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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

First steps in Tanzania

INENSUS conducts a prefeasibility study for the development of a micro utility in Tanzania in collaboration with TerraProjects.

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’.

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’.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Energy Access Specialist

Berlin, Germany

Christopher holds a Master’s in Business Management & Entrepreneurship Renewable Energy from the University of Applied Science Weihenstephan-Triesdorf, Germany. He has been with us for 3 years and was previously a working student for 3 years and a project manager for 6 months at TÜV SÜD AG in the field of electromobility. He was actively involved in the establishment of our subsidiary Volt-Terra in Uganda and is responsible for the technical design of minigrids, the preparation and evaluation of tenders and the development of policies in various projects. Christopher is based in Berlin, he speaks German and English.

Energy Access Specialist

Berlin, Germany

Aslan joined us in 2017, after obtaining his bachelor’s degree in Power Systems Engineering from Clausthal University of Technology, Germany. With a strong background on the technical and financial aspects of decentralized energy systems, he has been recently specializing on digitalisation in the minigrid sector at all levels: from developing customized planning tools, over implementing autonomous operation schemes and remote management and monitoring solutions. Next to his work, Aslan is studying his master’s degree at Technische Universität Berlin, including courses in data science and machine learning. He is currently based in Berlin and speaks German, English and Dari.

Energy Access Specialist

Berlin, Germany

Andrea holds an undergraduate degree in Economics from Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, and a Master’s degree in Business Energy Engineering from the Technische Universität Berlin. She has more than five years of experience in the field of decentralised renewable energy and served as Planning and Development Specialist at the Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE) in Cairo, Egypt. Before joining us in 2019, she was Head of Operations for JUMEME Rural Power Supply Ltd. in Tanzania. Andrea is fluent in English, Catalan, Spanish, German and has a strong base in Arabic.

Co-founder and CSO

Berlin, Germany

Jakob, our CSO, co-founder, shareholder, holds a degree in Power Systems Engineering from Clausthal University of Technology, Germany. He has more than 15 years of experience as investor, developer and strategic technical and policy advisor in the minigrid field in Africa and Asia. Jakob has worked in rural communities in over 20 African countries, set up mini-grid operations in Senegal and Tanzania, and works as policy advisor with government agencies and international development organizations on policy and regulatory frameworks as well as competitive procurement processes in various countries. He is based in Berlin and speaks German, English and French.

Co-founder and CTO

Goslar, Germany

Holger, our CTO, co-founder, shareholder, holds a degree in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering from Clausthal University of Technology, Germany. He has more than 16 years of experience as investor, developer and strategic technical advisor in the in the minigrid sector in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. His expertise includes technical design, installation, commissioning and operation of minigrids, advisory services on public procurement processes for minigrid assets, as well as the provision of trainings for private operators, government agencies and international organisations on minigrid installation and operation. Holger speaks German, English, French and Spanish.

Co-founder and CEO

Goslar, Germany

Nico is our CEO, and a co-founder and shareholder. He holds a degree in Power Systems Engineering from Clausthal University of Technology, Germany. Nico has more than 16 years of professional experience in the minigrid sector, advising development banks, governments and investors on setting up rural electrification programmes. He co-developed the award-winning MicroPowerEconomy business and risk management model for solar minigrid electrification and the rural industrialisation concept The KeyMaker Model. Nico is a juror for the German Innovation Award for Climate and Environment and a lead juror for the European Business Awards for the Environment. He is based in Goslar and speaks German and English.

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