Dr. Sam Duby, Africa Director for TFE Consulting, sat down with PV Magazine to discuss insights from TFE's new report "Kenya: The World's Microgrid Lab", the importance of on-the-ground experience in energy access projects, and how tech and social innovation in Africa will be the headline of the next decade.How did TFE Consulting get its start?
TFE Consulting grew out of Tobias Engelmeier's work covering the renewable energy industry in India through his consultancy, Bridge to India. TFE Consulting provides services to the Mittelstand-mid-sized manufacturers in Germany-as well as larger corporations like ABB and Siemens and development banks like KFW and the World Bank.
What sectors and markets does TFE Consulting focus on?
In terms of geography, we are focused on Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Overall, we are focused on understanding the energy transition in light of the digital revolution and how this affects renewables, energy access, efficiency, mobility and the way we build cities.
Energy access is one pillar of our work. Emerging technologies like electric cars, blockchain payments, and other frontier technologies are also core to what we do. We have ongoing research into the applications of big data, energy efficiency, and smart grid technologies in European markets.
We aim to provide companies with insights into emerging industries and, specifically in energy access, a perspective on how things will play out in practice. Having spent most of my life in Africa and six and a half years in Kenya founding SteamaCo (an off-grid smart metering company), I have strong on-the-ground experience. After starting Bridge to India, Tobias has gained a deep knowledge of the South Asian market.
Working with stakeholders across the spectrum from national governments to rural villages has given us a deep understanding of which interventions work-and which don't. The development landscape is littered with failed projects pitched and funded by people who have never set foot in a rural village. We hope to offer our experience to help avoid creating more failed projects.
Your recent report "Kenya: The World's Microgrid Lab" looks at innovations in the emerging microgrid industry in Kenya. What are some of the key insights from that report?
One of the key insights emphasizes the importance of government buy-in and the impact ...Den vollständigen Artikel lesen ...
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