Our Story
Our story started more than 15 years ago. Since then, we have seen many interesting places, realised many great projects, and been involved in the development of some groundbreaking concepts for the minigrid sector. See here the most important steps of our journey…
- 2005
- 2006
- 2007
- 2008
- 2009
- 2010
- 2011
- 2012
- 2013
- 2014
- 2015
- 2016
- 2017
- 2018
- 2019
- 2020
- 2021
- 2022
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2005
How it all began…-
Three young engineers (Nico, Jakob and Holger) start the INENSUS GmbH based in Clausthal-Zellerfeld, a spin-off from Clausthal University of Technology, Germany, as a service provider for INtegrated ENergy SUpply Systems and decentralized power supply.
Our first contracts
The founders acquire the first engineering contracts in the minigrid field with a focus on minigrid design.
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2006
Our first product…
As its first product, the company develops, manufactures and distributes the AEOLOG, a complete wind and solar monitoring system with 10 and 15m telescopic poles tailored to small-scale wind turbines and detailed site potential analysis for off-grid hybrid systems.
…and services
Engineering services for various developers and manufacturers of small-scale wind turbines represents the first solid source of income for the young company.
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2007
Moving out
INENSUS leaves Clausthal University of Technology and moves its headquarters to Goslar, Germany, under the umbrella of the Energy Research Centre of Lower Saxony.
Our first project in Africa
The company enters into a public-private-partnership with GIZ GmbH to carry out a feasibility study for a wind-solar-diesel minigrid pilot project in Senegal.
One of the first commercial business models in the minigrid sector
INENSUS develops the ‘Micro Power Economy’ as an award-winning business model and risk management tool for minigrid operators.
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2008
One of the first metering solutions for use in minigrids
INENSUS develops the ‘Micro Utility Solution’ as a smart metering and demand side management device for minigrids (later to be transferred to the ‘MicroPowerManager’ software solution for minigrid operations management).
Creation of our first African micro-utility
Foundation of subsidiary ENERSA Energie Rurale Sahélienne S.A. as joint venture with MATFORCE CSI in Dakar, Senegal to develop and operate minigrids in West Africa.
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2009
Commencement of operations in Senegal
ENERSA starts its business operations in Senegal developing a pilot minigrid project based on an extended public-private-partnership with GIZ GmbH.
Expansion of core business in Germany
The expansion of engineering services in the field of small-scale wind turbines and the development of related products such as electronic safety systems and wind monitoring systems lead to a growth in turnover and staff.
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2010
Our first minigrid
Installation and commissioning of a pilot minigrid in the Senegalese village Sine Moussa Abdou with a 5 kW wind turbine, 5 kWp solar and a 11 kVA diesel generator, serving 1,000 people with reliable power.
Our first award
INENSUS is honoured with the ‘SEED Award 2010 for the development of the Micro Power Economy business model’.
Sieb & Meyer joins INENSUS
The medium-sized electronics and software company Sieb & Meyer AG from Lüneburg, Germany, joins INENSUS GmbH as an additional shareholder.
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2011
Scaling up activities in Senegal
Preparation of the project ‘MicroPower 30’ aimed at electrifying 30 rural communities in Senegal with financial support from the Daey Ouwens Fund.
The next award…
INENSUS is honoured with the ‘IKU innovation price 2010 in the category of technology transfer’.
…and the next
INENSUS is honoured with the ‘National Energy Globe Award 2011 for Senegal’.
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2012
Five additional minigrids go online
ENERSA implements another 5 minigrid projects in Senegal.
Restructuring of the core business
Changes in the German Renewable Energy Sources Act and other European countries reduce opportunities for small-scale wind turbine application in Europe. As a result, INENSUS restructures its business model to focus on consulting and engineering services around minigrids.
And yet another award
INENSUS is honoured with the ‘European Business Award for the Environment 2012’.
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2013
First steps in Tanzania
INENSUS conducts a prefeasibility study for the development of a micro utility in Tanzania in collaboration with TerraProjects.
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2014
Taking the lead of a €16m project
INENSUS leads a consortium that has been awarded EUR 7.4 million in co-funding by the European Commission under the ACP-II to develop the project ‘MicroPower Economy – Tanzania rollout’ (electrification of up to 80k people).
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2015
Our second micro utility
Foundation of JUMEME Rural Power Supply Ltd. based in Mwanza, Tanzania, as a micro utility with the joint venture partners St. Augustine University of Tanzania and TerraProjects to implement the project ‘MicroPower Economy – Tanzania rollout’ and more.
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2016
Our pilot minigrid in Tanzania
Installation and commissioning of a pilot minigrid on Ukara Island, Lake Victoria, with 60 kWp PV and a 30 kVA diesel genset to supply reliable electricity to 5,000 people.
Getting started in Sierra Leone
INENSUS supports the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in the design of the Rural Renewable Energy Project (RREP), a US$ 40m minigrid program, funded by DFID, to electrify 94 villages in Sierra Leone and develop capacities of governmental organizations.
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2017
The first real minigrid regulations are published
The Minigrid Regulations of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission are published, developed by INENSUS under the Nigerian Energy Support Programme (subcontracted by INTEGRATION GmbH and funded by GIZ).
Opening of Sierra Leone project office
INENSUS opens a project office in Freetown, Sierra Leone, with 2 international and 3 national staff to support the implementation of the RREP.
Our consulting team moves to Berlin
The minigrid consulting team is relocated from Goslar to Berlin and subsequently successively expanded.
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2018
Rural industrialization with minigrids
Development of the KeyMaker Model as a Rural Industrialisation approach to unlock economic potential of value chains as a complementary source of revenue to electricity sales for minigrid operators.
The first KeyMaker Model
Implementation of a Tilapia fish farming and trading KeyMaker Model with JUMEME in Lake Victoria minigrids in Tanzania.
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2019
The next minigrid regulations from our pen
The Minigrid Regulations of the Sierra Leone Electricity and Water Regulatory Commission are ratified by the Sierra Leonean Parliament and published by the Commission, developed by INENSUS under the RREP.
Opening of Togo project office
INENSUS opens a project office in Lomé with 2 international and 2 national staff as part of the ProEnergie project implemented by GIZ to support the Togolese government in the development of its minigrid sector.
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2020
MPM goes open source
INENSUS releases the MicroPowerManager Open Source, a software solution for decentralized utility management.
Making use of AI
INENSUS moves into the application of Artificial Intelligence and Stochastic Optimisation with the aim of making the operation and maintenance of minigrids even more efficient.
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2021
Creation of VoltaLabs
Foundation of the VoltaLabs GmbH, in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute for Fiber Optical Sensor Systems, as service provider for battery testing and manufacturing based in Goslar, Germany.
Our third micro utility
Foundation of Volt-Terra Ltd., a joint venture with Gourmet Gardens (U) Ltd., as micro utility implementing a rural industrialization approach based on a vanilla/chili KeyMaker Model in Uganda.
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2022
Crypto mining in minigrids
Patenting a concept for overcoming demand risk in minigrids by consuming surplus electricity in decentralised crypto miners based on artificial intelligence and stochastic optimisation.
Into the future with a new design
Release of our new Corporate Design and new website.