Recording of Wednesday, May 07, 2025 | The smarter E Europe Conferences 2025 | Conference Program | Language: English | Duration: 13:23 .

Intersolar Showcases E-Cooking and Off-Grid Innovations for Sustainable Development in Middle East and Africa

The discussion at Intersolar centered on infrastructure solutions in the GCC region, with representatives from various companies addressing projects and challenges. KUVAROV of Steel Wave Solutions discussed their involvement in supplying water to agricultural greenhouses in Qatar and other projects across Iraq and Yemen, highlighting travel restrictions that impact operations due to visa issues. The dialogue also explored successful e-cooking business models within mini-grids, emphasizing carbon financing's importance alongside IoT-integrated smart appliances for efficient energy management. Tariff structures were noted as impacting viability; Senegal’s uniform grid tariffs serve as an example where cost-effectiveness is hindered without financial support or incentives. Off-grid solar solutions were considered for regions lacking sunlight during winter months, suggesting larger panels unless alternative renewable resources are more viable financially. Geraldine Queller highlighted cold room installations under diverse business models like cooling-as-a-service at Lake Victoria supported by co-financing initiatives when necessary. Presentations emphasized off-grid solutions' potential in areas such as e-cooking, cooling, and water access through demand incentives and supply enhancements demonstrated by examples from Kenya and Off-Grid Europe. Boreal Light presented a broader nexus involving services like drinking water access alongside irrigation, fish farming, ice production—underscoring progress towards COP15 targets despite current slow advancements likened to "the pace of a snail." The Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE) committed to achieving these goals collaboratively with partners while expressing gratitude toward speakers for their contributions.

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Speaker

Talk of session: Off-Grid: Electric Cooking, Cooling and Water Treatment

Electric cooking with solar energy is on the rise as both solar and battery technologies continue to improve, making it viable for off-grid homes. One of the main hurdles for solar-powered electric cooking has been energy storage. Cooking typically requires a large amount of energy for a short period, while solar generation is intermittent. However, advancements in lithium-ion and solid-state battery technology have made energy storage more efficient, allowing for cooking after sundown or on cloudy days. The efficiency of electric cooking appliances has also improved: In induction stoves, for example, most of the energy goes directly into heating the pot or pan. Appliances like electric pressure cookers and slow cookers are also energy-efficient. They can be ideal for solar-powered cooking setups, as they require a relatively low, steady energy input over a long period of time. With continuous advancements in solar PV and battery storage, solar electric cooking is likely to spread further in regions where grid access is limited or costly, such as parts of Africa, South Asia, and Latin America. In off-grid areas with limited access to electricity, PV systems are also key for powering refrigerators, freezers, refrigerated containers, and cold rooms. They are particularly valuable in rural or remote settings for storing perishable goods, medicines, and vaccines. New technological developments have significantly increased the efficiency of solar refrigeration systems, minimizing or even eliminating the need for battery power at night and during periods of low sunlight.Solar energy can also be used to purify or treat water to make it safe to drink or for agricultural or industrial use. This method leverages the power of sunlight, either directly or indirectly, to remove contaminants, pathogens, and impurities from water. There is a variety of methods for solar water treatment, ranging from using the sun's UV-A rays and heat to complex solar-powered water filtration systems where PV-generated electricity is used to pump water through advanced filtration systems such as ultrafiltration or RO (reverse osmosis). However, solar water treatment systems are still costly and require advanced technology and expertise.This session will provide an overview of current developments and insights into new applications for solar-powered cooking, cooling and water treatment.

Further Talks of this session:

Welcome & Introduction

Speaker

Deepak Mohapatra
Senior Officer - Business & Market Development
Alliance for Rural Electrification
Belgium

Recording of presentation not authorized for publication.

E-Cooking Approaches in the EnDev Programme

Speaker

Veit Goehringer
Advisor
GIZ - Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit
India

To Talk

Cleaner Cooking for People and the Planet - Solar PV Based Options

Speaker

Christa Roth
Director
Food and Fuel Consultants
Germany

To Talk

Local Construction of the First Low Carbon Cold Room In Kenya

Speaker

Géraldine Quelle
Project Manager
Phaesun GmbH
Germany

To Talk

Offgrid World, and the Challenges of Water Sector

Speaker

Anna Shepelenko
COO
Boreal Light GmbH
Germany

To Talk

Much Cooler - Bridging Grid Stability and Food Security

Speaker

Christiane Kragh
CEO
Off-Grid Europe GmbH
Germany

To Talk