Nairobi developers go green with solar

Last Updated 13 years ago by Kenya Engineer

Deep inside Nairobi’s leafy Karen estate, one drives into an unfamiliar but charming gated community that has gone green with solar power.

Safeway Hypermarket, the property developer that is behind the estate, has installed solar street lights in the entire village of more than 30 homes aiming at providing a permanent solution to persistent power problems.

It is also a cost cutting measure that will see the developer’s outdoor lighting costs go down drastically as he moves from the traditional thermal energy powered outdoor lamps to the natural.

Investors in solar power say that though it comes with heavy initial costs, it amounts to a near lifetime investment that removes the burden of monthly payment of electricity bills.

Each installment is Sh190,000 including the pole, lamp, battery charger and solar panel.

Batteries

In the more recent times as the world struggles with the challenge of meeting its rising energy needs, solar lighting has proven to be a dependable source that can be used for a wide variety of tasks including cooking, heating water, charging batteries and lighting.

Besides, research has proved that solar bulbs use less energy compared to electric bulbs while serving the same purpose.

At Safeway Karen, the street lights use less 10 per cent less energy than ordinary ones, which means a 40 watt solar bulb illumination equals the brightness offered by a 400 watt electric bulb.

Solar lighting poles are distinctively different from the usual grid-light poles. They have two additional components – a solar panel on the top and a box containing the rechargeable battery just below the bulb.

These savings have led some homeowners into considering shifting from the costly electric power connections that have become unreliable due to regular supply cuts.

Outdoor lighting is a vital component for any neighbourhood, from the home to the streets. More recently, demand for street lighting has been on the rise mainly for security reasons and to reduce night accidents.

It is this demand that is attracting companies such as Davis & Shirtliff, better known for its water solutions, into the street lighting business with their new brand, Dayliff.

The company initially rolled out the solar product at the Tusky’s Mall in Mombasa, in December 2011. Karen’s Safeway estate is their latest customer.

“Our new Dayliff solar street lights are tailor made for freeways, municipal and private estates, where reliable night time lighting is essential for vision and security, and they also offer a meaningful solution to daily power problems in Kenya,” said David Gatende, deputy CEO of Davis & Shirtliff Limited, earlier this month.