South-South Clean Energy Forum 2026

On 4 June, CLASP will host a meeting in New Delhi, India, bringing together experts from countries across the Global South to discuss how to expand the use of clean energy appliances in agriculture.

Register here. 

Background

Using clean energy technologies in farming, such as solar-powered irrigation systems, cold storage, and food-processing equipment, can help improve rural economies across the Global South. These appliances, also known as “productive use appliances” or PUAs, give farmers and small businesses reliable and affordable energy, helping them increase income and improve their livelihoods.

The opportunity is massive. In India alone, the market for some technologies is estimated to be over USD 50 billion. Sub-Saharan Africa sees similar potential, with growing demand for irrigation, cooling, and processing solutions. Despite governments, development organizations, and private companies investing more in the sector, adoption is much lower than it could be.

Across the Global South, common barriers persist: high upfront costs, limited access to affordable financing lack of technical support and repair services, weak supply chains, and changing policy environments. Some countries like India and Kenya have made strong progress in creating supportive markets, while others are still in early stages. This creates an opportunity to accelerate adoption through shared learning, rather than starting from scratch.

Why this meeting is being held 

As efforts to scale PUAs accelerate, there is a growing opportunity to share learnings and align efforts for greater impact. South-South collaboration can play a pivotal role in unlocking the potential of these appliances. Countries across Africa, Latin America, South Asia, and Southeast Asia share similar market conditions, emphasizing the relevance and importance of peer learning.

Objectives of the convening

This convening aims to bring together key stakeholders from across the Global South to exchange experiences, identify solutions, and foster partnerships that can translate emerging momentum into sustained, large-scale impact.

Specific objectives

• Position PUAs as critical infrastructure for agriculture and rural economic growth
• Showcase successful and repeatable models in policy, financing, and partnerships, with a focus on cold storages.
• Encourage knowledge exchange and collaboration that continues beyond the South-South Clean Energy Forum

Focus on cold storages:

While the meeting will address productive use applications broadly, it will spotlight cold-chain solutions. In many developing economies, inadequate storage and processing infrastructure leads to post-harvest losses, often exceeding 20–30%, directly affecting farmer incomes and food availability. Decentralized, renewable energy–powered cold storage is emerging as a practical, scalable solution to close these last-mile gaps and strengthen food security and livelihoods across the Global South.