Electricity distributor Kenya Power has announced plans to join the solar business with the aim of curbing consumer switch, protecting its long-term revenues
According to the utility power they will scout for customers seeking to have solar panels installed on their rooftops and contract private firms to do the job under a design-build-finance and operate (DBFO) model.
โConsumers will benefit from cheaper solar energy generated during sunny hours… The solar plants will include storage with minimum autonomy to cancel out effect of short-duration supply interruptions which has been a major cause of concern among some commercial and industrial customers,โ said the authority.
โKPLC will undertake the role of project development by liaising with interested commercial and industrial customers who will provide rooftop space or ground space for installation of the PV (photovoltaic) modules. A private sector investor will then be selected competitively through a request for proposal (RFP) to develop and operate the grid tied captive solar plants at the customer premises,โ Kenya Power added.
Switch to solar
Kenya Power would then sell the generated power at a discounted rate to the owners of homes and office blocks hosting its solar plants. Excess electricity would be distributed to homes and commercial entities adjacent to the solar panels which will remain the property of Kenya Power and the private investors installing them.
Globally, a shift to solar batteries has also become popular among power grid companies which viewed the energy stored as a way of saving big cash on new poles and wires. Several companies, universities and factories have turned to solar photovoltaic (PV) grid-tied systems to supply power for internal use to ensure reliable supply and reduced operational costs.
High power consumers such as Africa Logistics Properties (ALP), Mombasa International Airport, the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (Icipe) have recently commissioned solar power units on their properties.
