East African rooftop photovoltaic panel manufacturer

United Aryan EPZ Ltd (UAL), one of Sub-Saharan Africa's apparel manufacturers, recently inaugurated its brand new 1.8MWp rooftop solar plant in Kenya, making it the largest operational rooftop solar facility in East Africa. The 1.8MWp solar plant consists of 3,334 solar panels and has an annual generation capacity of 2.3GWh.

Its current manufacturing capacity is 140,000 solar panels per year, and it is now set to double this within the next 18 months to meet rising demand in East Africa. Over the past decade, the prices of solar panels have gone down, making them more affordable for households in off-grid areas.

In 2011 a group of investors opened Kenya's first solar panel manufacturing plant in Naivasha, about a 90 minute drive from the capital Nairobi. Solinc, formerly known as Ubbink East Africa, manufactures solar panels of 20W to 250W.

Africa has significant potential to become a leader in solar power generation and solar PV manufacturing. However, the continent faces several challenges, including market concentration, technological limitations, and financial constraints.

Silicon, a key input for the production of c-Si solar PV cells, is also found in Africa, albeit in smaller quantities compared to global leaders like China. Nonetheless, Africa's mineral wealth represents a significant opportunity for the continent to leverage its natural resources to become a player in the global solar PV market.

This hybrid system features 5.2 MWp of ground-mounted solar power, complemented by 4 MW/8.256 MWh of BESS. Once completed, it will be the first wheeling project in East & Central Africa, setting a new benchmark for the region's renewable energy development.