Contributor.

Nancy Wimmer
microSOLAR

Nancy Wimmer is the director of the renewable energy research company, microSOLAR, which specializes in microfinance and rural electrification in developing countries. She is an entrepreneur, researcher, and advisor for microfinance and renewable energy to the World Council of Renewable Energy.

She is the author of the 2019 book, “The Marketmakers—Solar for the Hinterland of Bangladesh
and Green Energy for a Billion Poor—How Grameen Shakti Created a Winning Model for Social Business.”

Her other book, “Green Energy for a Billion Poor – How Grameen Shakti Created a Winning Model for Social Business,” describes an innovative and replicable approach to rural electrification. The book also functions as a guide – describing the inner workings of an innovative business model, and showing future entrepreneurs how to duplicate this success.

Nancy has been involved with the Grameen Bank since 1990 and with Grameen Shakti since its inception in 1996. Her work has taken her all over the world – from the rural parts of Bangladesh to Egypt, El Salvador, India, Honduras, Nepal and Peru. She has served German industry as knowledge engineer, lectured and published extensively and has advised investors and entrepreneurs. Nancy is a US citizen, holds a Masters in Philosophy and lives with her family in Munich, Germany.

You can email her at nw@microsolar.com

Articles by Nancy Wimmer

  • Nancy Wimmer

    ‘The Marketmakers’ – How Rural Bangladesh Became a Model for Solar Enterprise

    It took just a decade for more than 15 million villagers to gain access to the benefits of solar home systems in Bangladesh. How did this happen? Nancy Wimmer explains the process in her new book, "The Marketmakers — Solar for the Hinterland of Bangladesh." While Bangladesh's success would be difficult to replicate in other countries, Wimmer is convinced it is not solely determined by a country or product. Rather, she says it stems from a market-oriented approach carried out by rural entrepreneurs, as well as the leadership and resources to see it through.

    Categories
    Energy
    Tags
    energy access, off-grid energy, rural development
  • Nancy Wimmer

    The Next Million: Grameen Shakti – an innovative model for rural energy business

    A small group of people began experimenting how to bring solar electricity to rural Bangladesh and in 1996 started its first rural renewable energy service company – Grameen Shakti – which literally translates to rural energy. The company installed 20 solar systems by the end of 1996, 2,800 systems after a decade of growth, and on Nov. 30, 2012  – 16 years after its launch – installed a total of 1 million solar systems in village homes, schools, clinics and businesses. 

    Categories
    Energy
    Tags
    renewable energy, scale, solar
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