Thursday, October 22, 2026

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What’s happening with rooftop solar in Kenya

Kenya

Solar power

Kenya Power is pressing for mandatory global standards on battery storage as rooftop solar installations spread across homes and businesses in Kenya.

The utility wants systems with enough storage to steady the grid when sunlight is strong and demand on the national network changes. With that setup, excess electricity from solar panels could be sold back to the grid through an official arrangement.

New rules already give smaller producers a path to do that. Under the Net-Metering Regulations of 2024, people with power plants of up to one megawatt can sign agreements with Kenya Power and supply surplus power to the network.

At the same time, the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority has introduced a dumping surcharge for electricity sent into the Kenya Power grid without approval or a valid net-metering agreement. Homes and businesses that do so can be billed at the base tariff, and unauthorised connections can also be disconnected if they threaten safety or the reliability of the system.

Kenya Power has tied the issue to wider pressure on the national grid from intermittent renewable energy, especially when solar output rises during daytime peak demand.

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