A 1300kw (1.3MW) grid tied solar PV solution for a foot wear manufacturer in Mombasa. Being such a new player in the industry, it was a huge achievement to be awarded this project, especially given the magnitude of it. By this point we had successfully commissioned 1 project, with 2 still being installed, making this our forth. We had only been in the industry for a short time, but the fact that such a well renowned manufacturer opted to go ahead with us spoke mountains of the quality of our work. Today this customer of ours has been accredited by Energy Management Awards 2021 for implementing renewable energy.
A second reason why this was a great achievement is because this was our first Solar PV project in Mombasa, which came with a new set of logistical challenges that we faced head on. It was a great learning opportunity as our end goal is to be the largest solar PV solution providers across Africa, and expanding within our country was the first step toward the right direction.
Finally, taking on this project meant building our technical team with the same skill and knowledge level as our core team. The reason this is an achievement is because it gave us the opportunity to give back to the community by educating, training and empowering the work force.
Background
It is known that a foot wear manufacturer uses tremendous electric loads for processing. Over the last few years, the cost of power in Kenya has been increasing, thereby increasing the cost of producing footwear. It must be noted that this clients target audience is the common Kenyan, with huge demand for simple rubber slippers costing no more than 110 Kenyan shillings (approximately $10). In addition, Chinese imports entered the Kenyan market with very competitive pricing (because the cost of raw materials is far lower in China than in Kenya), making it more affordable than locally manufactured shoes. The lack of availability for cheaper raw materials meant the client had to look for alternate ways of cutting costa- being electricity since it was the major growing cost.
This is the point we entered with a solar PV solution that instantly slashed power costs by 27% in the first month alone! We supplied a state of the art, high end solar PV solution, built by using only tier 1 rated components so that the long term benefits of lower costs of production are also enjoyed by the end user. These efforts have been noticed by The Energy Management Committee thereby awarding our client with a trophy for implementing renewable energy to facilitate production.
Impact on the African Solar Industry.
The impact of this installation to our customer: 1.95 million units of electricity is generated annually by this Solar PV plant, thereby allowing a saving of unto 30% per annum on electricity costs. Such a saving means lower cost of goods, and ultimately lower prices for the end consumer, which in this case is your average Kenyan citizen. The long term impact on a Kenyan citizen, would mean greater household income as a basic necessity such as rubber slippers has now reduced in price. Being in this economic climate, we all know just how much of a difference even a 10% saving would be to your average Kenyan. The trickledown effect of such an installation can greatly impact Kenya’s standard of living as a whole.
In the larger picture, will now reduce over 40,000 Tons of CO2 over its lifetime. Given the success of the project coupled with the rate at which manufacturers are onboarding Solar PV Solutions, will lead to an overall drastic improvement in Africa’s carbon footprint. Moreover, If manufacturers pass on the lower cost of goods sold to the end user, overall standards of living for the average African will increase.
