Off-Grid: Rural Electrification Based on Solar Systems - Lessons Learned

Wednesday, May 07, 2025

Time: 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Hall: ICM München
Room: Room 14 C

Off-grid solar systems are often the least expensive option for rural electrification. Solar home systems can power individual households, while mini-grids can supply entire villages. Each comes with its own advantages, disadvantages, and challenges. The aim of this session is to explore challenges as well as success stories. It takes well-functioning components such as battery systems, charge management and inverters to make projects successful. Proper system sizing, maintenance and repair management, as well as a robust financial concept are also necessary. If one of these elements is missing, the electrification will not be sustainable. This session will focus on the aspects mentioned above. The speakers will present successful and unsuccessful approaches and discuss what can be learned from them.

11:00 am - 11:05 amWelcome & Introduction

Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Peter Adelmann

Director

id-eee Institute

11:05 am - 11:20 amEnsuring Sustainability of SHS Through Long-Term Maintenance Agreements

Angel Verástegui Gubler

Senior Climate Advisory Specialist - Climate Finance

responsAbility Investments AG

11:20 am - 11:35 amChallenges of Rural Electrification

Catherine Adelmann

PhD Candidate

University of Applied Science Ulm

11:35 am - 11:50 amFactors That Influence the Success of a Minigrid Project

Thomas Kündiger

Chief Technology Manager

Balance of Storage Systems AG

11:50 am - 12:05 pmtba

12:05 pm - 12:20 pmLinking Solar Home Systems to Mini-Grids

Felix Boldt

CEO

Solarworx GmbH

12:20 pm - 12:30 pmQ&A Session

To Program Overview

Speakers

Speaker

Catherine Adelmann, University of Applied Science Ulm

PhD Candidate

Germany

Catherine Adelmann is co-founder and former General Manager of Fosera Solarsystems GmbH & Co. KGaA, a leading manufacturer of Pico-Solar-Home-Systems for rural electrification. In addition to her entrepreneurial achievements, she is a Startup Coach at the Startup Center and PhD candidate in the research group of smart grids at the University of Applied Sciences Ulm. She serves as a member of the advisory board of the Global Renewables Congress (GRC), where she advocates for large-scale renewable energy deployment.

Speaker

Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Peter Adelmann, id-eee Institute

Director

Germany

Speaker

Thomas Kündiger, Balance of Storage Systems AG

Chief Technology Manager

Germany

Thomas Kündiger is co-founder and Chief Technology Manager of BOS AG, responsible for product roadmap, system design and research projects. As an expert in product development and off-grid power supply, his passion is to develop environmentally friendly state-of-the-art energy solutions, with a deep understanding of B2B and end-user needs, especially in rural areas. He combines practical skills in mechanical engineering with a Bachelor's degree in Energy Systems and a Master's degree in Systems Engineering & Management.

Speaker

Angel Verástegui Gubler, responsAbility Investments AG

Senior Climate Advisory Specialist - Climate Finance

Mr. Angel Verástegui Gubler is a Senior Climate Advisor at responsAbility Investments AG. He develops green lending strategies with financial institutions across Latin America, validating their climate impact. With over 15 years in global clean energy initiatives, he has promoted energy access technologies with the public sector, assessed carbon emissions of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects from the private sector, and trained financial institutions on ESG and decarbonization.

Speaker

Felix Boldt, Solarworx GmbH

CEO

Germany

Felix Boldt is CEO of Solarworx GmbH, a leading manufacturer of standalone solar systems and DC Mesh grids. As a Renewable Energy Engineer, Felix has over a decade of experience in the solar off-grid sector across sub-Saharan Africa. He has worked in more than 10 countries, with a current focus on Zambia, Nigeria, and South Africa. With extensive expertise in the wind and solar industries, Felix is dedicated to advancing sustainable energy solutions in emerging markets.