Global Off-Grid Solar Forum & Expo 2020 concludes with renewed commitment by stakeholders

Over 1,250 participants from the leading off-grid solar energy companies, governments, development partners, and investors attended the Global Off-Grid Solar Forum & Expo held this week in Nairobi, Kenya. The stakeholders acknowledged the need for further growth in the off-grid solar market. The renewed commitment will accelerate progress towards universal access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy by 2030.

The participants called for more investments and collaborations to reach 840 million people who still live without electricity and another estimated 1 billion people who live with weak grid connections, according to the Off-Grid Solar Market Trends Report released at the outset of the meeting.

The conference dialogue was built around the findings of the report which was a joint Lighting Global-GOGLA initiative. The report said that over 420 million people are benefitting from the off-grid solar energy and the sector has grown into USD 1.75 billion annual market.

The conference consisted of more than 40 interactive sessions on the challenges like achieving financial sustainability, enhancing value for customers, that the sector faces. During the sessions, experts debated on how these challenges can be turned into opportunities. Follow our Live Discourse by clicking here to get more detailed updates about the sessions.

Along with GOGLA and the World Bank Group's Lighting Global, this year’s event was co-hosted by the Kenyan government through the Ministry of Energy and was officially opened by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Over 85 exhibitors showcased their products and services at the event, highlighting off-grid solar as a powerful tool to reduce CO2 emissions, improve health and education, create jobs and income opportunities, helping consumers save money and improving their quality of life.