Global off-grid solar leaders to gather in Rwanda with the aim to scale investment, innovation, and energy access
More than 1000 investors, ministers, company leaders, and development partners are expected at the Global Off-Grid Solar Forum and Expo to power opportunity through universal energy access
The 9th edition of the Global Off-Grid Solar Forum & Expo (GOGSFE) will host the world’s distributed renewable energy (DRE) industry at the Kigali Convention Centre, 27-29 October 2026, as the sector faces its biggest test yet: turning a decade of commercial progress into powered opportunity for the more than 600 million people still living without electricity.
Co-organised by GOGLA, the global off-grid solar association, and the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), the Forum is the biennial global platform where the off-grid solar sector meets, drives investment, showcases innovations, and strengthens the policy frameworks needed to expand energy access at scale. The 2026 edition is co-hosted by the Ministry of Infrastructure of the Republic of Rwanda, whose record on electrification, digital innovation and green growth makes it a fitting setting for a forum on what ambitious energy access strategies can deliver.
Off-grid solar already reaches over half a billion people worldwide, powering jobs, businesses, farms, schools and clinics with clean, climate-resilient energy. It serves communities the grid has yet to reach, and DRE is expected to deliver about half of the World Bank and African Development Bank’s Mission 300's goal of connecting 300 million Africans by 2030.
Under the theme Power Opportunity Now (#PowerON), the 2026 edition of the Forum organises around three key themes:
- Powering Lives makes the case for treating off-grid solar and distributed renewable energy as essential infrastructure, powering homes, schools, clinics, and businesses for hundreds of millions of people.
- Putting Solar to Work showcases the economic opportunity created by solar electrification through jobs, additional income, new enterprise, and sustainable food systems.
- Financing for the Future addresses the investment that will determine how far and how fast the sector scales, covering models, instruments, and the policy environment needed to crowd-in private capital.
The 2026 Global Off-Grid Solar Market Trends Report, the sector’s flagship biennial publication co-authored by GOGLA and ESMAP, will launch at the event, providing the latest insights on market developments, technology adoption, affordability, and the investment flows needed to reach universal energy access by 2030.
The Forum will open with a Ministerial Dialogue bringing policymakers together with industry leaders and financiers to address what it will take to accelerate electrification in their markets.
The exhibition will showcase the latest technologies, appliances, storage, digital, and AI applications, while curated networking opportunities will connect companies with investors, partners, and Mission 300 counterparts, catalysing new partnerships, transactions, and improved sector-wide coordination.
Field visits around Kigali will allow participants to witness first-hand how off-grid solar is powering homes, farms, enterprises, and communities. Partner-led side events, workshops, and investor meet-ups will take place throughout the week.
The sector has delivered record sales and demonstrated it can deliver impact at scale. The question now is ensuring the right capital and policies to reach the remaining markets and communities that need it. The Forum is the place to facilitate connections and collaborate to make it happen.Sarah Malm, GOGLA's Executive Director
GOGLA is the global off-grid solar association. We represent the leading organisations delivering clean, affordable energy to underserved communities worldwide.
We bring together companies, investors, governments and partners to grow the off-grid solar sector and reach the people who need energy most. Drawing on our data and insights on market trends and best practices, we inform policy and investment decisions and advocate for the conditions needed to scale. Together with our members, we are building a strong, responsible industry that creates jobs and economic opportunity.
Off-grid solar solutions are already improving the lives of more than 560 million people worldwide, powering homes, businesses, farms, schools and clinics. GOGLA and its members are building on this progress to Power 1 Billion Lives Now.
Learn more at gogla.org.
ESMAP (Energy Sector Management Assistance Program) is the World Bank Group partnership helping low- and middle-income countries deploy sustainable energy solutions to boost economic growth and reduce poverty. ESMAP is managed and staffed by the World Bank Group but funded separately by more than 20 donor governments and philanthropies. We support countries to secure universal energy access by 2030, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 7, while transitioning from fossil fuel energy sources to low-carbon energy solutions such as solar and wind power. ESMAP also helps countries increase their energy sectors’ climate resilience. We turn evidence into action by conducting research and aggregating data to make policy recommendations and advising World Bank Group energy projects. We also make donor contributions available as grants for planning and feasibility studies or help mobilize financing from third parties, including the private sector. For more information, visit esmap.org.
Website: offgridsolarforum.org
Media representatives are invited to register interest via e.roig@gogla.org for updates on press accreditation and interview opportunities.