Leading water and energy solutions provider Davis & Shirtliff has attributed the increased appetite by businesses and households for solar energy solutions to the need for affordable and sustainable energy. The company’s Technical Director Eng. Philip Holi said Kenya is witnessing increased adoption of solar equipment and solutions as individuals and businesses seek to cut down operational costs and a growing need for environmental consciousness as a way of mitigating adverse effects of climate change.
“Solar energy has the potential to improve livelihoods, power houses and run businesses if harnessed properly. Sustainability and inexhaustible characteristics of solar energy have made this renewable energy an affordable and reliable option for businesses and households,” said Eng. Philip Holi.
According to the 2019 National Census report, solar lighting uptake in homes was recorded at 19.3 per cent. Rural areas recorded above 29.9 per cent, higher than the rural national grid connections that stood at 26 per cent over the period. Over 2.3 million households in the country rely on solar for lighting homes and powering businesses with demand for this renewable energy rising exponentially over the last few years.
The energy management regulations of 2012 require that businesses carry out regular energy audits and demonstrate energy savings achieved.
“The primary driver towards own generated power is the cost savings delivered by investing in solar energy. With the reduction in pricing of solar panels, grid parity is a reality and many companies are seeing their investment in solar energy pay back in 4 – 5 years in terms of electricity cost savings. Many businesses are also seeking to become much more environmentally friendly and investment in solar is seen as a means of demonstrating that,” said Holi.
Home solar power systems also provide reliable power backups in case of power outages or erratic power supply.
“A guaranteed reliable power supply is important to ensure business continuity,” he added.
To meet rising demand in the country, the firm recently announced the completion in construction of the Tatu City Distribution Centre enabling it to hold much greater stocks of solar modules making them readily available at a lower cost to its customers.
Similarly, the firm said it will continue working with its manufacturing partners to design affordable solar energy solutions as part of its long-term plans of making solar more accessible to its customers.
“Davis and Shirtliff has embarked on a program to spread its branch network throughout Kenya with the objective of covering the entire country. Through our branch network, Kenyans in the rural areas already have access to well-trained engineers able to advise them on solar solutions, design appropriate solar energy solutions for their needs and install the solar systems,” said Holi.
Solar Pumping systems are a key product segment for Davis & Shirtliff and the firm expects to see significant growth in this segment over the coming years.
“There are multiple opportunities for solar in Kenya. From grid connect solutions for commercial and industrial customers, small off grid power systems for rural consumers as well as small grid connect solutions for home owners,” Holi concluded.
