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INSPIRADOR SOLUTIONS
Energy Access • Community Development • Stakeholder Engagement
"Inspirador [Spanish]: a person who inspires others"
Inspirador Solutions draws upon more than three decades of experience in energy, environmental management, international development and community engagement.
Founded by Ken Robertson, Inspirador focuses on practical approaches to energy and community development, particularly where technology, local knowledge and partnerships can improve essential services and create economic opportunity.
Ken's career has taken him from remote communities in Latin America, Africa and Asia to major Canadian energy and infrastructure projects. That experience has shaped a practical approach to sustainable development: understand the community and the problem first, then determine where technology, partnerships and investment can make a meaningful difference.
Ken Robertson, MEDes, MBA
- • Co-Founder, Light Up The World
- • Instructor, Renewable Energy Technologies, University of Alberta
- • Industry Advisor, MSc Sustainable Energy Development, University of Calgary
Ken Robertson is an energy and international development professional, educator and Co-Founder of Light Up The World (LUTW).
In the early 2000s, Ken helped transform the pioneering work that became Light Up The World into a registered Canadian charitable organization capable of developing and delivering projects internationally. As Co-Founder and Executive Director from 2001 to 2007, Ken helped establish LUTW's organizational structure, governance, fundraising, partnerships and international project framework.
LUTW became an early pioneer in using highly efficient white LED lighting with small renewable energy systems to provide practical energy services in communities beyond the conventional electricity grid. The work demonstrated an idea that continues to influence Ken today: start with what people need, rather than with the technology.
Extremely efficient lighting meant that a relatively small solar system could provide a meaningful service to a household. From that beginning, Ken's work expanded into solar photovoltaic systems, micro-hydro, community facilities, education, communications and other applications of renewable energy.
LUTW projects and partnerships took Ken into communities across Asia, Africa and Latin America and helped establish his long-standing involvement in Peru.
Peru and the Amazon
Peru became an important part of Ken's work during the early development of Light Up The World. Working with Peruvian organizations, Indigenous representatives and local partners, LUTW developed renewable energy projects serving remote communities, including Indigenous communities in the Peruvian Amazon.
Those experiences demonstrated that delivering equipment is only one part of a successful project. Community participation, trusted local organizations, logistics, training, maintenance, financing and an understanding of local priorities can be just as important as the technology itself.
More than twenty years later, Ken continues to work with professional, Indigenous, educational and development partners in Peru. Current areas of interest include distributed renewable energy, communications, refrigeration and cold storage, productive uses of energy, community enterprise and technologies that can improve essential services and economic opportunities in remote communities.
From Community Energy to Major Energy Projects
Ken's professional experience also extends well beyond international development. He has worked in environmental management, sustainability, regulatory compliance and stakeholder engagement on major Canadian energy and infrastructure projects.
At WorleyParsons Canada, his work included leadership of the EcoNomics sustainability practice as well as environmental and social work associated with major LNG and oil sands developments. His experience has included environmental management planning, environmental and social risk, regulatory requirements, stakeholder and Indigenous engagement, environmental auditing, waste management and sustainability assessment.
Earlier and subsequent roles have included consulting and project work in environmental management, auditing, greenhouse gas verification, renewable energy and community development. This combination gives Inspirador an unusual perspective. Ken has worked at both ends of the energy spectrum: from very small energy systems serving individual households in remote communities to some of Canada's largest energy developments.
Inspirador does not approach renewable and conventional energy as abstract competing ideas. The emphasis is on understanding what is appropriate for the circumstances, what benefits it can provide, and how projects can be developed responsibly.
What Inspirador Does
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The Inspirador Approach
Inspirador is built around a few straightforward ideas. Tap the principles below to see the insights driving them.
Ken's career has crossed international development, renewable energy, conventional energy, environmental management, education and community engagement.
Inspirador Solutions brings those experiences together to help develop practical projects and partnerships that can make a difference.
Organizations and Institutions
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Field Experience Gallery
Ken Robertson
Founder, Inspirador Solutions
I am an energy systems and community development professional with experience spanning conventional oil and gas, energy transition, and distributed renewable energy systems. I currently serve as an Instructor in the University of Alberta Renewable Energy Technology Certificate Program, where I teach stakeholder engagement and renewable energy project economics.
I am Co-Founder of Light Up The World (LUTW), an early pioneer in off-grid energy access. I conceived and developed the organization as part of my graduate work and helped build it into an internationally recognized initiative delivering practical energy solutions across multiple countries, raising over $4 million to support global deployment. This work contributed to the early adoption of solid-state lighting and the development of integrated village-scale energy systems in remote regions.
My career has also included senior roles on major Canadian energy infrastructure projects, including LNG and oil sands developments, where I led environmental, social, and regulatory work, including Indigenous engagement and Impact Benefit Agreements.
Alongside this, I have worked extensively in Latin America, supporting Indigenous communities in developing practical energy solutions, including solar-powered refrigeration and productive-use systems that support livelihoods, health, and local enterprise.
I have a longstanding interest in conservation and the protection of vulnerable ecosystems, including aquatic and marine environments. This reflects both my early experience as a commercial diver and my ongoing commitment to linking energy, community development, and environmental stewardship.
I am particularly interested in roles and initiatives that integrate conventional and renewable energy systems, strengthen community partnerships, and deliver practical, scalable solutions across both industrial and emerging market contexts.
My Mission
In 2000, I co-founded a clean energy and technology transfer organization that gained international recognition and received numerous awards for its innovative approach to technical, social, and economic challenges. As CEO, I led the design and management of various clean energy projects in off-grid regions across North America, South America, Asia, and Africa.
My journey has been shaped by hands-on experiences in remote and isolated communities facing significant challenges. Through my work, I have demonstrated that clean energy technologies can play a crucial role in community development and help those affected by energy poverty realize their potential.
Affordable and reliable electricity generated from solar and micro-hydro installations provides essential resources for education, livelihoods, and improved security. These energy solutions revitalize communities, empower local leaders, and enable women and girls to pursue their practical and strategic interests.
While energy access alone cannot eradicate poverty, it serves as a vital catalyst for integrating social, economic, technical, and governance interventions that address the diverse needs of communities experiencing various forms of poverty.
I am passionate about designing and implementing transformative technologies in underserved areas. I have developed an Energy Poverty Curriculum that I have shared with schools across Canada, mentoring students in public, private, and Indigenous institutions through classes, workshops, and competitions. My collaborative design work with university students from institutions like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and the University of Calgary has led to the establishment of impactful initiatives, including DLight, STAR EcoWorks energy systems, Crystal Electronics, and Pico Power Nepal.
My efforts have been pioneering and transformative. The organizations I have founded or supported have opened doors for subsequent enterprises, international agencies, and NGOs to incorporate community power systems into their development strategies. Addressing energy poverty is essential for human development and unlocking potential. Reliable renewable energy access for underserved communities is critical for enhancing social outcomes and protecting the environment.
This is My Mission.
Ken Robertson
Founder
Inspirador Solutions