☀ Solar guides

Know before you buy solar

Straight answers on costs, sizing, batteries, blackouts and installers, written for Kenyan homes, farms and businesses.

Completed 3.6 kW rooftop solar panel installation on a family home in Kenya

How Much Does Solar Installation Cost in Kenya? A 2026 Buyer's Guide

What drives the cost of solar installation in Kenya, how to read a quote line by line, how to work out payback, and how to avoid paying for the wrong system.

7 min readRead →

Small solar panel on the iron-sheet roof of a rural Kenyan home with a satellite dish, a typical off-grid solar setup

Choosing a system

Hybrid vs Off-Grid vs Grid-Tied Solar in Kenya: Which System Do You Need?

Grid-tied, hybrid or off-grid solar? A plain-English comparison for Kenyan homes and businesses: blackouts, bills, batteries, cost and who each system suits.

8 min readRead →

Downtown Nairobi skyline lit up at night

Blackout backup

Solar Backup for KPLC Blackouts: How to Keep Your Home Running When the Grid Fails

How solar backup keeps your Kenyan home or business running during KPLC blackouts: what it powers, how long batteries last, and how to size it.

8 min readRead →

Solar data analyst in Kenya working on energy data across two laptops

Sizing

What Size Solar System Do I Need? A Step-by-Step Sizing Guide for Kenyan Homes

Work out the right solar system size for your home from your KPLC bill or appliance list: kWh, kW, panel count, inverter and battery size, explained simply.

7 min readRead →

Batteries

Lithium vs Lead-Acid Solar Batteries in Kenya: Which Should You Buy?

Lithium (LiFePO4) or lead-acid solar batteries? Compare lifespan, usable capacity, cost per cycle, maintenance and safety to choose the right battery in Kenya.

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Water from a solar-powered pump flowing into a concrete storage tank in Otho Abwao, Kenya

Farms & water

Solar Water Pumping in Kenya: A Farmer's Guide to Boreholes, Irrigation and Livestock

How solar water pumps work, how to size one for your borehole, well or river, and how they compare with diesel and grid pumps for Kenyan farms and estates.

7 min readRead →

Evacuated tube solar water heater with a stainless-steel storage tank on a tiled roof

Water heating

Solar Water Heaters in Kenya: Types, Sizing and How Much You Can Save

Cut electric shower and geyser costs with a solar water heater. Evacuated tube vs flat plate, pressurised vs gravity, and sizing for Kenyan homes.

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Aisle inside a Naivas supermarket in Ongata Rongai, Kenya, a business with high daytime electricity use

Business solar

Commercial Solar in Kenya: How Businesses Cut Energy Costs and Beat Downtime

A practical guide to commercial solar for Kenyan businesses: load profiles, demand charges, sizing, hybrid backup, payback and what to expect from an installer.

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Trainees practising solar PV installation on training rigs during a solar technician course in Nairobi

Buying advice

How to Choose a Solar Installer in Kenya: 12 Questions to Ask (and EPRA Licences Explained)

Twelve questions to ask any solar company in Kenya, how EPRA licences work, red flags to avoid and how to compare solar quotes fairly.

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Kenya Power substation at Gigiri, Nairobi, with transmission towers against a blue sky

Grid & regulations

Net Metering in Kenya: How It Works, Who Qualifies and Whether It's Worth It

How net metering works for solar owners in Kenya: exporting surplus power for bill credit, the process, and how it affects sizing and payback.

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