Held at RSA house, London on the afternoon of 22 November 2016, The Off-grid Investment Exchange brought together project developers, investors and financiers to discuss how insurgent off-grid activists and conventional developers and DFIs are edging closer together.
To encourage an open dialogue between all participants, proceedings were held under the Chatham House Rule, with panellists leading off the discussion of each topic and questions and comments from the audience throughout.
Agenda
(Registration from 12h40)
Lunch – 13h00
14h00 to 15h00
Accelerating off-grid
Chair: Michael Franz, Team Leader, Africa-EU Renewable Energy Cooperation Programme (RECP)
Examining off-grid consumer models and opportunities for investment in decentralised energy schemes.
Commercial rooftop, solar home systems and mini-grid: what different models are emerging across Africa?
What are the economics, and what are the contrasting strategies over the next 5 years?
Mini-grid: huge potential and challenges.
Prospects for energy storage.
How do impact investors measure the social and environmental performance of investments in the off-grid sector?
Panellists
Faruk Yusuf Yabo, Assistant Director, Renewable Energy & Rural Power Access Department, Federal Ministry of Power, Works & Housing, Nigeria
Thomas Gottschalk, Founder & Managing Director, Mobisol
Kat Harrison, Associate Director of Impact, Acumen
Andrew Reicher, Independent Adviser and Investor, Berkeley Energy, Energy Access Ventures Fund, Catalyst Principal Partners
Peter Weston, Director of Investment Advisory, Energy 4 Impact
Sidney Yankson, CEO, Ghana Capital Partners
Everyone put on virtual reality headsets to see Mobisol’s solar applications at work in Tanzania during this session.
15h00 Coffee
15h30 to 17h00
Financing off-grid
Chair: Ed Harkins, Head of Export Credit Financing, Fieldstone
A look at the concessionary and commercial finance as well as the equity and debt available for off-grid energy.
Can PE and other investors find the rates of return they need to make substantial investments?
What debt instruments are available?
Is there potential to ‘bundle up’ off-grid assets to attract institutional and other big investors?
Are models of development based on grants, foundations and other such funding sustainable?
Crowdfunding platforms
Panellists
David ten Kroode, Renewable Energy Manager, Oiko Credit
Harrison Leaf, CEO & Co-Founder, SteamaCo
Andreas Lehner, Founder & COO, Trine
Nico Tyabji, Director of Strategic Partnerships, SunFunder
Gilles Parmentier, Partner, GreenWish Partners
Varun Sharma, Vice President Equity Finance, Bboxx
Rentia Van Tonder, Head: Renewable Energy, Power and Infrastructure, Standard Bank