World Bank: Off-Grid Solar Cheapest Power Option for 398 Million People, Requires $11.4 Billion by 2030

Off-grid solar is now the cheapest way to electrify at least 398 million people living without power, according to a joint report this week from the World Bank's ESMAP and industry association GOGLA. The report treats the technology as permanent infrastructure rather than a stopgap, noting 95% of surveyed customers still had working solar home systems four or more years after purchase. Connecting those 398 million people will require $11.4 billion between 2027 and 2030, including $1.3 billion annually in grants and affordability subsidies and $1.6 billion a year in equity, debt and receivables financing — a fraction of the $3 trillion to $5 trillion in average annual energy transition investment needed by 2030. The sector supports 219,000 jobs at GOGLA-tracked companies, with full-time employment up 29% between 2021 and 2025. Users of off-grid products rose 26% over two years to 149 million, though uptake is lopsided: Kenya, Nigeria and Zambia accounted for 47% of solar home system sales in 2025. Kenya remains the largest market, with sales up 61% between 2023 and 2025 to roughly 2.4 million units. High upfront costs remain the main barrier, with only about a third of unelectrified households able to afford an entry-level Tier 1 pay-as-you-go system.