Low-Cost Solar Invades Kenya
Reliable electricity in Kenya is an oxymoron. Last year’s rationing was up to 4 days per week in some parts of Nairobi, and with the low levels of water in the dam, it’s looking like 2010 won’t be such a bright year (pun intended…).
This is why I’m writing a post about solar power, which incidentally isn’t something I’m overly-well versed in, I usually leave this up to people like Afromusing. I did take the FLAP bags around Ghana, Kenya and Uganda earlier, but hadn’t started to truly delve into this arena until now. Before moving back, I picked up a Brunton Solaris 52solar power kit for my laptop needs. It has already proved indispensable.
Solantern
Joseph Nganga, a Kenyan businessman who I’ve known for a couple of years, has come back to Kenya and is taking the clean energy position firmly. He’s working with the World Bank on a plan for a “Cleantech Innovation Centre” in East Africa, and knows his way around both small- and large-scale renewable energy systems.
Right now he’s marketing and finding distributors for his Solantern product. It’s a Green Planet Lantern that is sold locally for 2000 Ksh ($25). His goal is to replace the unclean, and sometimes hazardous, kerosene lanterns that everyone uses in Kenya.
[Note: the electricity is off right now, and my wife is using one of Joseph's Solanterns below]
An average Kenyan family spends 20 Ksh ($.25) on Kerosene every night, a total of $91 per year. There’s a real value buying a Solantern, and the light lasts for much longer than that 20 Ksh of Kerosene would (and it’s cleaner).
ToughStuff
Chance would have it, that on this power-challenged day, I would also meet up with Nick Sowden from ToughStuff. He’s here in Kenya to do for East Africa what they’ve already done for Madagascar: create an industry for entrepreneurs out of 1 watt solar panels.
ToughStuff offers a large selection of accessories for their panel, with extensions like an LED lamp (530 Ksh/$7), phone connectors (75 Ksh/$1), a rechargeable powerpack (550 Ksh/$7.25) and fake D-cell batteries that take direct input from the panel – used to power radios. It’s a compelling mix, and you can tell why they’ve done so well in Madagascar, and which bodes well for them in East Africa as well.
They’ve already started selling them through Chloride Exide in Kenya, at two shops in the industrial area you can pick up the kits for yourself. One shop is on Dunga Road, the other is on Kampala Road.
ToughStuff has a focus on entrepreneurs, which is why they have the “Buy One: Fund One” program. To entrepreneurs they offer financing through local MFIs.
Final Thoughts
Besides Solantern and ToughStuff, there are other projects like Portable Light (and others) working on low-cost solar for East Africa. It’s like the stars have aligned and all the cleantech companies are starting to really look at Africa as a place to make money – which it is.
The AfriGadget-side of me is waiting for local fundis to get their hands on these and to start customizing them for local needs. I want to see 8 ToughStuff solar panels daisy-chained together and used to power something larger. I want to see the wall-of-panels that light up 10 lights across a large room for night classes. The sort of thing that takes local needs, local technical talent and local businessmen to make happen.
Another thought… People think that these low-cost solar light kits are only for the poor. They’re wrong. I use them, as do many middle-class Kenyans if they can get their hands on them. The market is bigger than just the “bottom of the pyramid”.
Finally, I’m greatly pleased to see legitimate businesses, not NGOs, leading this charge. The quickest way to ruin this fledgling industry is by false ceilings imposed by development/aid subsidies around these products.
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
We want more!
Have been trying to get some information on affordable solar based products in the Kenyan market and you wouldn’t believe how hard it is to get vendors who sell anything approaching affordable.
Thanks for the post. Using it the starting point for a whole new search for this products.
This is priceless! We have soo much sunshine which in theory should make us the center of solar energy production in the entire globe. Coincidentally a friend of mine were recently discussing how solar energy can become a real hit in Africa. Mind if I cite this article in my blog White African? http://sleeplesskenya.wordpress.com/
This is great to read! Keep us posted about these positive developments!
Sometime mid last year I bought one of those lanterns for Sh 1,800 from a colleague who had a handfull. The lantern has since come in handy many times with the constant KPLC fails. At some point I thought to myself – Does the ministry of energy have any plan for actively promoting such alternative energy sources? The invasion as you call it is real, because many people I meet want to buy or resell the ‘nifty gadgets’
Again I think the Ministry of Energy needs to take the lead in fostering the adoption of such inexaustible nature given alternative energy sources – aside from coordinating the oil merchants.
Spectacular! Exactly what Kenya needs!
The Brunton Solaris 52 sells for US$ 650? Duuude! It looks very nice though and I bet it’s well worth the investment.
I am with you – it’s about time that solar goes really big in EAK with fundis picking up on it for their own mods and no NGO-approach.
YEAH BABY! The technology advances in just the last couple of years have completely changed the game. Other producers that are designing and selling to the BOP are D.Light Design and Barefoot Power. In Africa, solar light is not only one of the best lighting solutions, it is now also one of the most affordable. Like the cell phone technologies that have allowed Africa to leap over land line technology, solar technology will allow Africans a distributed power system that leaps over the need for fixed wire infrastructure.
@gmeltdown – It really is useful to have one (or more) of these “gadgets” in the house. I believe it’ll be driven primarily by word-of-mouth though. To think that any government entity is competent enough to help in this is a long shot. The best that we can hope for is them to get out of the way, like they’ve done with having no duty charged on solar here in Kenya.
@lema – of course, feel free anytime.
quite right u r hash nice work ur doing
gmeltdown…I have a feeling the “Ministry of Energy” helps sell more of these gadgets every time the power goes off. The Invisible Hand at work!
That’s great. I have suspected the reason that solar is so expensive in the US is because it has been subsidized and regulated by goverment for 30 years.
I am surprised we do not hear more about Gobar (or gober) gas units which use fermenting manure (animal or human) or other natural by-products to produce methane. This can be used for cooking, lighting and limited electrical production. Its use is growing rapidly in places like India and Nepal.
You may have already seen this, but Gizmodo posted an interesting product: Egg Energy.
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I’m starting a “Farming & Technology” initiative in Madagascar and I tried this ToughStuff for my pilot farmers in a very remote area. They are happy with, it has costed me nuts but seems to be very helpful for these guys who have never got light and cell phones at home during their life time.
In Mada, if you need more electricity, even for your laptop f.i, you’ll have to buy a solar kit which will cost min $200. Any cheaper solution somewhere ? I’m trying to give Internet permanent access to my guys using GPRS.
This is very good.
I am ready to sensitize the communities about this good news in Nyanza province Kenya.I am planning to partner up with interested companies and entrepreneurs to start holding community events to sensitize people about solar power any interested party contact me on :seeksm@yahoo.co.uk
if i need one how do i go about getting it , where are you based … am in nairobi.. need one with 4 – 5 lamps , charger for phone and cameras
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