Global Off-Grid Solar Forum and Expo 2024: Powering lives and energising potential

October 29th, 2024

The Global Off-Grid Solar Forum and Expo 2024 (GOGFSE 24), held from October 8-10 in Nairobi, Kenya, gathered over 1,500 participants for discussions and exhibitions centred around the theme – “Powering Lives, Energising Potential.” Co-hosted by GOGLA (the association for the off-grid solar industry), the Government of Kenya, and the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), the event attracted policymakers, investors, off-grid solar (OGS) developers, and ecosystem players. With 90 exhibitors showcasing disruptive technologies, the forum highlighted innovations aimed at accelerating universal electricity access, strengthening climate resilience, and powering key sectors such as agriculture, enterprise, and healthcare.

Energy Catalyst, one of the forum’s strategic partners, brought a delegation of 10 portfolio companies: Soleil Power, GreenAge Technologies, Innovex Uganda, Charm Impact, SWaDE, Kilembe Investments, 4R Digital, Mesh Power, Smart Grid Controls, and Enso Trading Ltd. These companies engaged in dynamic discussions, presented their cutting-edge solutions, and forged partnerships with investors, businesses, and government representatives.

Figure 1: The Energy Catalyst team with colleagues from Open Capital and Eigen Ventures

The event’s opening plenary addressed key topics such as the current state of off-grid energy deployment, the roles of government and the private sector in advancing energy access, challenges facing the sector, and emerging innovations with the potential to drive growth. Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), and Co-Chair of UN-Energy, emphasised the need for financial innovation in the energy sector to tackle challenges like local currency financing. She highlighted the importance of involving local project developers and communities whose insights into local markets are crucial for achieving energy access goals.

During a discussion on the ongoing issue of capital access for energy developers, Gavriel Landau from Charm Impact outlined the company’s investment approach, focusing on small-scale investments in early-stage developers. He emphasised the need for blended finance instruments, such as concessional loans, first-loss guarantees, and philanthropic/institutional support, to reduce investment risk in the sector.

Charm Impact also unveiled its exciting new fund, Hummingbird One, a $10 million blended finance facility aimed at driving the clean energy revolution across sub-Saharan Africa. Set to launch in 2025, Hummingbird One will make over 100 investments, ranging from $50,000 to $500,000, supporting early-stage, locally owned clean energy companies and providing vital capital to entrepreneurs spearheading the region’s green transition.

Figure 2: Panelists including Gavriel Landau (second from left), CEO of Charm Impact, shared insights on blended capital as a catalyst for sector growth

The vital role of energy in driving growth across other sectors—and how to scale this impact—was a key theme throughout the conference. In a panel discussion exploring the synergy between off-grid solar (OGS) and mobile technology, Douglas Baguma, CEO of Innovex Uganda, an Energy Catalyst portfolio company, highlighted the interdependence of these sectors. He explained that energy companies increasingly rely on telecom solutions to deploy innovative applications like remote monitoring, which supports models such as PAYGO and energy-as-a-service. Conversely, telecom operators in off-grid and weak-grid areas depend on OGS developers to provide the power infrastructure needed to run their systems.

In the same session, Nora Bergin, Senior Program Manager at 4R Digital, underscored the critical role that mobile money and telecom innovations play in deploying financing solutions that reduce the costs of productive use of energy (PUE) equipment. She noted that these financing solutions are essential for enabling the broader adoption of energy technologies, particularly in rural and underserved areas, making energy more affordable and accessible.

Figure 3: Panelists including Douglas Baguma (1st from left), CEO of Innovex Uganda, and Nora Bergin (3rd from left) Senior Programme Manager at 4R Digital, sharing insights on the convergence of off-grid solar and mobile

As the forum drew to a close, Katie Brauer, Senior Project Leader at Energy Catalyst partner Open Capital, offered reflections on the importance of collaboration and innovation in tackling the complex challenges facing the energy sector:

“At this critical time in the sector, it is imperative that we work together to create innovative technologies, business models, and financial solutions. No single entity can overcome these challenges alone, given the multifaceted nature of the obstacles. But by working together, we can accelerate sustainable, scalable solutions that benefit not just energy access, but overall economic and social development across Africa and elsewhere.”