Engineering for Change (E4C) and IEEE are pleased to present a Virtual Salon which focuses on renewable energy solutions.
E4C’s Virtual Salon series is a partnership with IEEE and IEEE in Africa Strategy. The Salon topics are informed by the professional and regional interests of the sections. To overcome connectivity challenges, the Sections schedule their meeting during this time at locations with high-quality internet connectivity and join the salon via E4C’s webinar platform. The salon was 1.5 hour in length and included up two presenters and a moderator. The goal was to provide a broad cross-section of renewable tech solutions and focus on scaling approaches demonstrating success in the African context.
During the event, each panelist provided a brief overview of their organization. This was followed by a live (virtual) Q&A lead by the moderator.
There is the companion video to the IEEE-sponsored E4C Virtual Salon on renewable energy solutions. This special edition features Ujunwa Ojemeni, an impact investing, energy and development expert with experience in the areas of opportunity maturation, financing, and policy. She is a Senior Technical Adviser to the Commissioner for Energy & Mineral Resources for Lagos State in Nigeria.
Please view it here:
Moderator
Dr. Henry Louie is an Associate Professor and Fr. Francis Wood Endowed Research Chair in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Seattle University. His research areas include electricity access in developing communities, renewable energy and appropriate technology. He is the President and Co-founder of KiloWatts for Humanity, a non-profit organization providing electricity access and business opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. Louie served as a Fulbright Scholar to Copperbelt University in Kitwe, Zambia. He is recognized as a Distinguished Lecturer of the IEEE and is an Associate Editor of the journal Energy for Sustainable Development. He is the author of the book Off-Grid Electrical Systems in Developing Countries, published by SpringerNature.
Presenters
Kieran Campbell leads the Analytics team at PowerGen Renewable Energy, which is working to electrify Africa’s off-grid communities with distributed solar mini-grids. In that role, Kieran manages the development business intelligence reporting on customer behavior and power system performance, for use both internally and by partners.
Ujunwa Ojemeni is an impact investing, energy and development expert with experience in the areas of opportunity maturation, financing, and policy. She is the Senior Technical Adviser to the Commissioner for Energy & Mineral Resources for Lagos State (the 5th largest economy in Africa) charged with the responsibility to plan, devise and implement strategies to deliver reliable energy to the citizens of the State. She was previously the Senior Investment Associate at All On, responsible for driving clean energy investments opportunities while providing strategic, governance and operational support to All On’s investees.
Laura Sundblad is the Corporate Development Manager at Pawame, a Kenya-based solar home system financing and distribution company. In this role, Laura leads the development of Pawame’s growth and innovation strategy. Laura has eight years of international development experience, of which the past five have been in the intersection of energy access and financial inclusion. In her previous roles at Arc Finance and the Global Off-Grid Lighting Association (GOGLA), Laura worked with a wide range of international partners including private enterprises, impact investors, and microfinance institutions to improve access to capital for the off-grid solar sector. Originally from Finland, Laura holds an MA in International Relations from the University of St Andrews and a MPA in Energy and Environment from Columbia University.
