Every two years, VeraSol conducts a survey of its program beneficiaries and partners to assess the program and its usefulness to the sector. The 2020 survey received 52 responses, representing a wide array of organizations and stakeholder groups (see Figure 1). The results are now in! Survey analysis reveals three key insights: 1) VeraSol services are valued 2) VeraSol is the authority on product performance data for the sector, and 3) Demand for our services is growing.

Key Insight 1: VeraSol Services are Valued

The majority of respondents are satisfied with VeraSol’s core services. Eighty-five percent of survey respondents said they were “likely” or “very likely” to recommend VeraSol to a colleague, while the remaining 15 percent said they were “neutral” or “unsure”.

Satisfaction with our services has also grown among companies with certified products since 2018. When asked to assess the value of VeraSol’s services, 100% of respondents found test reports to be “valuable” or “very valuable”. 100% of respondents indicated Verification letters were at least “valuable” (see Figure 2), up from 86% in 2018. Over 40% of manufacturers indicated they use VeraSol tools and resources directly in their work.

Key Insight 2: VeraSol is the Authority on Product Performance Data for the Off-Grid Sector

VeraSol maintains the largest public database of product performance data for solar energy kits, appliances, and equipment. The vast majority of companies with certified products (73%) stated they use VeraSol to verify or access product performance details. Survey responses are reflective of the high level of user engagement with the product database, which receives 1,800 visits each month on average.

Survey data also show that investors or lenders, development institutions or donors, humanitarian aid organizations, trade associations, and others use VeraSol to identify good-quality solar solutions. Nearly 60% of respondents in those categories indicated they rely on VeraSol to identify high-quality solar energy kits, while nearly 70% of respondents rely on VeraSol to identify high-quality appliances and equipment (see Figure 3).

Key Insight 3: Demand for VeraSol’s Services is Growing

Demand for VeraSol’s certification services doubled from 2017 to 2019. That increase in demand is also clearly reflected in this year’s survey. Seventy-five percent of the manufacturers and distributors surveyed state that they plan to submit a solar energy kit for testing within the next six months.

Survey data indicate that the majority of manufacturers are driven to obtain VeraSol certification to meet eligibility requirements for market development programs (91% of respondents) and gain entry into key markets (73% of respondents) (see Figure 4).

Carrying Key Insights Forward

We sincerely thank all of the stakeholders who took the time to fill out our 2020 survey. Customer feedback is a critical component of our quality assurance program. Moving forward we will continue to expand our stakeholder engagement efforts on everything from product testing and certification to market development program design and procurement. To be notified of future opportunities, please subscribe to our monthly newsletter or visit our stakeholder engagement page. If you have any questions regarding the 2020 survey, please contact us at info@verasol.org.