The Energy Access sector thrives on innovations: design optimization, monitoring, finance, business models, standards, driving efficiency in project implementation, etc. Yet, solutions to the above are often developed separately and in parallel by various actors in the Energy Access Space. Innovators typically spend years developing technologies, business models, and operating processes -- utilizing scarce time, human resources, and early-stage funding -- before being able to operate at a steady state. Innovation potential is lost because considerable time and resources go into the development of underlying technologies and solutions which are required but are not core to the business model of the organizations.

Is Open Source the answer? What exactly is Open Innovation in energy access, and what is its role in fast-tracking the road toward SDG7? Open Innovations offer technological solutions to diminish replicated efforts and streamline the work toward universal energy access. During this presentation, we will discuss how Open Innovations have and can further provide a technology and know-how backbone to the sector to allow economical viability and dynamic growth in an equitable ecosystem where more companies contribute to the race to achieve SDG7. We will particularly put emphasis on the development of an Open Source Software Suite for Mini-Grid planning, development, implementation, and operation, and discuss and show viable and proven Open Source-based business models.

Key Lerning Points:

• Open Source Innovations provide a solution to accelerating the achievement of universal energy access and supporting the creation or expansion of energy businesses.
• Brief knowledge of viable and proven Open Source-based business models and related Open Source licensing.
• Ways to leverage Open Source to speed up development cycles.
• Existing and ongoing development for an Open Source Software suite for Mini-Grid developers and operators.

Speaker: