The off-grid solar energy market currently serves 420 million people, the majority of whom reside in Sub-Saharan African and South Asia.1 As the availability and affordability of higher power solar power systems has increased in the past five years, more consumers have begun to purchase motor-driven household appliances and productive use equipment to improve their quality of life. For example, the market for fans, televisions and refrigerators are predicted to grow to US$25.3 billion by 2030,2 while the market for solar water pumps is estimated at US$11 billion in 2030.3 As the market evolves, appliance companies are anticipated to adopt more energy-efficient technologies such as permanent magnet (PM) motors that have the potential to drive the market toward better performing products and lift millions more people out of energy poverty. As the ‘prime movers’ in many appliances, motors determine the capabilities, power demand, energy consumption and reliability of most off-grid appliances. PM motors have the potential to revolutionize the market for solar-compatible appliances in off- and weak-grid setting by significantly improving the energy efficiency, performance, reliability and cost of a wide range of products. By switching to appliances using PM motors and light-emitting diode (LED) lighting, a typical off-grid household would save 30% in the net cost of their system compared to a household using standard alternating current (AC) appliances and incandescent lighting. This report provides the first comprehensive analysis of PM motor applications in off-and weak-grid markets. It estimates the global addressable market for PM motors, quantifies PM motor benefits, identify key drivers for adoption, assesses potential demand aggregation strategies.
