Recording of Wednesday, May 07, 2025 | The smarter E Europe Conferences 2025 | Conference Program | Language: English | Duration: 4:39 .

Intersolar's Off-Grid Conference Closes with Focus on Bridging Theory and Practice in Decentralized PV Affordability.

The session marks the conclusion of Intersolar's Off-Grid Conference and initiates the second day with an Off-Grid Power Workshop, organized by Lea Dunst from the German Solar Association (BSW) in collaboration with ARE. The workshop aims to bridge theoretical insights from the conference with practical business applications, focusing on decentralized photovoltaic (PV) systems' affordability trends. Despite a significant drop in module prices over 15 years—up to 50% in some cases during 2023—the global off-grid market hasn't fully realized these savings due to rising installation costs and various barriers like local regulations and supply chain issues. While larger solar home system prices have increased due to production costs and exchange rate pressures, there's potential for improvement through favorable policies, better logistics, financing options, and stronger local ecosystems. The discussion seeks solutions for making PV technology more accessible globally by exploring perspectives from diverse regions such as South Africa and Germany across different sectors including startups and industry associations.

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Speaker

Lea Dunst
International Project Manager
BSW - German Solar Association
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:

BMZ Greetings

Speaker

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