Commoditization is a key challenge to early stage market growth for a wide range of technologies. Custom solutions work well when companies have markets to themselves, but as markets grow, they become a barrier to market efficiency. While limiting consumer choice to custom products makes sense from a system provider’s perspective, incompatibility between systems locks consumers into a product regardless of its merits relative to the competition, discouraging market growth.

Compatibility and interoperability refer to the ability of systems and components to work together in the same environment, including the exchange of information. Both are key features of mature markets for a variety of technologies around the world. While most off-grid companies are not focused on these topics today, they will become increasingly important as the market matures.

This technology roadmap outlines an important first step in defining the requirements for a mature off-grid industry. It highlights the need for industry working groups and defines the focus and needs for future research and development.

Download the Compatibility and Interoperability Technology Roadmap report.

About Efficiency for Access

Efficiency for Access is a global coalition working to promote renewable and energy efficient appliances to deliver clean energy to the world’s poorest people. It is coordinated jointly by CLASP and the UK’s Energy Saving Trust.