Wednesday 8 October 2025, London and Nairobi: A new international competition recognising the best solar-powered generators for use in energy constrained settings, opens for nominations today. With a $100,000 prize fund, the competition aims to encourage clean energy innovation and end the use of polluting fossil fuel generators in countries across Africa, South Asia and the Pacific Islands.
The 2025 Global LEAP Awards Solar Generator Competition is part of the latest edition of the Global LEAP Awards, which promote the world’s most innovative, high performing and efficient solar solutions in countries where access to grid electricity is intermittent or non-existent.
Manufacturers and distributors can nominate companies offering commercially available solar generators to households and small businesses, with the judges looking for a strong balance of price, energy efficiency, performance and reliability.
Finalists will be identified through:
- Robust laboratory testing conducted by an ISO- accredited test laboratory according to VeraSol Solar Generator Test Method;
- Real world user testing in Nigeria
- A panel of expert judges providing feedback
Funded by ZE-Gen and delivered in partnership with CLASP. the collaboration aims to drive competition and make sustainable energy solutions more accessible for communities and SMEs.
Winners and finalists will be featured in a buyer’s guide that provides product performance information to support informed purchasing decisions.
The competition is supported by the VeraSol quality assurance framework, which ensures transparency in product performance, safety, and reliability, and includes the development of rigorous test methods and lab- and user-testing protocols to evaluate entries and establish broader standards for the solar sector.
Globally, around 1.5 billion people live with weak, unreliable, or no access to electricity. More than 82.6 million fossil fuel generators are currently in use, contributing to pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, noise and health risks, while imposing unpredictable fuel costs. In contrast, modern solar-powered generators offer cleaner, quieter, and more cost-effective alternatives.
Historically fossil fuel generators have dominated the market due to availability, upfront cost, and perceived reliability. However modern high quality solar-powered generators eliminate the need for fuel, making them a more sustainable and economical solution in resource-constrained settings.
ZE-Gen lead, Lily Beadle from Carbon Trust said:
“The solar generator market is a leading innovator in the clean energy industry and so we’re excited that ZE-Gen is bringing this competition to life and helping consumers recognise excellence. The Global LEAP award will improve choice in the market and increase product affordability and reliability so more people can choose power from renewable energy in place of fossil fuel generators.”
This new partnership is part of ZE-Gen and CLASP’s broader work under the UK Government’s Transforming Energy Access (TEA) platform, part of the Ayrton Fund.
Notes for editors
2025 Solar Generator Competition Criteria
Product eligibility includes:
- Commercially available (not a prototype)
- Capable of powering typical electrical loads required by households and SMEs
- Include manual and consumer warranty
- Key components prefigured and sold together as a kit
- Available for field evaluation in Nigeria by 15 Jan 2026
- Power input: PV input mandatory
- Power output: AC output mandatory
- Designed for use in locations with grid electricity of 220-240V.50Hz and with AC appliances compatible with these conditions.
- No grid interactive systems (ie/ that feed power back into the grid)
Component size limits:
- Battery maximum: 1000 Ah, 900 V; nickel-cadmium batteries not accepted
- PV array maximum: 50 kW, 120 A, 700 V
- Inverter input maximum: 50 kW, 120 A Isc, 2000 Voc
- Inverter output maximum: 113 kW, 300 V
Documentation requirements:
- IEC 62109-1 and IEC 62109-2 test reports
- Battery safety documentation
- Battery Specification Sheet and Safety Data Sheets
- AC-DC power supply safety
Background Information: ZE-Gen
Launched at COP27, ZE-Gen, is the leading international initiative working to improve the lives of people across Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and the Pacific Islands by driving the use of renewable energy in place of polluting fossil fuel generators.
ZE-Gen is a collaborative initiative by Carbon Trust and Innovate UK and has an ambition to mobilise £100m of funding to inspire action and implement real-world change, delivered in partnership with sector specialists. ZE-Gen brings partners together and engages with the public and private sector to identify new opportunities and provide commercialisation support such as investment readiness, market engagement, strategy & sales and product/service development.
To date, ZE-Gen has catalysed £39.75m, including support from the IKEA Foundation and the UK Government’s Ayrton Fund, and has supported more than 35 localised renewable energy projects across Nigeria, the Philippines, Cote d’Ivoire, Fiji, South Africa, Malawi and Uganda.
The Carbon Trust leads on ZE-Gen’s investments into financial mechanisms, research activities, outreach and strategy, with input and oversight across the whole ZE-Gen programme.
Innovate UK is responsible for delivering grant funding to advance renewable technology through the ZE-Gen Innovation Fund.
For more information please contact: ze-gen@carbontrust.com
Visit the ZE-Gen programme website – https://www.ze-gen.org
About CLASP
CLASP is the leading global authority on efficient appliances’ role in fighting climate change and improving people’s lives. An international NGO with 25 years of expertise and offices on five continents, CLASP collaborates with policymakers, industry leaders, and other experts to create a more sustainable future for people and the planet. CLASP is dedicated to solving the world’s most pressing, interconnected crises: the climate emergency, poverty, inequality, and access to energy.
About VeraSol
VeraSol maintains the world’s most widely recognized quality assurance framework for pico-solar products and solar home system kits. Managed by CLASP, VeraSol has expanded its services to meet the industry’s growing need for quality assurance in off-grid appliances and productive use equipment. VeraSol aims to make safe, affordable, and durable off-grid products the default choice in the market by providing testing, product data sharing, and other support services.
About the Global LEAP Awards
The Global LEAP Awards is an international competition that identifies and promotes the world’s best, most energy-efficient appliances for use in off-grid and weak-grid areas. Managed by CLASP through the Efficiency for Access coalition, it is designed to drive innovation, build market infrastructure, and accelerate the adoption of high-quality, energy-efficient appliances in developing countries. Nominations for the Global LEAP Solar Generator Competition open on 8 October. See the competition website for details on eligibility and timelines.
About the Transforming Energy Access (TEA) Platform
TEA is the flagship Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) research and innovation platform supporting early-stage testing and scale-up of innovative technologies and business models that accelerate access to affordable, clean energy for poor households, enterprises, and social institutions in developing countries across sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and the Indo-Pacific.