Is the charity sector a place for true disruption and can embracing failure help tackle some of the world’s most pressing issues? What is the difference between organisations which learn from failure and those which don’t? Permission to fail shines a light on setting crazy ambitions, failing and rising from the ashes, to then succeeding. It tells the story of SolarAid, an organisation which succeeded, then failed, to succeeding again by bringing 12 million people clean, safe renewable light. ...
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SolarAid Podcasts
In Distributing Solar, we speak to entrepreneurs and experts working in energy access and off-grid solar in emerging markets, bringing to life how distributed energy is changing lives around the world. Visit us at www.distributingsolar.com Contact us at [email protected]
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In this last episode of Permission to Fail we ask ourselves - what now? Over the past five episodes we’ve been on a journey together, exploring the topic of failure and learning. We’ve listened to anecdotes from the people who have been there from the start, explored stories of both difficult times, and success. This episode is about new directions…
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What can failure, learning and success look like when designing a new programme? Do we, as development organisations recognise the domino effects that our well meaning interventions can have on rural communities and the environment? And when recognising these, how can we turn them into opportunities? This is a case study of that. In this episode ho…
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Images and stories are fundamental for charities to spread awareness about the problem they are trying to solve, to harness support and show impact of the funds they are receiving. These images and stories are being used for campaigning, fundraising and advocacy. But with charities operating in complex environments, and often with people in vulnera…
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Is restrictive funding holding back innovation for sustainable development? What is high risk philantropy? And can funding with permission to fail work hand-in-hand with accountability? In the third episode of Permission to Fail, host Kirsty Adams together with Dr. Ewan Kirk (technology entrepreneur and philantropist), John Keane (SolarAid CEO) and…
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In the second episode of Permission to Fail, host Kirsty Adams together with Tokozile Ngwenya (Monitoring and Evaluation specialist in Zambia) and Kat Harrison (Director at 60dB) explore what is means for non-profit organisations to really listen to the people and communities they work with on the ground as they innovate to drive change. What are s…
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In the first episode of six, host Kirsty Adams, together with guests from SolarAid, John Keane (CEO), Richard Turner (Director of Fundraising) and Brave Mhonie, (General Manager in Malawi), explores setting big ambitions and daring to fail. John, Richard and Brave make some interesting points on: The importance of setting ‘Big, Hairy, Audacious, Go…
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Is the charity sector a place for true disruption and can embracing failure help tackle some of the world’s most pressing issues? What is the difference between organisations which learn from failure and those which don’t? Permission to fail shines a light on setting crazy ambitions, failing and rising from the ashes, to then succeeding. It tells t…
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In this episode, we speak with six panellists working in energy access: Amaury Fastenakels: Chief Marketing Officer, BBOXX, Michael Sudarkasa: Chief Executive Officer, Africa Business Group, Karl Skare: Managing Director of Global Partnerships and Strategy, d.light, Raghav Sachdeva: Chief Investment Officer, Nithio, and Emily McAteer: Founder & CEO…
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Telecoms companies in off-grid energy with Naomi Kioi (Greenlight Planet)
40:43
40:43
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In this episode, we speak to Naomi Kioi from Greenlight Planet, one of the largest solar companies in Africa. Greenlight Planet is a social-mission, for profit company which has sold over 1.3m of their Sun King products since 2009 working in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Nigeria, expanding at a rate of over 65,000 new solar installations per month. …
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Product management for solar systems with Cameron Smith (ZOLA Electric)
54:38
54:38
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54:38
We speak with Cameron Smith, Product Management Lead at ZOLA Electric, on the process and challenges of developing energy solutions for emerging markets. We discuss: The types of products ZOLA Electric has developed Challenges of product management for energy solutions Differences in customer needs and demands across various geographies. Contact us…
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Minigrid maintenance with Tonya James and Piper Wilder (60Hertz)
52:13
52:13
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52:13
We speak with Tonya James and Piper Foster Wilder and from 60Hertz. 60 Hertz develops maintenance software for off-grid microgrids in remote locations, including solutions for areas where mobile and internet connectivity may be poor. They’re based in Alaska, which is home to 13% of the world’s microgrids, and are expanding their operations and work…
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Innovative solar business models with Brave Mhonie (SunnyMoney / SolarAid)
39:54
39:54
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In this conversation, we speak with Brave Mhonie, General Manager of SunnyMoney in Malawi. SunnyMoney is the largest seller and distributor of solar lights in Africa, and is a social enterprise owned by SolarAid, an international UK-based charity. We speak about their business model innovations to enable Sunny Money to grow sales in a sustainable a…
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Household solar in Malawi with Maya Stewart (Yellow Solar Power)
1:00:42
1:00:42
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In this episode, we speak with Maya Stewart, co-founder of Yellow Solar Power, a digital-first solar energy retailer in Malawi. Contact us at [email protected] Visit us at www.distributingsolar.com Follow us on Twitter ( https://twitter.com/distrib_solar ) and LinkedIn ( https://www.linkedin.com/company/distributing-solar/ ) Episode not…
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Mini-grid data platform for emerging markets with Emily McAteer and Eitan Hochster (Odyssey Energy Solutions)
54:32
54:32
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In this episode, we speak with Emily McAteer, CEO and Cofounder at Odyssey Energy Solutions and Eitan Hochster, VP of Business Development. Odyssey is a web-based platform that is facilitating rapid deployment of microgrids in emerging markets. Their data platform manages how mini-grid data is analyzed and communicated via software tools, data anal…
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(Short version) Data analytics and digitalisation in off-grid energy with Tobias Engelmeier (VIDA)
42:53
42:53
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42:53
We speak to Tobias Engelmeier from TFE Energy and VIDA about data and analytics in the off-grid energy access sector, focusing on digital planning. This is the shorter version of our conversation; full conversation also available. Contact us at [email protected] Visit us at www.distributingsolar.com Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn VID…
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(Full version) Data analytics and digitalisation in off-grid energy with Tobias Engelmeier (Village Data Analytics / VIDA)
57:35
57:35
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57:35
We speak to Tobias Engelmeier from TFE Energy and VIDA about data and analytics in the off-grid energy access sector. Contact us at [email protected] Visit us at www.distributingsolar.com Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn VIDA website: https://www.villagedata.io/ Show notes: (1:55) Tobias' background and how he entered the energy sector…
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Clean Cooking and Productive Energy (Part 2) with Abhishek Jain (CEEW)
46:13
46:13
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In this episode, we speak with Abhishek Jain from CEEW in India. We speak about Clean Cooking, and Abhishek shares his top 12 (not-so-obvious) findings about the Productive Energy Use industry. Visit us at www.distributingsolar.com Contact us at [email protected] Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn CEEW: company website Abhishek Jain's Na…
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Productive Energy Use in India (Part 1) with Abhishek Jain (CEEW)
36:49
36:49
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We speak with Abhishek Jain from the Council for Energy Environment and Water in India. We discuss energy access, productive energy use, solar water pumps, and the electricity sector in India. Visit us at www.distributingsolar.com Contact us at [email protected] Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn Show notes: (1:40) Introduction to CEEW, …
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Customized Solar in Uganda with Waringa Matindi (Village Energy)
45:53
45:53
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We speak with Waringa Matindi, CEO of Village Energy, a Ugandan company providing custom solar installations for rural businesses, institutions & agriculture that enable improved incomes, job creation, and access to services. We speak about Waringa’s experience as a new CEO, how gender equality interacts with energy access, the cultural differences…
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Last Mile Electrification and Energy Access in Mexico with Manuel Wiechers (Iluméxico)
1:08:12
1:08:12
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In this episode, we speak with Manuel Wiechers from Iluméxico about last mile electrification in Mexico. We discuss the challenges of providing energy access to remote communities in Mexico and Latin America, the regulatory setting for energy in Mexico, the challenges for the off-grid sector in portfolio management, and their shifting business mode…
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(Short version) Technical training for off-grid energy with Henry Louie (KWH / Seattle University)
44:40
44:40
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We speak with Henry Louie, Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at University of Seattle, and author of 'Off-Grid Electrical Systems in Developing Countries'. We discuss the technical considerations for off-grid electrical systems, common pitfalls or misunderstandings in off-grid energy systems, his work with the non-f…
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(Full version) Technical training for off-grid energy with Henry Louie (KiloWatts for Humanity / Seattle University)
1:03:11
1:03:11
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1:03:11
We speak with Henry Louie, Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at University of Seattle, and author of 'Off-Grid Electrical Systems in Developing Countries'. We discuss the technical considerations for off-grid electrical systems, common pitfalls or misunderstandings in off-grid energy systems, his work with the non-f…
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Debt finance and impact investing with Andreas Lehner (Trine)
59:31
59:31
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59:31
We speak with Andreas Lehner, co-founder of Trine. Trine is a crowdfunding platform that enables retail and institutional investors to invest in off-grid solar projects in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America. They provide debt financing for energy projects, and have raised over EUR36 million to date. We discuss debt finance to provide workin…
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Supporting electrification projects in Myanmar with Richard Harrison (Smart Power Myanmar)
53:37
53:37
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53:37
We speak with Richard Harrison, CEO of Smart Power Myanmar, a non-profit organization working to accelerate the adoption of decentralised renewable energy in Myanmar by providing data and evidence, convening key stakeholders, and offering financing solutions. We discuss the current energy landscape in Myanmar, the need for an integrated approach to…
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Equity Investments in Off Grid Solar with Leslie Labruto (Acumen)
37:43
37:43
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37:43
We speak with Leslie Labruto, Head of Energy Access at Acumen, about the equity investment landscape in off-grid solar. We discuss Solar Home Systems (SHSs), minigrids, impact investment, successful business models, challenges and opportunities in the sector, and what makes a great investment for Acumen. Recorded in 2019 Visit us at www.distributin…
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Community Solar in Liberia with Nicholai Lidow (LIB Solar)
45:16
45:16
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45:16
We speak with Nicholai Lidow from LIB Solar about community solar in Liberia. We discuss the challenges of energy access and doing business in one of the poorest countries in the world, the trade-off between social and environmental impact, how rebel groups inspires his work (!), the challenges for equity finance in off-grid solar, and the potentia…
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Coaching and staff training in Uganda with Jay Patel (Enlight Institute)
45:47
45:47
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We speak to Jay Patel from Enlight Institute about setting up a solar academy in Uganda. We discuss the need for training and development programs to develop technical and soft skills, the solar landscape in Uganda, and the broader demand for training services across other sectors. Recorded in April 2020 Visit us at www.distributingsolar.com Contac…
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Solar Water Pumps with Helen Davies (Futurepump)
32:26
32:26
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32:26
In this episode, we speak to Helen Davies from Futurepump, a solar water pump manufacturing company. Futurepump produces solar water pumps that are targeted at small holder farmers in Africa and Asia, enabling farmers to improve irrigation for their land. Recorded in 2019 Visit us at www.distributingsolar.com Contact us at podcast@distributingsolar…
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Distributed Cold Chain in India with Jiten Ghelani (Promethean Power)
26:53
26:53
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26:53
In this episode, we speak to Jiten Ghelani from Promethean Power, a Cold-Chain-as-a-Service provider based in India. Promethean offers a farm-to-fork cold chain service, enabling rural dairy farmers in India to get their milk to market in a safe, affordable and reliable manner. We speak about the benefits of a distributed cold chain solution, and t…
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Rural mini-grids in Nigeria with Tobi and Segun (Havenhill)
45:52
45:52
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45:52
In this episode, we speak with Olusegun (Segun) Odunaiya and Oluwatobi (Tobi) Soyombo from Havenhill Synergy. Havenhill is a renewable energy provider based in Abuja, Nigeria, with the goal of ending blackouts across the country. The build and develop solar mini-grids in off-grid areas of Nigeria, serving rural populations and providing them with r…
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Solar for Microbusinesses in Nigeria with Sanmi Lajuwomi (Winock)
29:53
29:53
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In this episode, we speak with Winock Solar on how they are deploying solar systems for microbusinesses in Nigeria. We talk about the challenges to solar adoption in Nigeria and what the opportunities are for solar entrepreneurs. Recorded in 2019 Sanmi: My name is Sanmi Lajuwomi. I am Nigerian of origin and I am the founder and CEO of Winock Solar …
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