Recording of Wednesday, May 07, 2025 | The smarter E Europe Conferences 2025 | Conference Program | Language: English | Duration: 9:21 .

German Ministry Highlights Importance of International Partnerships in Global Energy Transition and Off-Grid Solutions

The speaker, acknowledging their lack of expertise in off-grid energy solutions, seeks to learn from the experts present and emphasizes the relevance of this topic for international cooperation. They highlight three main reasons why clean energy is crucial: it benefits people by driving prosperity and health; it's beneficial for the planet due to its environmental impact; and it fosters global partnerships essential for a successful energy transition. The speaker notes that renewable energies now dominate new capacity installations with solar power leading this growth, reflecting an ongoing silent revolution in global energy systems. To support this transformation, they stress collaboration between governments and private sectors across three areas: financial investment—where regulatory environments must attract private capital as public funds alone are insufficient; technological innovation—which thrives within the private sector's capabilities; and job creation—with most employment opportunities emerging through private enterprises especially in developing regions. Off-grid systems particularly enhance livelihoods by providing reliable access to critical services like education and healthcare where traditional grid connections are impractical or costly. Finally, they express enthusiasm about upcoming projects aimed at scaling these efforts globally while emphasizing continuous learning from current initiatives.

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Speaker

Benjamin Knödler
Head of Private Sector Engagement
BMZ - Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
Germany

Talk of session: Off-Grid: When Will Off-Grid PV Follow the Affordability Trend?

Photovoltaic prices have fallen continuously in recent years - a trend that should translate into a growing market for off-grid solutions. Declining costs are crucial for rural electrification in particular, making sustainable energy supply economically viable in remote regions. However, so far many of these price advantages have not yet reached the people that need them most. Do existing framework conditions to foster rural electrification still work in this new market reality? Which measures are needed to ensure that cost reductions reach our target group? This session discusses strategies for improving the availability of low-cost off-grid solutions, financing and innovative business models. A look at successful practical examples shows which political, economic and technological levers need to be pulled to make off-grid PV accessible on a large scale.

Further Talks of this session:

Welcome

Speaker

Lea Dunst
International Project Manager
BSW - German Solar Association
Germany

To Talk

Setting the Scene "Affodability"

Speaker

Rethabile Melamu
CEO
South African Photovoltaic Industry Association
South Africa

To Talk

Setting the Scene "Off-Grid"

Speaker

Jean Basson
Managing Director
eavion

To Talk

Panel Discussion

Speaker

To Talk

Q&A with the Audience

Video is not available.

Send Off

Speaker

Lea Dunst
International Project Manager
BSW - German Solar Association
Germany

Video is not available.