Pre-Forum Event

Next Generation of Solar Financing

Monday, 8 June 2026 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (GMT+8) Auditorium Hall 3 Organized by APVIA & ADB Ventures, in collaboration with Asia Clean Energy Partners
Overview

Southeast Asia is entering a decisive decade for solar deployment. Despite rapidly falling costs and growing energy demand, deployment across ASEAN continues to lag behind potential held back by a persistent gap in early-stage and pre-construction financing, particularly for SME-scale solar developers. With an estimated clean energy financing gap of USD 18.9 billion annually across ASEAN, the challenge is not whether solar can scale — it is how to finance it efficiently, inclusively, and at speed.

This pre-forum session co-organized by the Asian Photovoltaic Industry Association (APVIA) and ADB Ventures convenes developers, financiers, startups, philanthropies, and development partners to surface practical financing gaps and identify scalable solutions for small-scale solar PV and BESS. The session directly aligns with ACEF 2026's themes of building energy security, promoting inclusion, and mobilizing clean energy investment with a specific focus on financing models that can unlock the SME solar pipeline across ASEAN.

Agenda
  • 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.

    Session 1: Context-Setting & Problem Framing

    Opening remarks by APVIA and ADB Ventures leadership, followed by a regional solar market overview covering ASEAN deployment trends and the financing gap. A fishbowl discussion will surface priority financing barriers facing SME solar developers across the region.

    Featured Speaker

    Jigar Bhatt, ADB (Energy Sector / South Asia) — India Solar Rooftop Multi-Tranche Financing Facility (MFF) Case Study

  • 3:30 – 4:00 p.m.

    Coffee Break

  • 4:00 – 5:15 p.m.

    Session 2: World Café — Solutions in Practice

    Rotating chair-circle cluster discussions hosted by ADB Ventures portfolio companies and national photovoltaic associations from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Clusters will explore residential and commercial & industrial solar financing, aggregation models, and battery energy storage solutions.

  • 5:15 – 5:30 p.m.

    Short Break

  • 5:30 – 6:00 p.m.

    Session 3: Way Forward — Priorities & Actions

    Synthesis of World Café insights, identification of 3–4 priority interventions and champions, closing remarks, and link to the follow-on Expert Group Meeting in Bangkok (August 2026).