3.9 Mn Off-Grid Solar Lighting Products Sold in 2nd Half of 2018: Report

According to a new report, globally, 3.9 million off-grid solar lighting products were sold in the second half of 2018, an installed capacity of 32.39 MW.

‘The Global Off-Grid Solar Market Report’ a biannual report by GOGLA and the World Bank’s Lighting Global program was recently published for the second half (July-December) of 2018.  The report draws attention to sales and the impact of off-grid solar lighting products, sold by GOGLA and Lighting Global affiliates.

The report starts off by highlighting that, globally, the sale of 3.9 million off-grid solar lighting products took place in the second half of 2018 with an installed stand-alone solar capacity of 32.39 MW worldwide.

Key Highlights from the report:

1. Solar home systems continue to see an increase in sales. From July to December 2018, 480,000 solar home systems were sold by affiliates, a 77% increase compared to the same period in 2017 and a 133% increase compared to 2016.
2. Products sold via pay-as-you-go (PAYGo) recorded a 30% increase compared to the first half of 2018, reaching a volume of 950,000. Cash sales did not grow compared to the preceding period.
3. For the first time, the report looks into the sales of off-grid solar appliances, namely TVs, fans, refrigeration units and solar water pumps. It is important to highlight that the reported sales do not represent the whole global market for off-grid solar appliances.
4. In total, sales of 350,000 off-grid solar appliances were reported from July to December 2018, with TVs (160,000) and fans (180,000) being the most widely sold appliances according to the data collected.
5. The report also highlights the life-changing impact of off-grid solar. The most significant impact trend for the second half of 2018 is the increase in the number of people now benefiting from Tier 2 energy access as a result of the increasing sales of larger solar home systems, which has seen a boost of 33% compared to the first half of 2018. Close to 5 million people now have access to enough energy each day to power a range of appliances.