Letter from Sarah Malm, GOGLA’s Executive Director

2025 was a year of uncertainty for global energy access.

Major international initiatives were cut. Public budgets tightened. Investment conditions remained challenging. Yet one reality stood out clearly: off-grid solar companies are delivering. Our member companies’ ability to deploy high-quality products rapidly, even in fragile and remote markets, makes them indispensable to achieving universal energy access.

In 2026, progress will depend on smarter, more flexible subsidy design and results-based financing mechanisms that reach the hardest-to-serve communities. Productive use applications will continue to expand, powering irrigation, cold storage, agro-processing, and rural enterprises. Advances in digitalisation and data-driven credit assessment will improve operational efficiency and customer resilience.

We are deeply grateful to our members, partners, donors, and colleagues. Together, we will accelerate what works and ensure that distributed renewables remain central to a more equitable global energy future.

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