Off-Grid: Electric Cooking, Cooling and Water Treatment

Wednesday, May 07, 2025

Time
09:00 am - 10:30 am
Hall
ICM München
Room
Room 14 C

Electric cooking with solar energy is on the rise as both solar and battery technologies continue to improve, making it viable for off-grid homes. One of the main hurdles for solar-powered electric cooking has been energy storage. Cooking typically requires a large amount of energy for a short period, while solar generation is intermittent. However, advancements in lithium-ion and solid-state battery technology have made energy storage more efficient, allowing for cooking after sundown or on cloudy days. The efficiency of electric cooking appliances has also improved: In induction stoves, for example, most of the energy goes directly into heating the pot or pan. Appliances like electric pressure cookers and slow cookers are also energy-efficient. They can be ideal for solar-powered cooking setups, as they require a relatively low, steady energy input over a long period of time. With continuous advancements in solar PV and battery storage, solar electric cooking is likely to spread further in regions where grid access is limited or costly, such as parts of Africa, South Asia, and Latin America. In off-grid areas with limited access to electricity, PV systems are also key for powering refrigerators, freezers, refrigerated containers, and cold rooms. They are particularly valuable in rural or remote settings for storing perishable goods, medicines, and vaccines. New technological developments have significantly increased the efficiency of solar refrigeration systems, minimizing or even eliminating the need for battery power at night and during periods of low sunlight.Solar energy can also be used to purify or treat water to make it safe to drink or for agricultural or industrial use. This method leverages the power of sunlight, either directly or indirectly, to remove contaminants, pathogens, and impurities from water. There is a variety of methods for solar water treatment, ranging from using the sun's UV-A rays and heat to complex solar-powered water filtration systems where PV-generated electricity is used to pump water through advanced filtration systems such as ultrafiltration or RO (reverse osmosis). However, solar water treatment systems are still costly and require advanced technology and expertise.This session will provide an overview of current developments and insights into new applications for solar-powered cooking, cooling and water treatment.

09:00 am - 09:05 amWelcome & Introduction

Deepak Mohapatra

Senior Officer - Business & Market Development

Alliance for Rural Electrification

09:05 am - 09:20 amE-Cooking Approaches in the EnDev Programme

Veit Goehringer

Advisor

GIZ - Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit

09:20 am - 09:35 amCleaner Cooking for People and the Planet - Solar PV Based Options

Christa Roth

Director

Food and Fuel Consultants

09:35 am - 09:50 amLocal Construction of the First Low Carbon Cold Room In Kenya

Géraldine Quelle

Project Manager

Phaesun GmbH

09:50 am - 10:05 amOffgrid World, and the Challenges of Water Sector

Dr. Hamed Beheshti

Co-founder & CEO

Boreal Light GmbH

10:05 am - 10:20 amMuch Cooler - Bridging Grid Stability and Food Security

Mark Kragh

Co-Founder & CTO

Off-Grid Europe GmbH

10:20 am - 10:30 amQ&A Session

Speakers
Speaker
Dr. Hamed Beheshti, Boreal Light GmbH

Co-founder & CEO

Germany

Dr. Hamed Beheshti, CEO and Co-founder of Boreal Light GmbH in Berlin, is a visionary leader dedicated to transforming water access in remote regions. He has developed a pioneering solar desalination system, providing affordable and safe solutions for communities worldwide. Through Boreal Light GmbH and initiatives like WaterKiosk Ltd, Dr. Beheshti ensures access to life-changing water technologies in East Africa and Latin America. Additionally, he founded the OffGrid Water Alliance, representing the sector internationally and advocating for sustainable development. With his expertise, Dr. Beheshti inspires audiences globally, driving conversations on the importance of addressing water scarcity in underserved areas for a brighter future.

Speaker
Deepak Mohapatra, Alliance for Rural Electrification

Senior Officer - Business & Market Development

Belgium

Deepak Mohapatra works as the Senior Officer - Business & Market Development at the Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE), a leading global business association representing the decentralised renewable energy (DRE) sector for provision of energy access in developing and emerging countries. He works closely together with more than 200 ARE Members, as well as international and local partners to improve market conditions, facilitate capacity building, and establish favourable environment enabling business for private sector companies in DRE space across the globe. Previously Deepak worked at a German NGO called 'Lernen - Helfen - Leben e.V. as a Project Coordinator. He holds MSc. in Renewable Energy Management from Technical University of Cologne (TH Köln), Germany and B.Tech. in Electrical & Electronics Engineering from Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT), India.

Speaker
Veit Goehringer, GIZ - Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit

Advisor

India

Veit Goehringer is the advisor and thematic focal lead for electrification at Energising Development (EnDev), a global multi-donor program. Previously, he served as an advisor for rural electrification with mini-grids for GIZ in Uganda. Before his tenure in Uganda, he was a senior lecturer in automotive engineering in Botswana. Veit Goehringer holds a PhD in mechanical engineering, specializing in energy systems and automotive engineering.

Speaker
Géraldine Quelle, Phaesun GmbH

Project Manager

Germany

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.

Speaker
Mark Kragh, Off-Grid Europe GmbH

Co-Founder & CTO

Germany

Mark Kragh is the founder and CTO of Off-Grid Europe GmbH. He is an expert in renewable energy systems with long-term experience in systems engineering and design, leadership as well as data analytics. Since 2020, OGE is part of the project ASER300 that set the target to electrify at least 300 villages in Senegal. In the course of realizing the project, OGE set up the senegalese subsidiary Off-Grid Africa in order to establish itself long-term in the west-african market. Innovation and constant optimization of technology are an integral part of the company. Apart from Off-Grid Systems, Mark has developed a unique solar boat (SunSailor) as well as a containerised solution to produce solar oxygen (SolarO2). He currently focuses on the development of a BESS (Battery energy storage system) for commercial and industrial users as well as on a solar cooling solution for the agricultural sector.

Speaker
Christa Roth, Food and Fuel Consultants

Director

Germany

Christa Roth is a Consultant for Cooking Energy which is vital for human survival. With a focus on Africa, she assists worldwide to develop locally appropriate efficient technologies for cooking or other uses of heat, based on locally available renewable resources, including climate-friendly solid biomass fuels from sustainable sources. She started integrating PV-based household energy solutions in her work since 2010, first for low-wattage needs like lighting. She is now exploring high-wattage PV-solutions for cooking in off-grid scenarios to see how and where they fit in the mix of household cooking energy to complement or substitute unsustainable solid biomass cooking fuels. Christa always puts the users and producers at the centre of any technology development, so that users can get what they want and can afford and local producers or installers can create a sustainable business from the promotion of these technologies.

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