Our Innovation Analysts recently looked into emerging technologies and up-and-coming startups working on innovative solutions for the energy sector. As there is a large number of startups working on a wide variety of solutions, we want to share our insights with you. This time, you will discover 5 promising startups developing off-grid energy solutions.
Heat Map: 5 Top Off-Grid Energy Startups
Using our StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering 1.379.000+ startups & scaleups globally, we looked at innovation in the field of energy technologies. For this research, we identified 175 relevant solutions and picked 5 to showcase below. These companies were chosen based on a data-driven startup scouting approach, taking into account factors such as location, founding year, and relevance of technology, among others. Depending on your specific criteria, the top picks might look entirely different.
The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights 5 startups & scaleups developing innovative off-grid energy solutions. Moreover, the Heat Map reveals regions that observe a high startup activity and illustrates the geographic distribution of all 175 companies we analyzed for this specific topic.
Winch Energy – Off-Grid Energy for Remote Locations
Off-grid energy generation offers multiple benefits for remote regions globally, and especially in developing nations. Up-and-coming energy technologies that enable wide-spread rural electrification in a rapid, modular, and cost-effective manner encourage remote towns and villages to adopt self-sustaining solutions. Startups and scaleups develop off-grid energy generation and storage solutions for improving the standard of living in rural regions.
British startup Winch Energy develops Remote Power Unit (RPU), a proprietary off-grid energy generation technology. Winch Energy’s portfolio includes a large range of RPUs that provides off-grid solutions for medium- to large-scale commercial and industrial applications. The setup is customizable to support distribution networks and metering. The models of the RPU range from 500 kWp up to 4 MWp, with a range of sizes in between. The startup offers one model with solar PV and battery storage while the second model includes an integrated diesel generator as well. The startup also offers end-to-end energy generation monitoring with the help of its cloud-based Winch Dashboard.
SOLHO – Off-Grid Energy for Horticulture
Many regions in the world heavily rely on agriculture for their livelihood. Access to basic resources, such as water and energy to run farms, still requires the support of the grid. However, many food-producing regions in the world face electricity shortages which raise costs and hinders the efforts of farmers. Technologies such as photovoltaics (PV) and atmospheric water generators (AWG) assist farmers to reduce their dependence on the grid and become more self-reliant. Startups and scaleups develop off-grid energy solutions to encourage sustainable farming – even in remote locations.
Dutch startup SOLHO provides its Solar PoweRed Horticultural Off-grid Unit (SPHROUT), to power greenhouse farming. The startup uses a thermal energy storage unit to store the solar energy generated by the panels. The greenhouses then utilize the stored thermal energy for heating, cooling, and electricity. SPHROUT is scalable, ensures independence from the grid, and significantly reduces operating expenses for farmers.
Solarym Energy – Commercial Off-Grid Energy Systems
Off-grid renewable energy solutions provide a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. For example, off-grid solar plants provide the required energy to run a commercial production facility in remote areas. This reduces the pressure on the grid and lowers overall energy costs. Off-grid renewables also deliver a wide spectrum of electricity services for commercial use as well as households and public services. Startups engineer, procure and construct off-grid energy generation plants to improve sustainability and reduce overall energy costs for cut-off public and commercial establishments.
British startup Solarym Energy offers ground-mounted photovoltaic plants for commercial and industrial use. The startup designs the size of the installation depending on the customer’s requirement. The solution has a wide range of applications including power generation for remote hospitals and schools. These solutions integrate seamlessly with a battery, a controller, and a charge and discharge circuit. The startup also provides automatic safeguards against overcharge, discharge, and overload, as well as short circuit, reverse charging, and reverse connection issues.
BoxPower – Containerized Solar Solutions
Natural disasters cause severe power outages in affected regions and require emergency support and aid. The energy requirements to outfit such large-scale rescue operations require off-grid solutions since the main grid in such locations are likely to be non-operational or unsafe for operations. Startups develop off-grid energy solutions to assist in disaster recovery and to act as the emergency energy backup during tough situations.
The US-based startup BoxPower manufactures modular microgrids as an alternative to diesel generators. The startup offers containerized solar energy systems that are capable of generating 3.5kW to over 22kW per container. BoxPower also uses pre-wired solar arrays, inverters, and outlets for plug-and-play use. The startup’s solution is equipped with a battery and a backup generator, as well as an integrated PV racking system mounted on a 20 feet cargo container. BoxPower systems are also fully automated and allow for remote monitoring and control of off-grid commercial operations, including light mining and telecommunication.
Fern Tech – Monitoring & Controlling Off-Grid Energy Systems
Advancements in solar and wind enable the global transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy. However, unlike conventional power generation, renewables are more portable and require several distributed systems to work together. By using software and monitoring systems, energy companies and utilities are able to execute centralized control, proactive maintenance, and cybersecurity for multiple off-grid energy assets. Startups develop monitoring and control systems that enable the remote access and control of off-grid energy systems.
German startup Fern Tech creates a remote monitoring and control solution for off-grid energy systems. The startup’s solution is hardware agnostic and utilizes proprietary control algorithms to connect multiple off-grid energy assets. This information is later available for users on a web-based dashboard. Fern Tech uses customer-specific control algorithms to maximize system lifespan. These algorithms also help manage power fluctuations arising from variations in supply and demand.
What About The Other 170 Solutions?
While we believe data is key to creating insights it can be easy to be overwhelmed by it. Our ambition is to create a comprehensive overview and provide actionable innovation intelligence and enable you to achieve your goals faster. The 5 off-grid energy solutions showcased above are promising examples out of 175 we analyzed for this article. To identify the most relevant solutions based on your specific criteria, get in touch.
