3 Types Of Solar Installations In Kenya: What Are Your Options?

What Are The 3 Types Of Solar Installations In Kenya

There are three main types of solar PV and storage systems in Kenya: grid-tied, grid/hybrid and off-grid.

They all have their advantages and disadvantages and it really comes down to the customer’s current energy demand,

And what they want to get out of the system.

Grid-tied system

A grid-tied system is a basic solar installation that uses a standard grid-tied inverter and does not have any battery storage.

This is perfect for customers who are already on the grid and want to add solar to their house.

Grid-tied systems are simple to design and are very cost effective because they have relatively few components.

The main objective of a grid-tied system is to lower your energy bill.  Read: How To Reduce Or Eliminate Your Rising Power Bill In Kenya

One disadvantage of this type of system is that when the power goes out, so does your system.

Grid-tied inverters have to automatically disconnect when they don’t sense the grid.

This means that you cannot provide power during an outage or an emergency and you can’t store energy for later use.

Grid-tied system with battery back-up

The next type of system is a grid tied system with battery back-up, otherwise known as a grid-hybrid system.

This type of system is ideal for customers who are already on the grid who know that they want to have battery back-up.

Good candidates for this type of system are customers who are prone to power outages in their area,

Or generally just want to be prepared for outages.

With this type of system, you get the best of both worlds because you’re still connected to the grid while also lowering your utility bill.

At the same time, if there’s a power outage you have back up.

Battery based grid-tied systems provide power during an outage and you can store energy for use in an emergency.

You are able to back up essential loads such as lighting and appliances when the power is out.

You can also use energy during peak demand times because you can store the energy in your battery bank for later use.

Read: Here’s Why We Recommend SimpliPhi Batteries to Our Clients In Kenya Switching To Solar

Off-grid system the last option of the 3 Types Of Solar Installations In Kenya

Off-grid systems are great for customers who can’t easily connect to the grid.

This may be because of geographical location or high cost of bringing in the power supply.

Read: Here’s A Green Energy Alternative To Using Generators in Kenya.

In most cases, it doesn’t make much sense for a person connected to the grid to completely disconnect and do an off-grid system.

The benefits of an off grid system is that a person can become energy self-sufficient and can power remote places away from the grid.

You also have fixed energy costs and won’t be getting a bill from your energy use. 

Another neat aspect of off grid systems is that they are modular and you can increase the capacity as your energy needs grow.

You can start out with a small, budget-conscious system and add on over time.