Off-grid televisions represent a major emerging commercial opportunity, but high upfront cost and low-quality products remain a barrier to an accelerated market development
Televisions unlock significant social and economic impacts in rural communities – acting as a conduit for unavailable national and global information, serving as an income-generating appliance for many business owners and entrepreneurs, and bringing about positive changes in well-being.
TVs are among the most desired appliances for households and businesses in off- and weak-grid areas. However, the market for off- and weak-grid appropriate TVs is inhibited by the average customer’s inability to pay and a limited pool of component suppliers. The interplay between cost and efficiency is key: recent estimates suggest that with efficiency and design improvements, the annual global market for off-grid-compatible TVs could more than triple—from 1 to 3.1 billion USD—while also reducing costs.
Scaling highly energy efficient televisions in the global off-grid appliance market can unlock product innovations while significantly increasing the market penetration of off-grid power systems.
Past Competitions
The Global LEAP Awards incentivise innovation and identify best-in-class televisions that are compatible with small-scale off-grid solar energy systems. Global LEAP Awards winning off-grid televisions can help meet increased demand and accelerate growth for solar household systems.
In 2014, the inaugural Global LEAP Awards identified best-in class off-grid televisions. Since then, two additional rounds of the Global LEAP Awards Off-Grid Television competitions have taken place, with industry engagement growing each successive round. As the global off-grid television market becomes more established, increased saturation of quality assured and highly energy efficient products are critical for the market to thrive. That is because high-quality off-grid TVs create demand for clean energy systems, while energy efficient TVs reduce energy supply costs and maximize the usefulness of every unit of energy generated by clean energy systems including solar home systems and mini-grids.
Winners and Finalists of the Off-Grid Television Global LEAP Awards were identified through a combination of testing by accredited laboratories for their energy performance, quality and reliability, and an evaluation by a panel of off-grid market experts. A complete of list of Winners and Finalists of the 2013-14, 2015-16 and 2016-17 Global LEAP Off-Grid Television Competitions – including product performance data and sales contact information – can be found in the Global LEAP Off-Grid Television Buyer’s Guides.
