Naivasha — Access to credit enables villagers to buy solar equipment in instalments - easier and cheaper than a grid connection   It is early evening in Ndabibi village in Naivasha, and there are threatening clouds overhead. Kenneth Njoroge quickly parks his motorcyle by the mud structure that serves as his kitchen and rushes into the main house before the rain starts pounding.   Until recently, Njoroge's home northwest.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 13th September 2017

 In East Africa, developers of the Lake Turkana Wind Power project are billing Kenya Power monthly due to its failure to distribute the generated power as a result of a lack of transmission infrastructure.   According to the Daily Nation, this is despite recent discussions between energy ministry officials and the wind farm managers to delay the billing, which would ultimately be passed on to consumers.   Kenya Power managing.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 13th September 2017

 Kenya’s Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has issued an Expression of Interest (EOI) to seek experts to undertake a study on the uptake of the PV technology in Kenya.   The regulator said the study is intended to assess the current status of the solar PV industry in Kenya, establish the capacity of installed solar PV systems, identify the factors hindering the uptake of the technology in Kenya, and recommend measures to.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 13th September 2017

 The United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has signed a $897,192 (Ksh89.7 million) grant for a feasibility study to evaluate the development of three small hydroelectric plants in Kenya.   Virunga Power Kenya Ltd will use the grant to evaluate viability of sites for power generation and propose the best way to connect homes and businesses to clean, reliable electricity.   The study comes as Kenya is diversifying.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 13th September 2017

 In June 2013, Power Africa launched with the goal of doubling access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa by increasing installed generation capacity by 30,000 MW) while adding 60 million new household and business connections by 2030. In February 2016, the U.S. Congress passed the Electrify Africa Act of 2015, which charges Power Africa with increasing installed generation capacity by 20,000 MW, while adding first-time energy access for.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 13th September 2017

 In a statement, USTDA says that the grant funds a feasibility study that will evaluate the viability of the sites for power generation and examines the best approach for connecting the sites to the national grid.   The five plants are expected to collectively add approximately 17 megawatts of renewable energy to Kenya’s generation mix.   The study which was will allow the developers to identify U.S. equipment.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 12th September 2017

 Sub-Saharan Africa needs to get the private sector invested in power generation — and more investment in the transmission sector is “urgent,” says the World Bank in a 2017 report. With 600 million Africans without access to power, the continent faces severe limits to growth in every sector, from health and education to industrialization efforts and infrastructure growth.   “If we do not address the underlying.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 12th September 2017

 The U.S. Trade and Development Agency has announced its support for Saigrene Energy Kenya Ltd., which will help the developer explore the potential for run-of-river hydroelectric projects at five sites in Kenya.   USTDA's support comes in the form of a grant of unspecified value, which will allow for consultancy group Knight Piesold to perform feasibility studies for the five plants.   The objective is twofold. While the.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 12th September 2017

 New York — A new report on Barack Obama's main legacy project for Africa shows it is falling short of his original goal of bringing electricity to 20 million households in Kenya, Tanzania and four other countries by 2018.   Mr Obama's Power Africa initiative, announced in 2013, has so far helped connect only about half the projected number of households, according to the programme's 2017 annual report published on.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 12th September 2017

 It is early evening in Ndabibi village in Naivasha, and there are threatening clouds overhead. Kenneth Njoroge quickly parks his motorcycle by the mud structure that serves as his kitchen and rushes into the main house before the rain starts pounding.   Until recently, Njoroge’s home northwest of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, was poorly lit at night. Most people in Ndabibi are not connected to mains electricity, and rely on.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 12th September 2017

 During ‘Kenya Week’ at the 2017 Astana Expo, the country sought to showcase its merchandise and pedigree in renewable energy, especially geothermal.   The international exposition, themed “Future Energy”, which has been running since June 10 and is set to end on September 10 in Astana, Kazakhstan, has attracted a diversity of chartbuster innovations on energy that seeks efficiency and friendliness to the.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 12th September 2017

 Schools in rural Kenya often suffer through frequent power outages, and energy from the national grid can be expensive. But solar roof tiles from Strauss Energy offer a cheaper, renewable alternative. At the 275-student Gaitheri Secondary School in Murang’a County, the reliable source of electricity has enhanced students’ performance since they can study at night, and allowed the school to give computer.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 12th September 2017