Ida Fagerli
About
Background and Research Profile
Ida Fagerli (formerly Ida Fuchs) is an Associate Professor and researcher specializing in local and decentralized energy systems, with particular focus on solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, battery energy storage, energy sharing, and energy communities. Her work combines research, international field experience, and practical expertise from both the public sector and academia.
She holds a Master's degree (Diplom-Ingenieur equivalent) in Industrial Engineering and Electrical Engineering from Technische Universität Chemnitz, Germany (2006), and completed two years of undergraduate studies in Physics at the same institution. Her master's thesis focused on the world's first autonomous wind-hydrogen energy system on Utsira, Norway, where she investigated system stability with particular emphasis on fuel-cell converter operation.
Throughout her career, she has worked with technical solutions in the hydropower sector, conducted research on the integration of large-scale offshore wind power into the Norwegian and Nordic electricity systems, and served as an Energy and Climate Advisor and Project Manager for Trøndelag County Municipality. In these roles, she worked with renewable energy, innovation, and the green energy transition in the public sector.
At NTNU, she also spent several years working as an Innovation Leader, operating at the interface between research, innovation, and societal impact. She facilitated collaboration among researchers, students, industry partners, and public-sector stakeholders, helping translate research results into practical solutions and societal value. This experience has strengthened her interest in bridging the gap between research, innovation, and real-world implementation.
Her current research focuses on local energy systems based on solar PV and battery storage, energy sharing between buildings and users, and energy communities in areas with limited or no grid connection. Her work includes modelling, field studies, and practical implementation of energy solutions for cabins, cabin communities, islands, and remote rural areas.
Ida has conducted research and fieldwork in Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, Bolivia, and Nepal, focusing on energy access, solar energy, and sustainable energy solutions in regions with limited infrastructure.
She is an active member of Engineers Without Borders and has participated in several international projects related to the development and implementation of solar energy solutions.
NTNU Networks and Engagement
- GridVille (Engineers Without Borders Student Initiative) – Mentor
- NTNU Energy, Team Solar – Board member
- NTNU Energy, LMIC – Member
Research
ENERGy access in urban and rural AfrICA
ENERGICA develops energy solutions: nanogrids in rural Madagascar, biogas in peri-urban Freetown, and solar e-mobility in urban Kenya.
Energy Technology Network
A group of African universities collaborate with NTNU under the NORHED II Norad programme, on developing small scale renewable energy solutions for off-grid applications.
Publications
2026
-
Ouanes, N.;
Grandón, Tatiana Carolina Gonzaléz;
Fagerli, Ida;
Gabriel, Steven Adam.
(2026)
Isolated or interconnected? An equilibrium framework for swarm electrification in rural energy planning.
Energy Economics
Academic article
2025
-
Rajasekharan, Jayaprakash;
Midtgård, Ole-Morten;
Cali, Umit;
Valkenburg, Govert;
Fagerli, Ida.
(2025)
Solar home systems and swarm electrification: Decentralized power systems for energy access.
Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Doctoral thesis
2024
-
Bangsund, Audun;
Rummenhoff, Stian;
Fagerli, Ida.
(2024)
Solar PV and Battery Microgrid for Electric Cooking - Case Study Eco Moyo Education Centre in Kenya.
Academic chapter
-
Fagerli, Ida;
Midtgård, Ole-Morten.
(2024)
Improved Modelling of PV Systems with Snow Soiling for Optimized Local Energy Sharing.
Academic chapter
-
Fuchs, Ida;
Rajasekharan, Jayaprakash;
Cali, Umit.
(2024)
Decentralization, decarbonization and digitalization in swarm electrification.
Energy for Sustainable Development
Academic literature review
-
Bertram, Lea;
Fuchs, Ida;
Banuls Ramirez, Victor Andreu;
Crespo del Granado, Pedro Andres;
Balderrama, Sergio.
(2024)
Local electricity market designs for interconnected nanogrids: Impact on rural electrification in Madagascar.
Journal of Cleaner Production
Academic article
-
Fuchs, Ida;
Sanchez-Solis, Claudia;
Balderrama, Sergio;
Valkenburg, Govert.
(2024)
Swarm electrification for Raqaypampa: Impact of different battery control setpoints on energy sharing in interconnected solar homes systems.
Sustainable Energy, Grids and Networks
Academic article
2023
-
Bertram, Lea;
Crespo del Granado, Pedro Andres;
Hashemipour, Seyednaser;
Banuls Ramirez, Victor Andreu;
Fuchs, Ida.
(2023)
Peer-to-Peer Electricity Trading Between Nanogrids in Madagascar.
Academic chapter
-
Fuchs, Ida;
Tørrisplass, Halgrim Ove;
Völler, Steve.
(2023)
Energy Sharing in Solar and Battery Off-Grid Systems with Advanced PV Generation Modelling: A Case Study of Norwegian Cabin Fields.
Academic chapter
-
Dihle, Rikke Enger;
Bakken, Marie;
Fuchs, Ida.
(2023)
Flexibility in Solar and Battery Off-Grid Systems - Case Study Eco Moyo Education Centre in Kenya.
Academic chapter
-
Fuchs, Ida;
Balderrama, Sergio;
Crespo del Granado, Pedro Andres;
Quoilin, Sylvain;
Rajasekharan, Jayaprakash.
(2023)
Surplus energy in solar home systems as driver for bottom-up grids: When grids emerge from the edge.
Academic chapter
-
Fuchs, Ida;
Balderrama, Sergio;
Quoilin, Sylvain;
Crespo del Granado, Pedro Andres;
Rajasekharan, Jayaprakash.
(2023)
Swarm electrification: Harnessing surplus energy in off-grid solar home systems for universal electricity access.
Energy for Sustainable Development
Academic article
2022
-
Hernandez-Matheus, Alejandro;
Löschenbrand, Markus;
Berg, Kjersti;
Fuchs, Ida;
Aragüés-Peñalba, Mònica;
Bullich-Massagué, Eduard;
Sumper, Andreas.
(2022)
A systematic review of machine learning techniques related to local energy communities.
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews
Academic article
-
Fuchs, Ida;
Waitz, Anja Myhre;
Lervik, Kari Thorset;
Völler, Steve;
Midtgård, Ole-Morten;
Rajasekharan, Jayaprakash.
(2022)
Optimal Design and Installation of Solar Home Systems for Bottom-up Grids: Comparative Case Studies from Kenya and Norway.
Academic chapter
2011
-
Fuchs, Ida;
Völler, Steve;
Gjengedal, Terje.
(2011)
Improved Method for Integrating Renewable Energy Sources into the Power System of Northern Europe Transmission Expansion Planning for Wind Power Integration.
Academic chapter
-
Fuchs, Ida;
Gjengedal, Terje.
(2011)
Ant colony optimization and analysis of time step resolution in transmission expansion computations for wind power integration.
Academic chapter
-
Fuchs, Ida;
Völler, Steve;
Gjengedal, Terje.
(2011)
Ant Colony based Transmission Expansion developed for the Nordic Area and Great Britain.
Academic chapter
-
Fuchs, Ida;
Gjengedal, Terje.
(2011)
Transmission Expansion Planning in the Nordic System for Wind Power Integration based on Ant Colony Optimization.
EWEA Offshore 2011
Anthology
Journal publications
-
Ouanes, N.;
Grandón, Tatiana Carolina Gonzaléz;
Fagerli, Ida;
Gabriel, Steven Adam.
(2026)
Isolated or interconnected? An equilibrium framework for swarm electrification in rural energy planning.
Energy Economics
Academic article
-
Fuchs, Ida;
Rajasekharan, Jayaprakash;
Cali, Umit.
(2024)
Decentralization, decarbonization and digitalization in swarm electrification.
Energy for Sustainable Development
Academic literature review
-
Hernandez-Matheus, Alejandro;
Löschenbrand, Markus;
Berg, Kjersti;
Fuchs, Ida;
Aragüés-Peñalba, Mònica;
Bullich-Massagué, Eduard;
Sumper, Andreas.
(2022)
A systematic review of machine learning techniques related to local energy communities.
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews
Academic article
-
Bertram, Lea;
Fuchs, Ida;
Banuls Ramirez, Victor Andreu;
Crespo del Granado, Pedro Andres;
Balderrama, Sergio.
(2024)
Local electricity market designs for interconnected nanogrids: Impact on rural electrification in Madagascar.
Journal of Cleaner Production
Academic article
-
Fuchs, Ida;
Balderrama, Sergio;
Quoilin, Sylvain;
Crespo del Granado, Pedro Andres;
Rajasekharan, Jayaprakash.
(2023)
Swarm electrification: Harnessing surplus energy in off-grid solar home systems for universal electricity access.
Energy for Sustainable Development
Academic article
-
Fuchs, Ida;
Sanchez-Solis, Claudia;
Balderrama, Sergio;
Valkenburg, Govert.
(2024)
Swarm electrification for Raqaypampa: Impact of different battery control setpoints on energy sharing in interconnected solar homes systems.
Sustainable Energy, Grids and Networks
Academic article
Books
-
Fuchs, Ida;
Gjengedal, Terje.
(2011)
Transmission Expansion Planning in the Nordic System for Wind Power Integration based on Ant Colony Optimization.
EWEA Offshore 2011
Anthology
Part of book/report
-
Bangsund, Audun;
Rummenhoff, Stian;
Fagerli, Ida.
(2024)
Solar PV and Battery Microgrid for Electric Cooking - Case Study Eco Moyo Education Centre in Kenya.
Academic chapter
-
Fagerli, Ida;
Midtgård, Ole-Morten.
(2024)
Improved Modelling of PV Systems with Snow Soiling for Optimized Local Energy Sharing.
Academic chapter
-
Bertram, Lea;
Crespo del Granado, Pedro Andres;
Hashemipour, Seyednaser;
Banuls Ramirez, Victor Andreu;
Fuchs, Ida.
(2023)
Peer-to-Peer Electricity Trading Between Nanogrids in Madagascar.
Academic chapter
-
Fuchs, Ida;
Tørrisplass, Halgrim Ove;
Völler, Steve.
(2023)
Energy Sharing in Solar and Battery Off-Grid Systems with Advanced PV Generation Modelling: A Case Study of Norwegian Cabin Fields.
Academic chapter
-
Dihle, Rikke Enger;
Bakken, Marie;
Fuchs, Ida.
(2023)
Flexibility in Solar and Battery Off-Grid Systems - Case Study Eco Moyo Education Centre in Kenya.
Academic chapter
-
Fuchs, Ida;
Balderrama, Sergio;
Crespo del Granado, Pedro Andres;
Quoilin, Sylvain;
Rajasekharan, Jayaprakash.
(2023)
Surplus energy in solar home systems as driver for bottom-up grids: When grids emerge from the edge.
Academic chapter
-
Fuchs, Ida;
Völler, Steve;
Gjengedal, Terje.
(2011)
Improved Method for Integrating Renewable Energy Sources into the Power System of Northern Europe Transmission Expansion Planning for Wind Power Integration.
Academic chapter
-
Fuchs, Ida;
Gjengedal, Terje.
(2011)
Ant colony optimization and analysis of time step resolution in transmission expansion computations for wind power integration.
Academic chapter
-
Fuchs, Ida;
Völler, Steve;
Gjengedal, Terje.
(2011)
Ant Colony based Transmission Expansion developed for the Nordic Area and Great Britain.
Academic chapter
-
Fuchs, Ida;
Waitz, Anja Myhre;
Lervik, Kari Thorset;
Völler, Steve;
Midtgård, Ole-Morten;
Rajasekharan, Jayaprakash.
(2022)
Optimal Design and Installation of Solar Home Systems for Bottom-up Grids: Comparative Case Studies from Kenya and Norway.
Academic chapter
Student thesis or dissertation
-
Rajasekharan, Jayaprakash;
Midtgård, Ole-Morten;
Cali, Umit;
Valkenburg, Govert;
Fagerli, Ida.
(2025)
Solar home systems and swarm electrification: Decentralized power systems for energy access.
Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Doctoral thesis
Teaching
Courses
Lectures and teaching
- Toolbox for Innovation (3 crash course + intro and exit)
- Spring 2021 course teacher for TET4853 - Solar and Storage – Digital Electrical Energy for Emerging Countries and Future Power Systems
- Spring 2019 guest lecture in TET4175 - Design and operation of smart grid power systems, with titel: Utsira microgrid and grid stability aspects
- Spring 2019 guest lecture in TET4850 Experts in team – Energy challenges for a sustainable future, with titel: Solar energy in emerging markets - rural electrification
- Spring 2018 guest lecture in TET4175 - Design and operation of smart grid power systems, with titel: Utsira microgrid and grid stability aspects
Supervision
Supervisor for project and master thesis
- Spenningsregulerende tiltak ved integrasjon av solkraft i lavspent distribusjonsnett: Analyse av solkraftintegrasjon og alternative nettiltak i utvalgte lavspentkretser i Gudbrandsdalen, 2025/2026 (co-supervisor)
- Planning and operation of grid-connected solar PV-battery systems in rural East Africa under weak-grid conditions, 2025/2026 (main supervisor and field trip mentor)
- Identifying Optimal Conditions for Electrification Through Swarm Grids: An Application to Sub-Saharan African Contexts, 2026 (co-supervisor)
- Designing a cost-effective telecommunication system for nanogrids in rural environments, 2024/2024 (innovations advisor)
- Optimization of PV–Battery Systems for Rural Health Facilities with Surplus Utilization by Electric Motorcycles, 2025 at UiT, (co-supervisor and field trip mentor)
- Dynamic Optimization of Microgrid with Reversible Fuel Cell and Lithium Ion Battery, 2023/2024 (co-supervisor)
- Power Flow Models for Swarm Electrification - A Case Study in Rural Kenya, 2023/2024 (main supervisor and mentor for field trip)
- Local Electricity Market Design for Peer-to-Peer Trading between Interconnected Nanogrids in Madagascar, 2023 at HTW, (co-supervisor)
- Flexibility in Solar and Battery Off-grid Systems: Case Study Eco Moyo in Kenya, 2022/2023 (main supervisor and mentor for field trips)
- Modelling Norwegian off-grid cabin fields as local energy communities 2022/2023 (main supervisor)
- Off-Grid Microgrid Design Consideration for Rural Electrification 2022/2023 (co-supervisor)
- Connecting Prosumer Households in a Local Energy Community for Improved Energy Balancing - An Agent-Based Simulation Model 2021/2022 (co-supervisor)
- Techno-Economic Analysis of Rural Microgrid at Eco Moyo Education Centre in Kenya 2021/2022 (co-supervisor and mentor for field trip)
Outreach
2024
-
Conference posterBangsund, Audun; Rummelhoff, Stian; Fagerli, Ida. (2024) Solar PV and Battery Microgrid for Electric Cooking - Case Study Eco Moyo Education Centre in Kenya. EU PVSEC 2024
-
Conference posterFagerli, Ida; Midtgård, Ole-Morten. (2024) Improved Modelling of PV Systems with Snow Soiling for Optimized Local Energy Sharing. EU PVSEC 2024
2023
-
Conference posterDihle, Rikke Enger; Bakken, Marie; Fuchs, Ida. (2023) Flexibility in Solar and Battery Off-Grid Systems - Case Study Eco Moyo Education Centre in Kenya. EU PVSEC 2023
-
Conference posterFuchs, Ida; Tørrisplass, Halgrim Ove; Völler, Steve. (2023) Energy Sharing in Solar and Battery Off-Grid Systems with Advanced PV Generation Modelling: A Case Study of Norwegian Cabin Fields. EU PVSEC 2023
2022
-
Conference posterFuchs, Ida; Waitz, Anja Myhre; Lervik, Kari Thorset; Midtgård, Ole-Morten; Völler, Steve; Rajasekharan, Jayaprakash. (2022) Optimal Design and Installation of Solar Home Systems for Bottom-up Grids: Comparative Case Studies from Kenya and Norway. 8th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion
-
Feature article
2021
-
Contribution to radio or TV
-
Feature article
-
Interview
-
Interview
-
Feature article
2019
-
Lecture
-
LectureFuchs, Ida. (2019) Electricity from your neighbor - Solar and Blockchain - A spooky future scenario?. Klimafestivalen 2019
2011
-
Conference lectureFuchs, Ida; Gjengedal, Terje. (2011) Ant colony optimization and analysis of time step resolution in transmission expansion computations for wind power integration. International Conference on Intelligent System Application to Power Systems
-
Conference posterFuchs, Ida. (2011) Transmission Expansion Planning in the Nordic System for Wind Power Integration based on Ant Colony Optimization. EWEA Offshore 2011