic lighting. Panelists will discuss scalable models, financing mechanisms, and policy enablers that bridge the gap between energy supply and economic demand—offering actionable pathways to achieve SDGs 7 and 8.

  This conference session is organized by the TUM Seed Center (Technical University of Munich).

• Oct 31 I 9:45 am I Bridging the Energy Gap: Storage & Electrification for Islands

  Moderation: Mrs. Mélodie de l'Epine - Becquerel Institute
  Speaker/Panelists:

  • Mr. Gilles Bouder, HDF Energy
  • Mr. Stuart Davies, ORPC
  • Mr. Jonathan Mira, Enviroearth
  • Mr. Florian Breipohl, EnerKíte Airborne Wind Energy Converters
  • Mr. Mikel Valderrama, Cegasa Energia S.L.U.

  Description: Islands face unique energy challenges such as high dependence on costly diesel imports, exposure to climate volatility, and limited grid infrastructure. Yet, they also represent ideal testbeds for innovative decentralised energy systems. This session will explore how cutting-edge off-grid technologies like DRE mini-grids, green hydrogen, airborne wind energy, and small-scale hydrokinetic power are converging with battery storage and hybrid mini-grids to offer stable, low-carbon electricity for island communities. Drawing on real-world experiences from the Caribbean to the Pacific and beyond, speakers will discuss the technical, economic, and social dimensions of island electrification. Attendees will gain insights into how clean energy solutions can enhance energy independence, build resilience, and drive long-term sustainability in some of the world’s most vulnerable yet promising energy markets.

• Oct 31 I 11:30 am I Empowering Energy Access: The Role of C&I in Decentralized Renewable Solutions

  Moderation: Mr. Nico Peterschmidt - INENSUS GmbH
  Speaker/Panelists:

  • Mrs. Xenia Rebsam, Off-Grid Europe GmbH
  • Mr. Dr.- Ing. Joachim Koschikowski, Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems
  • Mr. Carlos Vila Ruidavets, 247 Solar Inc.
  • Mr. Ibrahim Mussa, AG Energies Co Ltd.
  • Mrs. Alexandra Hamel, SkySails Power GmbH

  Description: The Commercial and Industrial (C&I) sector plays a vital role in driving economic growth across emerging markets, yet many businesses still rely on unreliable grids or diesel generators to power critical operations. This session explores how decentralised renewable energy (DRE) technologies are transforming energy access for C&I actors. With innovations in battery storage, modular solar heating, cooling and energy generation systems, and self-sufficient infrastructure platforms, decentralised solutions are proving their ability to deliver clean, stable, and cost-effective energy for productive use. Speakers will showcase how these technologies not only reduce emissions and costs, but also support local development by adding value in various demand side sectors like healthcare, agriculture, telecom, mining, e-mobility, etc. This ensures access to energy and economic resilience while demonstrating that the transition to sustainable energy can be both commercially viable and socially transformative.

• Oct 31 I 2:30 pm I Energizing Livelihoods: The Future of Productive Renewable Use

  Moderation: Mrs. Avia Linke - Reiner Lemoine Institut gGmbH 
  Speaker/Panelists:

  • Mr. Grietus Mulder, VITO
  • Mr. Johannes Winklmaier, SEED Himalaya
  • Mrs. Geraldine Quelle, Phaesun GmbH
  • Mr. Thomas Bonicel, Schneider Electric Industries SAS
  • Ms. Dr. Georgia Badelt, GeoCode International GmbH
  • Mr. Marco Honsberg, EMPO-NI
  • Mr. Marc de Laporte, Kites for Future Flugwindkraftanlagen GmbH

  Description: Access to electricity with off-grid renewable energy projects is not only about lighting homes but it’s also about powering opportunity to bring about a positive socio-economic impact. This session explores how productive use of renewable energy (PURE) is transforming livelihoods in the rural and off-grid areas, particularly in agriculture, food systems, health and transportation services. From solar-powered cold storage and irrigation to mobile health units and clean cooking innovations, speakers will present scalable, inclusive models based on their projects that enable communities to generate income, increase resilience, and reduce dependence on fossil fuel powered generation systems. The session will also dive into key lessons on the viability of different business models, the importance of end-user engagement, and how energy access can catalyse broader socio-economic development when integrated with local value chains and tailored infrastructure.

• Oct 31 I 4:00 pm I Wrap up and Closing

  A short wrap up and closing of the OEC 2025 by Mr. Deepak Mohapatra (ARE).