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Key Takeaways from the 2024 Humanitarian Energy Conference and the Global Off-Grid Solar Forum & Expo

Efficiency for Access unpacks key takeaways and industry trends from one of the leading events of the off-grid solar sector.

From 7 to 10 October 2024, Efficiency for Access joined global leaders and innovators in Nairobi, Kenya, for two events: the Humanitarian Energy Conference and the Global Off-Grid Solar Forum and Expo (GOGSFE).

The Humanitarian Energy Conference took place on 7 October and emphasised the crucial role of cross-sector partnerships in energy, health, and infrastructure to sustainably address both development and humanitarian needs. Convened by the Global Platform for Action (GPA) under the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the conference brought together more than 300 stakeholders to explore how innovative collaboration can respond to emerging challenges.

Over the next three days, the Efficiency for Access team also participated in GOGSFE, where major players in the off-grid solar sector—from policymakers to smallholder farmers—once again came together to share ideas, tackle sector challenges, and explore trends. Efficiency for Access sponsored the attendance of 20 locally led companies, and our team members moderated and spoke in several panel discussions across the main sessions.

From informal conversations with colleagues and partners at our Efficiency for Access and Design Challenge booths to formal, thought-provoking discussions on the stage, here are our team’s key takeaways from the Forum:

Key Learnings and Industry Trends

There is still an urgent need for innovative funding:

  • There are many promising pilot programmes and companies that are primed to expand, but the funding is not there. Even profitable and established companies mentioned a notable absence of investors in the sector.
  • Companies need more targeted grants, small ticket loans, and customised technical assistance (TA). TA providers discussed how to adjust their offerings to strengthen companies towards investor readiness. This aligns with findings from the Efficiency for Access report, “Leave No One Behind: Bridging the Energy Access Gap with Innovative Solutions”, which highlights funding support needed at each stage for off-grid solar companies to scale sustainably.
  • Smart subsidies will be essential to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7. GOGLA’s Off-grid Solar Market Trends Report estimates that an investment of USD $21 billion is needed to provide Tier 1 systems to the currently unelectrified population, half of which would need to take the form of subsidies to close the affordability gap.

New technologies and business models are entering the sector:

  • The evolution of the e-mobility sector’s increasing participation was inspiring to see. Notably, Ampersand and Agsol have teamed up to start testing the delivery of mobile-enabled milling services.
  • Stakeholders proposed the Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) model as an innovative approach to leave no one behind. SolarAid, Moon, and Easy Solar have teamed up to launch the Rural Energy Access Lab (REAL) to test and refine the EaaS model.
  • Remote monitoring is expanding beyond its initial PAYGo use. This technology is beginning to provide predictive maintenance, consumer insights, and carbon credit tracking. This innovation, spurred by advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning, is becoming increasingly widespread across the off-grid solar sector, especially for higher tier systems.

There is an obviously increased focus on productive uses of energy, with a keen interest in cooling:

  • Larger-scale equipment appeared for the first time. This was the first GOGSFE in which productive uses of energy, and notably larger-scale equipment like walk-in cold rooms, were on display and fully integrated into the conference sessions. Our recently released report, “Leave No One Behind: Bridging the Energy Access Gap with Innovative Off-Grid Solutions,” which spotlights several productive use appliances, estimates that 159 million off-grid solar fans, water pumps, refrigerators, and grain mills are needed to serve people who lack access to the grid; however, only 2% of this demand is currently being met. Continued focus on productive uses of energy is necessary to increase this demand.
  • There is a growing interest in the cooling space. Many cooling companies were present at the Expo, and the Efficiency for Access agricultural cold chain session drew over 70 participants. While there is growing recognition of the importance of efficient cooling solutions in agriculture, the session also highlighted the challenge of identifying and deploying cooling solutions in commercially viable contexts.

There is renewed momentum around the topic of repair, with several sessions focused on exploring solutions to the growing solar e-waste challenge: 

  • There is an urgent and identified need for manufacturers to make spare parts available to distributors closer to the end users, as well as evolve towards more repairable design through interoperability of common parts. Efficiency for Access formally launched the Technical Working Groups to steer appliance Repair Index design.

The off-grid solar sector is growing and offers promising opportunity for an expanding workforce!

  • There were old friends, but also many new faces, indicating an influx of new people coming into the sector, as well as new companies and conveners. The discussions and proposed solutions felt fresh and gave a clear signal that the sector will continue to support job creation if properly supported.
  • There is a need to align the goal of universal energy access with investments in human capital. Currently, there is a mismatch between the supply and demand for green jobs. Many new entrants to the labor force, however, remain underutilised due to low awareness and insufficient skills. Our Green Jobs for Rural Youth report emphasises that an ecosystem approach is necessary.

Discussions at the Humanitarian Energy Conference underscored the urgent need for innovative energy solutions in displacement settings:

  • Local entrepreneurs illustrated that there is both awareness of, and demand for, modern energy services in displacement settings, suggesting the potential for a thriving market for efficient appliances. A central theme that emerged from the day was the importance of recognising refugees and displaced communities as active participants in local economies rather than solely as beneficiaries.

Both the Humanitarian Energy Conference and the Off-Grid Solar Forum and Expo were eye-opening gatherings where innovators in the sector exchanged ideas and visions to help transform lives and the planet. Efficiency for Access looks forward to contributing to this impactful sector and forming cross-collaborative partnerships to help advance energy access for all.