IOREC 2018: 4th International Off-grid Renewable Energy Conference and Exhibition

The International Off-grid Renewable Energy Conference and Exhibition (IOREC), organised by the International Renewable Energy Agency, is the global platform for sharing experience and best practices on design and implementation of enabling policies, tailored financing schemes, innovative business models and technology applications for stand-alone and mini-grid systems.

The fourth edition of IOREC took place in Singapore, on 31 October - 1 November 2018, as a co-located event with the Asia Clean Energy Summit, during Singapore International Energy Week. With over half a billion people in Asia still without access to electricity, the synergy with the ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting, chaired by Singapore in 2018, and with the Asia Clean Energy Summit, highlighted the role decentralised renewable energy solutions can play in electrification strategies in the region and beyond, as well as the role of off-grid renewable energy in achieving several of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Building on the success of the earlier editions, the 4th IOREC once again attracted experts from around the world and across the off-grid renewable energy value chain, with representatives from policy-makers, rural electrification agencies, private sector, NGOs, academia, financing institutions and international organisations. Over the two-day event, the participants deliberated on enabling policies, financing schemes, innovative business models and technology applications. A special focus was put on the nexus between energy access and other key priorities such as food, water and health service. Furthermore, innovators, practitioners and entrepreneurs from the off-grid renewable energy space had the opportunity to showcase their products and services in the exhibition, organised by the Alliance for Rural Electrification, which ran in parallel to the conference.

IOREC is convened every two years, with the first three editions of the event taking place in Accra, Ghana in 2012, followed by Manila, Philippines in 2014 and Nairobi, Kenya in 2016.

Key messages from the discussion at the event:

• Modern energy access is central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and governments should consider the entire spectrum of opportunities offered by off-grid renewable energy solutions for expanding affordable, reliable and sustainable access to households, support livelihoods, enhance delivery of essential services (e.g., health) and strengthen gender equality.
• National level electrification strategies and plans should mainstream off-grid renewable energy solutions and facilitate co-operation between actors.
• To ensure effective implementation of energy access plans, institutional and legal frameworks at the national level should clearly define roles and responsibilities of public sector institutions, streamline administrative procedures and ensure adequate capacities.
• To ensure private sector involvement in energy access, the policy and regulatory framework should provide the right set of incentives and risk coverage to private investors and alleviate the barriers to unlock financing for the sector.
• Regulations are of particular importance in the case of renewable energy mini-grids where governments have the dual role of ensuring economic viability for developers while ensuring tariffs are not too high for underserved communities. Furthermore, with the right set of regulations in place, main grid arrival, often seen as a major risk for mini-grid developers, can become an opportunity both for developers and utilities alike.
• The financial instruments and products on offer from banks and other financing institutions do not always match the sector demands. To foster innovation in the sector and accelerate deployment, financing instruments on offer need to be tailored especially to the requirements of end users and small enterprises.
• Putting in place the right ecosystem for accelerating off-grid renewable energy deployment requires efforts to develop the necessary human capital by building capacities across the off-grid value chain and supporting local entrepreneurship.
• Off-grid renewable energy should be viewed as a job creating opportunity as it has the potential to create millions of jobs across the value chain.
• Efficient end-use appliances need to be included in the off-grid ecosystem to ensure affordability and long-term sustainability.

The IOREC exhibition will take place in parallel with the Conference from the 31 October – 1 November 2018 and is organised by the Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE). The exhibition serves as a showcase for the very latest off-grid technologies and the innovative approaches fuelling rapid deployment of decentralised renewable energy solutions.

The exhibition is an important component of the IOREC and is open to all interested companies and organisations. In particular, private sector companies with cutting-edge products and projects are encouraged. IOREC presents one of the year’s most important opportunities to network and build influential partnerships with key global off-grid industry players.

For more information about the Conference please contact: