This presentation discussed the development of solar PV manufacturing in the People's Republic of China as well as an assessment of the PRC's industry policy for solar PV manufacturing. It also considered the potential of developing solar PVs in developing countries, as well as the potential for the relocation of the PRC's solar manufacturing capacity.

This presentation gave an overview of Asia's global solar PV market share in 2018, as well as trends in solar farm costs and lithium-ion battery prices. It also suggested some next steps in unleashing solar energy such as the introduction of smart grids as new business models and promoting higher productivity through the development of innovation and certification standards.

Wind and solar are undergoing a global revolution with rapidly increasing installations driven by a range of technical, economic, regulatory, and institutional drivers. Recent work under the USAID, US-APEC Technical Assistance to Advance Regional Integration (US-ATAARI) project, found that countries throughout Asia are setting ambitious clean energy targets but for many countries, progress towards those targets is not keeping up.

Most Solar Home Systems available in the market are low power solutions typically up to 100 watts, that can run lights, fans, and a small TV. Cygni has pioneered the development of 48V DC System, which goes beyond the traditional solar home systems, and that can power appliances up to 500 watts. It can run not only domestic appliances but also productive use appliances like water pumps, dryers, mixer/grinders, rice polishers/huskers, water dispensers, and Freezers/Refrigerators. The ownership of this equipment is either individual or community-based.

Apart from the lack of access to the electrical grid, rural communities in the Philippines pay much more for electricity than almost anywhere in Southeast Asia. While other options are available, rural communities have less access to solar-powered solutions because of distribution, financing, and maintenance gaps. Greenlight Planet and ASHI’s collaboration provides a success story for how green lending by microfinance institutions can help their clients improve their quality of life through energy access.

The Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation's (NWTF) success story on achieving scale and sustainability for their solar program focuses on two aspects: demand generation through marketing and education by dedicated program officers, and product support (technical support, inventory management, returns, distribution) through partners and suppliers. NWTF’s dedicated team of solar officers orient MFI clients on the benefits of using solar, provide basic troubleshooting when needed, and contribute to portfolio growth by adding more loans.

The RE Data Explorer is an innovative web-based platform that allows users to visualize and analyze spatial data on solar and wind energy resource, technical potential and levelized cost of energy (LCOE) across the ten ASEAN member states. This presentation highlighted the capabilities of this platform to support data-driven decision making as they relate to informing the planning process—including the establishment and realization of regional renewable energy goals.

Does distributed ledger technology, specifically blockchain technology, have a role in helping Asia’s countries increase PV investment and grid integration? We believe that Asia is a high-potential market in which to push the limits of blockchain’s capabilities in the power sector, particularly less-developed countries where there are potential benefits of working in an unbuilt environment—a technological “white space.” Challenges notwithstanding, blockchain has shown the potential to help overcome obstacles that keep millions of people in the dark worldwide.

Ocean Sun is a novel approach to the emerging floating solar industry based on Norwegian photovoltaic and maritime competence. This presentation provided an overview of Ocean Sun technology, its operational pilots in Norway and Singapore, and current installations in several sites around the world with ASEAN as a main target area.

Many Asian countries rely heavily on the ocean as a principal source of income, mainly from fishing and tourism. While clean mobility has the spotlight on land, little has been done to render marine transportation cleaner and more cost-effective for low-income fishermen or small business owners. Millions of small boats roam the Asian seas most often propelled by outdated engines with high fuel consumption and environmental impact. This presentation explores pragmatic and efficient eco-alternatives to polluting boats, leveraging on the ever more efficient renewable energy technologies.