Strategic trinity holds key
Steam emitted at geothermal well in Olkaria KenGen power stations, Naivasha, Nakuru County in this picture taken on June 2020.
What you need to know:
- The energy sector is the most closed to local investments.
- Hence, the loss-making monopoly utility will just pass on its inefficiencies to the consumer.
Better many U-boats than few super warships is a saying that best elaborates the energy strategy premised on the objective of having a million households with a solar system of one kilowatt and above (a total of one gigawatt).
That could surpass the current output by Kenya’s power stations and the resulting oversupply would make our manufacturing cheaper, quality of life richer, environment cleaner and create more jobs.
The energy sector is the most closed to local investments. Hence, the loss-making monopoly utility will just pass on its inefficiencies to the consumer; hence power prices will invariably always shoot up.
That revolution can be silent, spearheaded by the power of demand and supply. But a three-pronged strategy need to be executed by three key actors.
One, the government can create an enabling environment through legislation and policy implementation to effect a localised feed-in tariff with net metering to spur investment in high-capacity home solar system (1kWh and above).
Renewable energy
Section 162 of the Energy Act 2019 allows generation of own electricity and feeding the excess to the national grid. Also, have a taxation policy that spurs importation and/or manufacture of solar system components.
Two, saccos are financial sleeping giants; they need to be ‘woke’ that renewable energy is the new gold standard in investments. They can activate the million home solar systems (‘The One Giga Project’). with longer-term financial package for solar energy systems uptake. Good solar system can last 25 years.
Three, embrace innovative and customisable products and service packages by solar companies. There are three categories mini kits prevalent in rural areas and, for the lower pyramid power consumers, off-grid large home solar system ranging from 0.25 kWh to 3 kWh for homes and schools, especially in rural areas and as back-up, and grid-tied solar system.
Grid-tied systems are affordable. And net metering can more than halve the power bill with the consumer paid for excess power generated to the grid.
