Welcome & Introduction of of the Session Off-Grid: Rural Electrification Based on Solar Systems - Lessons Learned

Recording of Wednesday, May 07, 2025 | The smarter E Europe Conferences 2025 | Conference Program | Language: English | Duration: 5:05 .

Exploring the Evolution and Challenges of Rural Solar Electrification at Off-Grid Conference Session

The session at the off-grid conference focuses on reviewing rural electrification via solar energy, a concept that has been around for 20 to 30 years. Initially driven by private companies selling solar systems directly to consumers, it gained significant momentum about 15 years ago when the United Nations recognized its potential in providing electricity access. This led various organizations to develop programs aimed at increasing electrification rates in underserved areas. While some initiatives successfully accelerated progress, others encountered challenges that complicated market dynamics rather than simplifying them. The current discussion aims to evaluate what strategies have worked well and identify those that haven't met expectations or faced issues during implementation. Despite official reports suggesting less than one billion people remain without electricity, field observations indicate this number might be underestimated due to discrepancies in counting methods used by governments and implementing bodies. Emphasis is also placed on ensuring system performance through maintenance mechanisms like repair and replacement services over time. The first speaker announced is Katrin, who will share insights from her decade-long experience running a successful solar company before transitioning into long-term storage solutions within the energy sector.

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Speaker

Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Peter Adelmann
Director
id-eee Institute
Germany

Talk of session: Off-Grid: Rural Electrification Based on Solar Systems - Lessons Learned

Off-grid solar systems are often the least expensive option for rural electrification. Solar home systems can power individual households, while mini-grids can supply entire villages. Each comes with its own advantages, disadvantages, and challenges. The aim of this session is to explore challenges as well as success stories. It takes well-functioning components such as battery systems, charge management and inverters to make projects successful. Proper system sizing, maintenance and repair management, as well as a robust financial concept are also necessary. If one of these elements is missing, the electrification will not be sustainable. This session will focus on the aspects mentioned above. The speakers will present successful and unsuccessful approaches and discuss what can be learned from them.

Further Talks of this session: