A coalition to accelerate clean energy access through high-performing appliances
About the Coalition
Just as super-efficient LED technology has unlocked the benefits of modern lighting for millions around the globe, other appliances promise cooling, communications, mechanization, and refrigeration to millions more, with improved outcomes for health, education, and productivity, and livelihoods.
Efficiency for Access is a global coalition working to promote high performing appliances that contribute to clean energy access for the world’s poorest people.
Efficiency for Access Coalition members have programs and initiatives spanning three continents, 44 countries, and 22 technologies. By engaging with the Efficiency for Access Coalition, stakeholders can become part of a global community working together toward shared goals.
- Aid agencies and foundations can connect with a network of peers to share experiences, explore synergies and co-funding opportunities.
- Companies can receive funding, technical assistance and explore partnership opportunities with Coalition members and implementing partners.
- Investors can gain access to the latest market intelligence and explore co-investment opportunities with the EforA Investor Network.
- Implementing partners can work with the Coalition to deliver innovative programs that address market barriers and address other sector needs.
The Efficiency for Access Coalition is coordinated jointly by CLASP and UK’s Energy Saving Trust, which specializes in energy efficiency product verification, data and insight, advice, and research.
Identifying the world’s best, most energy-efficient off-grid appliances
How We Scale Markets
Appropriately-designed, highly energy-efficient appliance technologies are essential to accelerating global energy access efforts. Awards programs are a key entry point for new technologies and trends in emerging markets.
The Global LEAP Awards is an international competition to identify and promote the world’s best off-grid appliances, accelerating market development and innovation.
This unique program has evolved into a trusted global brand that serves as the de facto source of accurate, actionable information about the quality and energy performance of off-grid appliances.
Awards and prizes also provide a platform for follow-on and affiliated interventions that accelerate a given awards or prize program’s impacts. Global LEAP results-based financing aims to catalyze the uptake of high quality, super-efficient appliances by lowering the cost to procure large volumes of best-in-class appliances for early mover off-grid solar companies, and facilitating new business partnerships for appliance suppliers that have invested in the production of high-quality off-grid appliances.
Impacts To Date
The Global LEAP Awards results-based financing facility has catalyzed the sale of more than 280,000 off-grid refrigerators, TVs, solar water pumps, and electric pressure cookers in seven countries, reaching more than 1,289,000 beneficiaries.
Competitions & Challenges
Quality assurance for off-grid solar solutions
Quality Matters
Today’s off-grid solar energy market is characterized by products with varying levels of quality and durability. Some are designed and manufactured well, while others fall short of expectations for safety, durability, and performance.
For many bottom-of-the-pyramid consumers, purchasing a solar product is a major decision and investment. Spending limited funds on a poor-quality product could be devastating for the consumer and harm the reputation of off-grid solar products generally.
By prioritizing the quality of solar energy solutions, VeraSol builds a competitive global market where high-performing products help consumers unlock the full range of benefits that stem from having access to modern energy services.
VeraSol’s Core Services
Test Methods
Define how product quality is measured, giving the industry a common language for making claims about product performance.
Quality Standards
Determine the baseline level of product quality for consumer protection as reflected in internationally-recognized standards.
Appliance Testing
Enables apples-to-apples comparisons through standardized testing.
Certification
Confirms whether a solar energy kit meets internationally-recognized standards for quality, durability, and truth-in-advertising.
Test Lab Capacity Building
Improves global capacity to test to standards and produce reliable, consistent performance data.
Product Data Sharing
Improves decision making and scales the market for quality of-grid solar solutions through comparable data.
Technical Assistance
Supports governments in the adoption and
implementation of policies for off-grid solar solutions.
Stakeholder Engagement
Communicates to the market about the importance and specifies of product quality.
Independent, Trusted, Third-Party Data
VeraSol’s user-friendly product database makes it easy to find and compare independently-tested solar energy kits and appliances. All listed products have undergone rigorous testing and evaluation by approved test laboratories according to international test methods.