“Do solar power systems in Kenya require high upfront investment cost?”
“What happens next after I install solar? Who takes care of the maintenance?”
“How much savings can I really achieve from installing solar for my home in Kenya?”
Sound familiar? As a homeowner, you may have asked yourself these questions when you were considering investing in solar energy for your home. Solar for home has been known to provide advantages for homeowners such as lower electric bills, lower carbon emissions, increasing your property value and more.
With the benefits of clean energy posed to benefit homeowners greatly, get to know the basics of owning a home solar power system and what the journey is like so you can make the most of this resource.
What Does Solar Power for My Home Mean?
Solar PV panels for homes are normally positioned at open and radiant regions, usually found on house rooftops. These panels are made up of PV cells that are connected electrically to generate energy directly from the sunlight. Kenya’s tropical climate makes it an ideal medium to generate clean energy for the entire year.
Under the current policy for residential solar, the Net Energy Metering by Kenya Power, the solar energy generated will be consumed by your building first and the excess energy will be exported into the national grid to offset your TNB bill. This excess energy will be recorded in a credit form by a bi-directional meter and energy credit will be then offset on a “one-on-one” basis per kWh unit.
There are various strides to follow to power your home with solar energy. Your clean energy solutionist will provide you with more insights and approaches on how you can make the most of your investment, as well as all you need to know about the overall journey including:
- Is My Home Suitable for Solar?
- Site Study: Studying Your Home’s Energy Consumption & its Roof Space
- Survey Your Options to Adopt Solar
- Order and Payment Confirmation: What’s Next?
Is My Home Suitable for Solar?
To install solar for your home, making an assessment of your property is essential before starting your journey. Clean energy is best installed on landed property and with high monthly energy bills. These two factors will guarantee that you can make full use of your solar PV system and make the most of your investment.
For a more comprehensive analysis, source a solar energy company with a strong track record and licensed by EPRA who are dedicated to making your investment worthwhile. By having an expert provide the analysis and necessary insights, you will be able to make a more informed decision.
Site Study: Studying Your Home’s Energy Consumption & its Roof Space
Determine whether your roof is suitable for solar energy through online tools as they will help you with this assessment and make the necessary steps. These online tools help you to visualize the size of the solar energy system, pricing and energy consumption. In order to generate such a report, you would need to provide key information about your property such as your monthly energy bills and home address.
One example of these online tools is Jesaton Design, where you can design your own solar PV system by locating your address and adding the amount of your recent monthly energy bills.
With the relevant information, you are ready to outfit your home with solar power!
Survey Your Options to Adopt Solar
Now, for the big moment everyone is waiting for, what about the cost? Solar energy has been known to cost as much as a car which may include hidden fees, maintenance fees, installer charges and more.
With the existing clean / renewable energy policies and technological development, solar is no longer expensive, shortening payback periods over the years. There are many ways to adopt clean energy for your home, with the most widely known as outright purchase. Similar to how you would pay for a massage chair or a water purifier, after the contractual period is over, under this rent-to-own solar program, you can generate clean energy for free as the system will be under your ownership.
Order and Payment Confirmation: What’s Next?
As you are getting ready to purchase solar for your home, be sure that you are aware of the warranties, maintenance and after-sales service that comes with your system as there are service providers with minimal maintenance arrangements.
Be sure to look out for the following maintenance services for your system:
- Product Warranties:
- What are the terms?
- Defect(s) Liability Period (DLP):
- What is the duration?
- What is under the DLP scope and its exclusions?
- What are the associated charges to the defect rectification work?
- Preventive Maintenance
- Does the scope of full maintenance include electrical inspection and cleaning of panels?
- What is the duration of the maintenance period and its frequency?
The above factors are important for consumers to know when making the switch to clean energy.
Why Solar for Your Home?
Solar energy is one of the most significant environmentally friendly power sources that have been evolving for the past decade, especially in Kenya. When compared with the rest of the renewable energy resources, solar energy is the most viable and scalable option as you would only need roof space to install this resource where you can power sustainability for your home and your community.
By signing up for Jesaton Solar For Home, you can save up to 90% of your monthly energy bill and enjoy 5 years of inclusive maintenance as we ensure you are getting the most out of your investment. If you are interested in learning more about home solar panels system & cost, contact us at hello@jesaton.co.ke Call: 0715 020605
