Developing new solutions and building capacity to unlock the potential of solar thermal in East Africa 

Partners: Solariskit, Strathmore, Energy Research Centre

Country: Kenya, Rwanda

Technology: Next generation solar technologies and business models

Stage: Mid 

Stage: 9

SolarisKit successfully developed its low-cost flat-packable solar collector, improving its performance while reducing its cost. While the collector is a core component of a solar hot water system, other components are also required contributing to its overall cost.

This project focuses on developing a new low-cost solar pump controller with fuzzy logic, and plastic hydraulic piping kit to further reduce total system cost. By the end of our 24 month project, we will develop a new low-cost solar thermal system suitable for the African market, create a Centre of Excellence for the Installation of Solar Thermal Systems, complete the training of 10-15 technicians, and carry out the installation of approximately 150 collectors for training and commercial pilots.