In 2017, the global off-grid solar sector provided improved electricity access to an estimated 73 million households, or over 360 million people, thus transforming lives that were previously reliant on kerosene and solid fuels for most of their lighting needs. This market has evolved and expanded substantially since 2010, when IFC released its first off-grid lighting report. At that stage this was a market marked by low awareness, a single category of lighting-oriented products, and a limited geographical presence (mainly in Sub-Saharan Africa and India).
The sector’s growth since 2010 has been impressive and the estimated impact of this growth is far-reaching.