Solar energy is a renewable and affordable natural source of energy. Due to the rising cost of electricity, solar power has become quite popular in Kenya.
Many people are opting to install solar solutions in their homes with the objective of totally eliminating their KPLC electricity bill or reducing it.
In places where electricity is unavailable or where blackouts are the norm, alternative energy is the better option because of its low maintenance cost.
The cost of running and maintaining solar is very small compared to electricity or a generator.
Some of its common uses at home are;
- To light up houses
- To heat water
- To power on electronics
- To pump water from wells or boreholes
- To light up security lights
- To cook
There are several solar systems solutions but it basic components are;
Panel-This is a glass like panel that is mounted on a roof to capture the rays of the sun during the day.
Battery-This is a battery that stores the energy from the sun that is captured during the day to be used at night.
Inverter-This a gadget that converts the electricity stored in batteries in form of direct current(DC) to alternating current (AC) that is used to power electronic gadgets.
If you are planning to install solar solutions in your home, below are the costs of panels, batteries and inverters from 3 main solar companies in Kenya. I.e. Chloride Exide, Davis and Shirtliff and Sollatek.
Chloride Exide solar panels, batteries and inverters
Chloride Exide is a reputable company from Kenya that has been in existence for over 25years.
Its products have been tried and tested as they have installed a wide range of them in residential, commercial and industrial institutions.
The tables below show a breakdown of the cost of chloride Exide panels, solar batteries and inverters.
Chloride Exide panels cost
| Chloride Exide Panels | Type | Price(Ksh) |
| 12 W | PB | 850 |
| 13 W | UB | 930 |
| 14 W | C | 1,000 |
| 15 W | UB and PB | 1,070 |
| 20 W | PB | 1,420 |
| 30 W | UB and PB | 2,140 |
| 40 W | UB and PB | 2,850 |
| 50 W | UB and PB | 3,560 |
| 60 W | UB and PB | 4,270 |
| 65 W | PB | 4,630 |
| 80 W | UB | 5,700 |
| 85 W | PB | 6,050 |
| 100 W | Dyna, PB,UB and Poly | 7,120 |
| 120 W | UB and PB | 8,550 |
| 140 W | UB | 9,970 |
| 160 W | UB and PB | 11,400 |
| 200 W | UB and Poly | 14,240 |
| 250 W | UB and PB | 17,810 |
| 260 W | PB | 18,520 |
| 265 W | UB | 18,870 |
| 270 W | PB | 19,230 |
| 275 W | Mono,PB,Poly | 19,590 |
| 285 W | UB | 20,330 |
| 300 W | UB and PB | 21,370 |
| 320 W | UB and PB | 22,790 |
| 325 W | Mono,PB,Poly | 23,150 |
| 335 W | UB | 23,860 |
| 345 W | UB | 24,570 |
| 350 W | Mono | 24,930 |
Chloride Exide battery cost
| Chloride Exide Battery | Price(Ksh) |
| Gaston 100 AH 12V | 28,420 |
| Cell Tubular 100 AH 12V | 27,840 |
| Cell Tubular 200 AH 12V | 57,250 |
| Ritah Power 200 AH 12V | 49,330 |
| Eastman 200 AH | 49,760 |
| Eastman 100 AH 12V | 48,720 |
| Cell Nxt 100 AH 12V | 28,620 |
| Rita Power 100 AH 12V | 28,620 |
| Cell Tubular 200 AH 12V | 52,250 |
| Ritah Power 2000 AH | 191,400 |
Chloride Exide inverter cost
| Chloride Exide Inverter | Price(Ksh) |
| MULT TYPE | |
| +812 W | 97,440 |
| +824 W | 97,440 |
| +1212 W | 118,440 |
| +1612 W | 137,340 |
| +1624 W | 137,340 |
| +2024 W | 176,440 |
| +3024 W | 208,800 |
| +3048 W | 155,440 |
| 24/500 | 54,520 |
| 5KVA | 290,000 |
| SOLAR TYPE | |
| 1000 | 37,860 |
| 12150 | 12,880 |
| TR 1524 | 136,070 |
| 2024 W | 251,260 |
| 2000 | 52,080 |
| 3024 renewable | 277,700 |
| 3000 | 59,280 |
| 150 W | 2,540 |
| 300 W xantrex | 7,660 |
| 300 W Giandel | 3,250 |
| 500 W | 12,990 |
| PHONEIX TYPE | |
| 12/350 W | 18,440 |
| 12/375 W | 20,180 |
| 12/500 W | 23,430 |
| 12/800 W | 43,850 |
| 12/1200 W | 56,260 |
Davis and Shirtliff solar panels, batteries and inverters
Famously known for being a supplier of water related equipment’s, Davis and Shirtliff also supply solar solutions. Over the years, they have distributed high quality equipment’s to a large number of companies in Kenya and the world.
Below is a breakdown of the costs of Davis Shirtliff panels, batteries and inverters.
Davis and Shirtliff panels cost
| Davis and Shirtliff panels | Price |
| 100 W | 6,380 |
| 125 W | 7,975 |
| 150 W | 9,570 |
| 200 W | 10,904 |
| 275 W | 14,355 |
| 330 W | 17,226 |
Davis and Shirtliff battery prices
| Davis and Shirtliff Battery | Price(KSh) |
| 100 AH 12 V | 27,492 |
| 15 AH 12 V | 40,600 |
| 200 AH 12 V | 52,200 |
Davis and Shirtliff Inverter Prices
| Davis and Shirtliff Solar Inverter | Price(Ksh) |
| 350 12VDC | 9,628 |
| 600 12VDC | 18,560 |
| 1000 12VDC | 28,536 |
| 1500 12VDC | 45,936 |
| 2000 12VDC | 58,232 |
| Opti sp effecto 1000 | 68,440 |
| Opti sp effecto 2000 | 88,160 |
| Opti sp effecto 3000 | 102,080 |
| Opti sp effecto 4000 | 170,520 |
| Opti sp effecto 5000 | 199,520 |
| Vispra 1000 w | 30,740 |
| Vispra 2000 w | 38,500 |
| Vispra 3000 w | 78,880 |
| Vispra 1000 w | 251,260 |
| 1 KW Dayliff Power Backup | 67,500 |
| 2 KW Dayliff Power Backup | 111,300 |
| 3 KW Dayliff Power Backup | 165,000 |
| 5 KW Dayliff Power Backup | 296,000 |
Sollatek solar panels, batteries and inverters
Its parent company ‘Sollatek UK’ was founded in 1983 and has rapidly grown to become a global power in solar solutions. Its Kenya outfit has been in operation since 1983 and is in charge of distributing Sollatek energy solutions across the East African region.
Because of their wide clientele, they have established service centers in Nairobi, Kisumu, Mombasa and Meru, Dar Salaam, Arusha and Kampala.
The tables below outlines the costs of Sollatek panels, batteries and inverters.
Sollatek panels prices
| Sollatek panels | Price(Ksh) |
| 14 W | 1,500 |
| 20 W | 3,506 |
| 30 W | 3,637 |
| 45 W | 4,469 |
| 60 W | 5,301 |
| 80 W | 7,410 |
| 130 W | 8,864 |
Sollatek batteries prices
| Sollatek Battery | Price |
| 100 AH Gel battery | 28,500 |
| 200 AH Gel battery | 61,700 |
Sollatek Inverter prices
| Sollatek Inverter | Price (Ksh) |
| Powerback up linear 850 VA | 22,230 |
| Sollatek Inverter 1500 VA | 31,610 |
| Powerback up system PB 5000 | 170,230 |
Conclusion
Since the signing of the Paris agreement act that aims at reducing carbon emissions by 2030, the costs of solar solutions has reduced greatly.
As the world is moving towards cleaner and renewable energy sources, solar is leading the curve as the most preferred green energy.
