Solar Questions, Answered

It depends entirely on what you want to run and for how long. A small backup system covering lights, Wi-Fi, TV and a fridge through an evening outage is a different job from a system that runs a borehole pump and air conditioning all day. Our shop shows indicative prices for individual components and complete kits, but the honest answer for a whole-home system comes from a site survey. Send us three months of KPLC bills and we will give you a costed design rather than a guess.

For most commercial clients in Kenya the payback period on a well-sized grid-tie system falls within the first half of the system's warranted life, because businesses consume during daylight hours when the panels are producing. Homes take longer, since much of the consumption is in the evening and you are also paying for battery storage. Our savings calculator gives you a rough figure; the site survey gives you a real one.

It can, but that is a design decision rather than an automatic outcome. Most homeowners choose to back up essential circuits — lighting, sockets, fridge, Wi-Fi, water pump — and leave heavy loads like instant showers, cookers and welding equipment on the grid. Backing up everything is possible but significantly increases the inverter and battery cost. We will show you both options with prices.

Lithium iron phosphate costs more upfront but gives you far more usable capacity from the same nominal rating, charges faster on cloudy afternoons, needs no maintenance and lasts several times longer. Over the life of the system the cost per stored unit is lower. Lead-acid still makes sense for tight budgets and remote off-grid sites where replacement is straightforward.

A pressurized system delivers hot water at mains pressure, so your shower feels the same as a cold tap at full flow. A non-pressurized system is gravity-fed from your overhead tank, which costs considerably less but gives you the pressure your tank height provides. If you already have a pressurised plumbing system or want a strong shower, go pressurized.

A solar water heater has no running cost but depends on sunshine, so through the long rains you lean on the backup element. A heat pump uses roughly a quarter of the electricity of a conventional heater and works day, night and through cloud cover. For homes, solar heating usually wins on total cost. For hotels, hospitals and hostels with steady round-the-clock demand, heat pumps are normally the stronger choice.

Yes. We have branches in Naivasha, Nakuru, Nanyuki, Meru, Mlolongo and Fedha alongside our Nairobi head office, and we deliver and install countrywide. Site surveys are free within Nairobi; elsewhere a travel charge applies and is credited back against your order.

A solar water heater is usually a single day. A residential solar PV system with battery storage typically takes two to three days depending on roof access and the wiring runs. Commercial installations are scheduled against your operations so production is not interrupted.

Panels carry a 25-year performance warranty and 12 years on the product. Lithium batteries carry 10 years. Inverters carry five years. Solar water heater tanks carry three to five years depending on model. On top of the manufacturer cover we provide a two-year workmanship warranty, and because we hold local stock and run our own service team, claims are handled here rather than shipped abroad.

Solar water heating and off-grid or hybrid backup systems can be installed without special approval. If you want to export power back to the grid under a net-metering arrangement, that requires an application through Kenya Power and EPRA. We handle that paperwork for commercial clients as part of the project.

We work with clients on staged payment for larger projects, and several Kenyan banks and SACCOs now offer asset financing for solar. Talk to us about your project size and we will outline the options available to you.

Twice a year is the right rhythm in Kenya. Dust build-up is the quiet thief of solar output, and a neglected array can lose a meaningful share of its generation before anyone notices. Servicing also covers connection torque checks, battery health testing and inverter firmware. Our annual maintenance plan covers both visits and gives you priority call-out.