|30 September 2016|
Nairobi
The third International Off-Grid Renewable Energy Conference (IOREC) opens in Nairobi today with the aim of boosting off-grid deployment worldwide.
Organisers the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is calling for the widespread adoption of innovative technologies to help realise the goal of achieving 100% energy access. The organisation is releasing a series of reports at the conference to drive this ambition, including Innovation Outlook: Renewable Mini-grids.
“Access to electricity is a central building block for socio-economic development. It empowers communities to increase income and productivity, gain access to healthcare and education, enhance water and food security, and improve general well-being,” said IRENA Director-General Adnan Z. Amin. “Thankfully, a confluence of factors including cost declines and technology innovations, are making it more possible than ever to achieve universal electricity access through off-grid renewables.”
Around 15% of the world’s population have no access to electricity, off-grid solutions have the potential to provide about 60% of additional generation towards universal access, according to IRENA.
