German renewable energy company, ecoligo GmbH, has connected Kenya’s first ever floating solar energy plant at the Rift Valley Roses flower farm. The 69kWp floating solar power plant is located near Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. The solar system floats on one of the farm’s water tanks, and is expected to reduce the environmental impact of the farm.
The floating solar plant features German equipment, with 216 solar modules supplied by Solarwatt and four Kaco inverters. The system complements an earlier 75kWp installation on the roof of the farm’s buildings, which has been in operation since 2019.
The floating solar plant cover 60% of the farm’s electricity needs
Ecoligo says the two solar photovoltaic systems will allow the farm to avoid 136 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. “The grid-connected installations also reduce the farm’s dependence on electricity supplied by the state-owned Kenya Power, as they now cover 60% of its needs. The new technology also reduces Rift Valley Roses’ electricity bills,” said the company.
The solar systems will also reduce the farm’s electricity bill whilst also reducing the farm’s dependence on electricity supplied by the state-owned Kenya Power Corporation (KPLC), as the systems cover 60% of the farm’s electricity needs.
Ecoligo crowdfunded the floating solar plant
Ecoligo in 2019 successfully raised enough investment through its crowdfunding platform to finance the first solar system on the farm, the 75 kW facility. The company subsequently managed to generate €126,000 from small scale investors for the financing of a floating solar plant for the Rift Valley Roses flower farm in Naivasha, Kenya.
“Private investors have the opportunity to put their money into sustainable projects, do something good for the environment and even profit from it with a return of up to 7% per year,” says the solar energy provider.
The solarisation of the Rift Valley Roses farm is supported by the Renewable Energy Solutions programme. Coordinated by the German energy agency Deutsche Energie-Agentur (Dena), the programme aims to support companies in the acquisition and installation of renewable energy technologies. The programme is also supported by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy through the German Energy Solutions Initiative. This other initiative supports the adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions.
