According to the nation’s energy minister, Kenya is building 136 solar-powered mini-grids in remote locations that are inadequately supplied by the national electrical grid.
In recent years, off-grid solar power, promoted by start-ups, has grown in popularity in Africa for households disconnected from major energy networks.
There are more than 3,000 installed solar mini-grids in sub-Saharan Africa, up from 500 in 2010, the World Bank said. Another 9,000 are planned, according to the bank, including the ones to be constructed in Kenya.
“The national electricity grid is yet to reach some parts of the country,” Energy Minister Davis Chirchir said at a World Bank-sponsored meeting on solar energy.
The new solar mini-grids are part of a $150 million Programme funded by the World Bank.
Powered by solar panels, the grids use batteries and backup generators to provide electricity independent of the main national grids.
Although Kenya generates a large chunk of its electricity from renewable sources such as hydropower and geothermal, it runs dozens of diesel-powered generation units following years of drought.
According to Chirchir, the government has financing from development partners to switch the diesel-powered units to more affordable and environmentally friendly sources.
According to the World Bank, solar energy has the potential to provide 380 million people in sub-Saharan Africa with access to power by 2030 due to the region’s profusion of sunshine.
