Dr. Natalia Realpe Carrillo
Fellow
Natalia holds a PhD Degree in access to energy from the Institute of Energy Engineering (TU Berlin) and a Master Degree in Industrial and Network Economics of TU Berlin. Natalia has worked for around 9 years in the field of microfinance as senior project manager and energy consultant at MicroEnergy International GmbH. In 2018, she launched HEDERA (officially established in 2020), aimed at transferring her doctoral research results - the Progress out of Energy Poverty Index (PEPI) Toolkit for the microfinance sector - into the private sector and further develop and offer digital tools for the impact investment sector. With HEDERA, Natalia was awarded the EXIST grant (2018), the Gründerwettbewerb Digitiale Innovationen (2019), and selected for the Green Startup Program of the Deutsche Bundestiftung Umwelt (DBU) in 2020. With a strong background on impact assessment, tools development, evaluations design and a large network in the sector, she delivers trainings, leads studies and initiate multi-sectorial collaborations for projects development and research. Natalia is co-head of the Green Inclusive and Climate Smart Action Group of the European Microfinance Platform, short-term lecturer at the Pan African University Institute of Water and Energy Sciences - Masters in Energy Policy and at the TU Berlin Campus El Gouna - Masters in Business Energy Engineering.
Blog Posts
- Seeking Optimism in the Off-Grid Renewable Energy Sector – What Key Stakeholders Say
- Partnerships and Networks to Strengthen North-South and South-South Interventions
- An opportunity to transform the Argentinean energy system
- Energy Access, Water, Sanitation, and Food Security in Rural Areas: Insights from Rwanda
- Since January 2020: Co-Head of the Action Group "Green Inclusive and Climate Smart Finance", European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP)
- Since October 2018: CEO of HEDERA Sustainable Solutions GmbH (established in 2020), Berlin & Potsdam
- 2011 - 2018: Consultant and Project Manager at MicroEnergy International, Berlin
- 2010: Coordinator of Impact Evaluation at IMIFAP (Mexican Institute for Research on Family and Population), Mexico City
- 2012 - 2018: PhD Candidate, Institute for Energy Engineering, TU Berlin
- 2007 - 2010: Master in Industrial and Network Economics, TU Berlin
- Access to energy in rural areas
- Access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene
- Digital technologies for impact assessment
- Financial inclusion
Publications at the RIFS
Publications prior to joining the RIFS
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Realpe Carrillo, N., Wagner, L., Diaz-Durana, A., Caiazzo, A. (2019) A Decentralized Approach for Assessing Energy Access at the Household Level to Monitor and Maximize the Impact of Inclusive Finance Towards SDG7. Research Meets Microfinance. Semaine Africaine de la Microfinance 2019
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Realpe Carrillo, N (2017) PhD. Assessment of Household Energy Access: The Progress out of Energy Poverty Index (PEPI) Toolkit for the Microfinance Sector. Doctoral Dissertation. Energy Engineering Institute, TU Berlin. http://dx.doi.org/10.14279/depositonce-6146
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van der Straeten, J., Groh, S., Pelz, S., Batteiger, A., Kirchhoff, H., Realpe Carrillo, N., Schäfer, M. (2016) From dualism to convergence - A research agenda for energy access. Environmental Research Letters (ZTG Publications)
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Realpe Carrillo, N. (2016), CASE STUDY: Analysis of Energy Access for the Development of a Progress out of Energy Poverty Index (PEPI) for the Microfinance Industry - Field Research at CONTACTAR, Colombia, Publications UMM (in press)
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Pierantozzi, A., Allet, M., Forcella, D., Huybrechs, F., Moauro, A., Realpe C., N., Jan Schuite, G., Spaggiari, L. (2015) Assessing Green Microfinance: Qualitative and Quantitative Indicators for Measuring Environmental Performance, MIX Market
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Realpe Carrillo, N., Kahlen, L., Dumitrescu, R. (2015), Implementing a Green Microfinance Strategy: The Case of CONTACTAR, Proceedings of MES 2015 Micro Perspectives for Decentralized Energy Supply, Bangalore, BMS College of Engineering
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Realpe Carrillo, N., Kahlen, L., Daykova, M. (2015) Developing Innovative Financial Inclusion Mechanisms by Fostering Green Microfinance - The Case of Two Ethiopian MFIs, Proceedings, African Microfinance Week, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso 2015
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Realpe Carrillo, N. (2015) How to Scale Up Green Micro finance? A Comparative Study of Energy Lending in Peru. Groh S, Straeten J, Edlefsen-Lasch B, Gershenson D, Leal Filho W & Kammen DM (eds.) Decentralized Solutions for Developing Economies - Addressing Energy Poverty Through Innovation. Springer Proceedings in Energy. 2015, XXIV. ISBN 978-3-319-15964-5
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Realpe Carrillo, N. (2013) A Practitioner's Outlook on the Debate, Why Green Microfinance, and if so, How?, UMM Thematic paper, UMM Workshop on `New Challenges for Microfinance: Mobile Banking, Remittances and Green Finance'
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Palomares, C. and Realpe, N. (2012), Sustainable Market. Microfinance and Energy Promoting Access to Renewable Energy, AMARAY Energy and Development for Rural Areas, Energizing Development/GIZ, Peru (Nov. 2012)
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Acevedo, J., Barrios, R., Ramirez, C., and Realpe, N. (2009), Engineers and Their Role in Public Policy: an Active Learning Experience for Enhancing the Understanding of the State, European Journal of Engineering Education, Vol. 34 (2009), pp. 171-182
- SS 2020: TU Berlin Campus El Gouna, "Information Technology in the Microfinance Sphere of the Energy Access Market"
- Jan 2020: Panafrican University of Water and Energy Sciences (PAUWES), Tlemcen, Algeria, "Rural Energy Supply"
- Oct 2019: Clubes de Ciencia, "Ideas to electrify your mind' (for secondary school kids)
- SS 2019: TU Berlin Campus El Gouna, "Energy Entrepreneurship for Developing Countries"
- Top50 Startups für-gründer.de (2019)
- Startup competition "Digital Innovations" (Team HEDERA) 2019
- Exist Business Grant (Team HEDERA) 2018-2019
- Co-Head of the Action Group “Green Inclusive and Climate Smart Finance Action Group” of the European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP)
- Member of the Action Group “From Research to Practice” of the European Microfinance Platform