For remote communities renewables are a cost-effective solution for extending energy access or transitioning from heavy reliance on fossil fuels.

The number of people without access to electricity is estimated at more than a billion, while almost 2.9 billion still rely on traditional, unsustainable biomass sources such as firewood for cooking and heating. About 80% of those lacking modern energy access live in rural areas, which also host more than 70% of the world’s poor.

This publication presents statistics for the decade 2009-2018 in trilingual tables, covering off-grid power capacity, biogas production and numbers of people using off-grid power and biogas for cooking and lighting.

IRENA's 10th Assembly booklet charts global advances over the past decade and calls for a new Decade of Action on renewables. Comparative graphs and data illuminate the road ahead.

This publication presents statistics for the decade 2013-2022 in trilingual tables, covering off-grid power capacity, biogas production and numbers of people using off-grid power and biogas for cooking and lighting.

This report presents analysis of nine projects supplying electricity to remote communities across the globe, identifying key success factors and best practices to inform future projects.

This brief takes stock of the opportunity at hand – detailing the dynamism and the innovations in the off-grid renewable energy sector. Building on IRENA’s growing body of work on the topic, it highlights the latest trends and advances, including innovations in delivery and financing models.   

This publication presents statistics for the decade 2010-2019 in trilingual tables, covering off-grid power capacity, biogas production and numbers of people using off-grid power and biogas for cooking and lighting.

This publication presents statistics for the decade 2012-2021 in trilingual tables, covering off-grid power capacity, biogas production and numbers of people using off-grid power and biogas for cooking and lighting.

This joint tracking report provides the most comprehensive look available at the world’s progress towards global energy targets on access to electricity, clean cooking, renewable energy and energy efficiency.

This report provides the outcomes and key takeaways from the 5th International Off-grid Renewable Energy Conference and Exhibition (IOREC).

Ce rapport se fonde sur des données primaires provenant d'évaluations des aspects énergétiques dans 40 établissements de santé témoins au Burkina Faso, ainsi que sur des consultations avec les principales parties prenantes et des réunions avec le gouvernement et des experts externes en matière de santé et d’'énergie.

This report draws on primary data from health-energy assessments across 40 sample health facilities in Burkina Faso, as well as key stakeholder consultations and meetings with government and external health and energy experts.

This report guides policy makers to stay on the the 1.5°C path to 2050, explores the socio-economic impacts of the transition and suggests ways to speed progress towards universal access to clean energy.

With more than a billion people lacking access to electricity, local power-generation solutions are essential to provide sustainable energy to all - particularly those consumers expected to remain isolated from national or regional grids for the foreseeable future. Renewable power generation provides low-cost solutions to bring reliable electricity to rural households or island communities off the main grid. But while off-grid renewable energy systems are expanding rapidly on the ground, data that systematically tracks this progress remains limited.

Universal electricity access – one of the targets of the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative for 2030 – will remain unachievable unless countries adopt a market-based approach to off-grid renewable energy deployment. This report highlights key findings and recommendations of the Second International Off-grid Renewable Energy Conference (IOREC 2014), organised by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in partnership with off-grid and regional agencies.

The Africa Clean Energy Corridor initiative aims to transform the continent’s energy mix by promoting the development of clean, indigenous, cost-effective renewable power options. A comprehensive report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) examines the evolving infrastructure of Eastern and Southern Africa for the generation and transmission of electricity, highlighting challenges and opportunities for the rapid scale-up of renewable energy.

This publication presents statistics for the decade 2014-2023 in trilingual tables, covering off-grid power capacity, biogas production and numbers of people using off-grid power and biogas for cooking and lighting.

IRENA co-organised the International Off-grid Renewable Energy Conference (IOREC) along with the ECOWAS Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) and the Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE), in Accra, Ghana, on 1-2 November 2012. This report presents the key findings and recommendations that emerged from the roundtable discussions during IOREC.

IRENA presents the project, in collaboration with the Health and Energy Ministries of Burkina Faso, to support energy access in health system in the country.

An evaluation of the role of renewable energy in the African power sector at the Global Solar Council Virtual Forum.

An assessment of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the renewable energy sector in Africa.

IRENA specialists analyse the case of Central American energy sector at the ESCAP-GTI Seminar on Energy Cooperation in North-East Asia.

The SolarCity Simulator, developed by IRENA, is an innovative web-based platform designed to support its member countries to fully explore the opportunities of deploying solar photovoltaic (PV) systems at the local municipality level.

IRENA engages in a wide range of projects to facilitate investments in energy access solutions, featured in the event organised by UNDP and IRENA.