SOLARKIOSK was invited as a guest speaker to the World Energy Council, one of the largest and most prestigious public events in the energy sector. Political leaders, regulators, utilities, conventional energy suppliers and innovative business models, like SOLARKIOSK, met for four days to discuss the future of energy with all its enormous challenges and untapped opportunities.
 

While global energy demand will increase by approximately 50% by 2050 (25% by 2030), decarbonisation, digitalisation and decentralisation are the main drivers of the sector. Cyber, extreme weather and the energy-water-food nexus are demanding for resilience and a new thinking.

Andreas Spiess, CEO of SOLARKIOSK, urged the energy leaders to “be faster and smarter.” Small innovative companies like SOLARKIOSK with its last mile “behind the meter” distribution approach can contribute significantly to solve urgent problems at the Base of the Pyramid, where approximately 1,5b people do not have access to energy and are therefore excluded from economic development and often forced to migrate. However, these new solutions need secure regulatory framework, quick access to finance, and the collaboration of the large industry players to scale their impact.
 

Andreas was invited to speak about SOALRKIOSK’s experience in local capacity building, as the company manufactures its solution locally in three African countries: Ethiopia, Kenya and Ghana. At several roundtable discussions, Andreas advocated the interests of those people who are currently excluded from universal access to energy. He showed the opportunity in a market where the poorest people spend up to 100 times more for energy services than people in Europe and the US. Global expenditures for off-grid lighting alone are 30b USD annually (vs. 25b USD in the on-grid world). “The world can only be changed with impactful, sustainable, e.g. profitable, and scalable solutions. SOLARKIOSK is certainly one of them. So we are asking the energy leaders for full support.”
 
SOLARKIOSK is the energy-connectivity gateway to the Base-of-the-pyramid and a last mile distribution channel to underserved markets. SOLARKIOSK currently operates 150 projects in 11 countries, providing approximately 1,5m people with energy services. SOLARKIOSK develops and implements sustainable smart renewable energy solutions “behind the meter”, embedding connectivity, education, health, clean water and financial inclusion. SOLARKIOSK goes where people are most in-need, to remote rural off-grid areas in Sub-Saharan Africa as well as refugee camps in the Middle East.