The Hidden Solution to Off-Grid Solar’s $21 Billion Funding Gap: How Open Source Can Multiply the Impact of Every Dollar Invested
November 2, 2026
The energy access sector has a math problem. According to Vivien Barnier at the EnAccess Foundation, closing the last-mile electricity gap will require $21 billion in investment for off-grid solar alone, yet in 2024, total investment in off-grid solar companies fell by 30%, landing at just under $300 million. Given the size of this gap, he argues that calls for additional funding alone are not enough, and that a new approach is needed, one that can multiply the impact of every dollar already committed: open source. He explores why open source infrastructure in energy access — including shared software, open hardware designs, interoperability standards and open data platforms — is fundamental to the sector’s growth.
