Giving a second life to Africa’s solar lights

Of the 375 million solar energy kits that have been sold and distributed to off-grid populations around the world by the formal off-grid solar sector since the early 2000s, more than 250 million are estimated to have fallen into disrepair. Thus, while the sector has made some notable contributions to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 7 of “affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy access for all” by 2030, the widespread presence of broken-down products tarnishes this achievement. This is particularly problematic for an industry that prides itself and trades on being sustainable. The recent expansion and growth in the adoption of off-grid solar appliances is further exacerbating this sectoral e-waste challenge.

The positive news is that many of these broken products are readily repairable (more than 90% according to a recent study), and most households tend to hold onto broken solar products in the hope they can be fixed in future. Therefore, there are clear opportunities for the sector to expand its work into solar repair, which would result in improved household energy access, enhanced sector reputation and more sustainable praxis.

There are many companies, investors, organisations and people within the off-grid solar sector who have been experimenting with remarkably innovative approaches for enhancing repair in their operations. Yet the sector needs to improve the ways in which it openly shares experiences – its challenges, its failures, its breakthroughs and successes. This formed the impetus for this study and report, to provide a snapshot of what the sector is currently doing in terms of off-grid solar repair, as well as to serve as a catalyst for developing new ideas and recommendations for off-grid solar repair, paving the way for sector-led initiatives to collaboratively address these pressing challenges. The research basis of this report draws from a sector-wide survey conducted in September 2024, which 75 different stakeholders – from companies and organisations operating in 31 countries – responded to.