Topics covered included off-grid hybrid PV, mini-grids & storage, off-grid solutions for industries, telecommunications & infrastructure, investment & risk management, off-grid in the context of humanitarian aid and energy in agriculture.

Munich, 2 June 2017 - The Off-Grid Power Conference 2017 attracted over 450 participants at Intersolar - the largest solar PV trade fair in Europe. After a series of successful conferences, this years conference offered a diverse 2-day program and was once again put together by the German Solar Association (BSW-Solar), the Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE) and Intersolar Europe. This years conference was also supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Topics covered included off-grid hybrid PV, mini-grids & storage, off-grid solutions for industries, telecommunications & infrastructure, investment & risk management, off-grid in the context of humanitarian aid and energy in agriculture. The conference was the opportunity for manufacturers, system integrators and project developers to meet high-ranking delegations, policymakers, investors and the international press.

The Off-Grid Power Conference is the result of an established partnership with Intersolar. In addition to the ARE Off-grid Matchmaking Platform - an interactive map showcasing the off-grid products and services of its Members, ARE will continue to implement off-grid workshops in Latin America and Asia. The Intersolar South America taking place in São Paulo on 22-24 August 2017 and Intersolar India in Mumbai on 5-7 December 2017, for example, will also aim to connect off-grid businesses in both continents.

Florian Wessendorf, Solar Promotion International GmbH (Intersolar): ‘We are proud to partner with the ARE on solar off-grid topics. This years Off-Grid Power Conference in Munich was a great success for all partners. We are looking forward to the next editions in São Paulo and Mumbai to enhance our fruitful partnership in the future.

In addition to the upcoming ARE-Intersolar cooperation, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and ARE have expressed their interest to work together with the common objective to promote SEforALL targets. The half-day information and mobilisation workshop on rural electrification at Intersolar South America will serve as a platform to collect case studies in the region for a joint publication which will address innovative business models for clean energy access (private sector) and key recommendations for best working regulatory frameworks (public sector) for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Ernesto Macias, ARE President: ‘We are pleased that special attention has been given to off-grid in one of the largest PV trade fairs around the world. This weeks conference has once again proved the interest in the sector and we look forward to developing our work on energy access in Latin America at the next Intersolar edition in São Paulo.