Solarcentury to develop East Africa’s largest solar rooftop system

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Solarcentury has developed a number of landmark solar projects in Kenya, and will now be building East Africa’s largest solar rooftop system in the country. Not only that, but it will also be the largest solar system in Kenya’s manufacturing industry, saving London Distillers huge amounts of money on its energy costs in the process.

The large hybrid system will have a capacity close to 1MWp, which will be sufficient to power London Distillers’ entire building in Athi River, Kenya, during daylight hours. It will work in parallel with the energy grid, or the buildings’ diesel generator.

It was a shrew investment from the company, as it should save London Distillers $180,000 on energy bills for at least the next 25 years, although it should only take six years to be fully paid for.

“We are always looking for ways to improve the cost efficiency of our operations and protect the environment, and investing in solar presented us with a solution for both these ambitions,” commented Mohan Galot, chairman of London Distillers. “We worked with Solarcentury to review our long-term energy needs, and help us understand the most effective solar solution for our company.”

And Solarcentury is not planning on hanging around, as the company said that it expects the system to be up and running by the end of this year. “We are excited to be delivering the largest commercial rooftop solar system in East Africa,” said Solarcentury director Guy Lawrence. “This solar investment makes London Distillers a pioneer company in the manufacturing sector and also demonstrates a genuine commitment to reducing its environmental impact.”

Kenya is becoming a popular location for the British company, as this will be the fourth hybrid system that Solarcentury will have developed in the country. It’s not the first time that it has undertaken milestone projects in the country either, as a 1MWp solar project for Changoi Tea Farm in 2014, was the largest in East Africa at the time, and the $2.5 million project for Nairobi-based International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology earlier this year, was the largest solar investment in Kenya to date.

“This is the fourth solar hybrid project we are building in Kenya,” commented Solarcentury spokesperson Sarah Allison. “So our business in Kenya is certainly going strong, with a variety of projects – roof, ground, carport, and a project involving 3 systems that will include solar + storage, for an insect research facility.”

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