A consistent approach to impact calculations allows companies, investors, policymakers, multi-lateral institutions, non-government organizations and other sector stakeholders to estimate the impacts created by off-grid solar in a consistent, clear, and coherent manner. For this reason, the GOGLA Impact Working Group was established in 2013, with the goal of creating a standardised framework for impact measurement that can be used by the off-grid industry. These metrics were designed to enhance knowledge and help stakeholders to streamline reporting in order to attract investment and regulatory support. The first standardized impact metrics were launched in 2015.
This document presents version 4.0 of those metrics, which have been updated and expanded using the best available data from across the off-grid solar industry and research community. The updated metrics enable users to estimate the impact of different categories of off-grid technology (from solar lanterns to large solar home systems) while accounting for regional differences, where necessary.