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.

Key insights from the survey include:

• 90% of all off-grid distributors are already delivering some kind of repair service as a part of their operations (most of the other 10% expressed a desire to deliver these services, but were early-stage firms that were not yet in financial position to do so).
• Batteries are by far the most likely failure point in off-grid solar products, sometimes causing a product to become obsolescent even when all other components are perfectly functional.
• Access to spare parts is a major logistical challenge for off-grid solar distributors across the Global South.
• New, replicable, business models are needed to increase repair services to the last mile.
• There are differing perspectives between manufacturers and distributors in terms of how repair is currently operating, and who should be conducting repairs – this has resulted in some tensions.
• There is an increasing interest in repairable design as a core approach for the sector.

Key recommendations emerging from the survey include:

1. Strategies are needed to ensure there is better access to spare parts;
2. Integrate more repairable design across the sector and enhanced consumer protection; and
3. Business model testing, training and sharing for a range of different repair approaches.

A sector-wide effort involving multiple workstreams is required to ensure these recommendations translate into action and address the urgent needs within the industry. This report is the necessary step to capture current voices, ideas and recommendations on off-grid solar repair. The organisations authoring this paper propose to evolve their current program into a partnership-led ‘Repair Lab’ for the off-grid solar sector to ensure the leading organisations focusing on off-grid solar repair can act as one – for the customer, the environment, sector and for SDG7

Excerpt of “State of Repair in the Off-Grid Solar Sector 2024”, SolarAid / UNSW

Download the full report.