News
Today marks the start of the Global Off-Grid Solar Forum and Expo, a three-day event held biennially where 600+ key industry stakeholders are gathering to take stock of progress and discuss future trends in the off-grid solar sector. ESMAP is a key sponsor of the event, which is organized by GOGLA and the IFC-World Bank Lighting Global program.
The event comes at a time in which the industry is seeing remarkable growth. Globally, 130 million life-changing solar products have been sold since 2010, as reported in the newly-released 2018 Off-Grid Solar Market Trends Report, funded by ESMAP. The sector now serves over 360 million people across the developing world, around 17% of the global potential market, and has generated USD 3.9 billion in cumulative revenue over the last eight years.
“Over the last decade, a concerted global effort has created a market for off-grid solar products, demonstrating that off-grid solutions can complement sustained grid electrification efforts to accelerate the rate of energy access,” explains Riccardo Puliti, Senior Director for the Energy & Extractives Global Practice at the World Bank.
Bringing together 600+ key stakeholders from across the industry’s value chain, such as policy-makers, investors, donors, manufacturers, distributors, the event provides a vital platform for dialogue and debate about the opportunities and challenges facing the sector. In addition, over 50 companies will showcase their latest off-grid solar innovations at the industry’s largest exhibition. A full agenda for the event can be found here.
Rohit Khanna, ESMAP Manager who officially opened the event on behalf of Mr. Puliti addressed the event’s participants by stressing the importance of the collective efforts in ensuring the success of the off-grid solar industry. He also highlighted the World Bank and ESMAP’s commitment in helping countries expand electricity access and improve services in a sustainable manner by supporting both grid and off-grid systems, while working to reach the poorest communities.