GOGLA REPORT: The Economic Impact of Off-Grid Solar

Powering Opportunity: The Economic Impact of Off-Grid Solar

A new publication from the Global Off-Grid Lighting Association (GOGLA) brings positive news that households using small scale-solar power in East Africa are reporting a rise in economic activity, with improvement in income and job opportunities. These findings demonstrate the economic benefits of off-grid solar power in the developing world.
The report, “Powering Opportunity – The Economic Impact of Off-Grid Solar,” shows that
  • 58% of households with off-grid solar systems undertake more work and enterprise thanks to clean, affordable, electricity.
  • 36% of households now make an average additional $35 per month, more than 50% of monthly GDP per capita.
  • 44% report spending more time working with new light making previously dark hours productive.

It comes as global leaders gather to discuss how to meet the world’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) at the UN’s High Level Political Forum in New York (8-18th July 2018). The group is seeking insight on how to meet SDG’s including SDG7 ‘Ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030’.
Koen Peters, Executive Director of GOGLA said:
“The net economic and social benefits off-grid solar are a huge opportunity for national governments of the developing world. We call on policy makers, treasury and energy departments to work together with off-grid companies, banks and institutions to breakdown barriers to off-grid solar and build a pathway to accelerate energy access.”
Currently, 1 billion people across Africa and Asia have no access to electricity. With falling prices, increased efficiency and financial innovation, such as pay-as-you-go consumer finance, over 120 million people have now shifted from toxic kerosene lamps, candles and diesel generators to clean off-grid solar electricity since 2010.
The research, funded by The UK’s Department for International Development (DfID) and conducted by Altai Consulting, was based on data collected from over 2,300 small-scale pay-as-you-go (PAYG) solar owners in Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda in Spring 2018.
To read the executive summary and download the full report, visit: https://www.gogla.org/powering-opportunity-the-economic-impact-of-off-grid-solar.