The pitfalls of clean energy transition

As he sips a steaming cup of coffee, he is struggling to communicate on his mobile phone due to an unwanted sound in the background.

But Ng’ang’a Wang’ombe, who looks like a frustrated customer, is not your ordinary customer in this popular coffee shop stopover along the busy Nakuru-Nairobi Highway near Lari trading centre, Kiambu County.

Mr Wang’ombe is worried that one day this noise will kill his startup, which is popular for local and international tourists making a stopover to enjoy the iconic Great Rift Valley escarpment.

Mr Wang’ombe is the owner of this coffee shop named EsQoffee, which he founded to promote coffee to local and international tourists.

“This noise from the generator is a nuisance that I struggle with daily as my efforts to get connected to the national grid have flopped,” he says.

In August 2022, Mr Wang’ombe and his co-partner Gitonga Ken applied for a connection to the national grid.

Their application is still gathering dust at Kenya Power even after paying an installation fee of Sh83,705.

“Operating a cafe along a busy highway without a steady power supply is a big dilemma,” he adds.

The duo has been using a petrol generator to light up their business. “This is environmentally detrimental and costly,” says Mr Wang’ombe. “We spend Sh4,000 daily to buy 20 liters of petrol. In a month, we spend more than Sh120,000,” adds Mr Wang’ombe.

The high fuel prices almost forced them to close shop.

“The generator pollutes the environment and makes us lose many customers,” said Mr Wang’ombe during the first interview in August 2023.

Fast-forward to December 2023, the duo turned to renewable energy solutions to light up their business. With the support of a private investor, they installed a solar energy system at $10,000 (Sh1.6 million).

“Today, our customers enjoy their coffee as we have a reliable power supply with no noise,” says Mr Wang’ombe. But Mr Wang’ombe notes that shifting to solar energy was not a walk in the park.

His story emulates the struggles many small businesses face when seeking to embrace renewable energy.

Mr Wang’ombe and Mr Gitonga faced daunting financial barriers, with the initial installation costs amounting to Sh1.2 million.

Seeking assistance from banks proved challenging as different institutions imposed various requirements. Some demanded a lengthy banking history, while others sought ownership stakes in the cafe. Wang’ombe laments that although most of the potential financiers they approached liked the sustainability concept, none of them was willing to fund it.

“The process taught me that obtaining funds for a solar kit is more challenging than securing a car loan in Kenya,” he told Climate Action.

Their fortunes changed when they found a private investor willing to support the installation of a solar kit. Armed with USD10,000, EsQoffee secured and installed a solar kit comprising 10 panels, allowing the cafe to operate for 16 hours daily.

Today, the clean and quiet installation keeps all operations in the cafe going, with motorists stopping by for a cup of coffee in the picturesque environment.

Although he wishes he could have budgeted for more panels to achieve 24-hour operation, Mr Wang’ombe is grateful for the positive impact on the environment and his business.

Beyond embracing renewable energy, Mr Wangombe and his partner are committed to sustainable practices.

They source organic coffee directly from farmers, use biodegradable cups and promote tree planting by providing customers with tree seedlings.

The cafe also maximises the reuse of waste, creating products such as fridge deodorants and coffee scrubs.

EsQoffee has ‘a buy a cup and plant a seedling initiative’ and has managed to push at least 3,000 tree seeds through this programme.

They also train the youth in sustainable coffee-making processes that incorporate sustainable coffee production and eco-friendly cultivation.

“The coffee shop has trained 13 locals and employed two workers. We train youth to use organic grown berries and water conservation.,” says Mr Wang’ombe.

Ms Janetrix Wambui, a trainee, says she has learned a lot about sustainable practices such as zero waste and recycling practices.

“I have learned how to use clean energy, maximise water usage and manage by-products efficiently,” says Ms Wambui.

As of 2022, Kenya had installed over 170 MW of generation potential from solar power, with nearly two-thirds of that amount having been added to its grid in 2021 alone.

The National Energy Policy 2018 aims to achieve 852 MWp of installed solar capacity by 2037. Solar energy systems can also be used in remote areas without access to the grid. By 2030, the government wants the industry to produce 600 MWp.

It has started several projects across the nation to achieve this goal. They include Samburu Solar (40 MWp), Kisumu’s Kopere Solar Park (22,7 MWp), Witu (40 MWp), Garissa (55MWp), Isiolo County (40 MWp) and Nakuru (25MWp).

The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority Director General Kiptoo Bargoria says they have issued generation licences to investors wishing to venture into solar energy.

“We aim to ensure quality in the solar power value chain so that consumers get full value for their money,” says Mr Bargoria.

Energy economist Thuo Njoroge says the major roadblock to clean energy is the lack of financial support from lenders.

“Investors need massive financial support to encourage them to adopt solar energy, which is environmentally sustainable,” says Mr Njoroge.

[email protected]