Sunsafe II

7284276c-f9c4-4d04-9868-c10a71f36c45

Active

Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK

£1,200,090

March 31, 2023

March 31, 2024

The 2019 Kenyan census by the [Kenya National Bureau of Statistics reported that][0] 12.04 million households (50.4%) use grid electricity for lighting and 19.3% use solar hence approximately 30.3% of households are still unconnected. The census placed the grid electricity connection rate at 26% connection for rural areas and 88.4% for urban areas. Additionally, at least 6.6 per cent of the population uses a tin lamp and 2.8 percent rely on firewood for lighting.

Electricity reliability on the grid [remains low at 30%][1], with the census reporting that 8.4 million of the 12.04 million households do not have reliable electricity. Urban areas, which have a higher connection rate, also experience blackouts at least one day a month for [scheduled maintenance by the grid provider][2]. Therefore, even areas considered as having reliable electricity might need backup systems. Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems can electrify unconnected households and provide backup systems if electricity reliability is an issue.

Given unmet electricity needs above, there is a large market for solar PV systems in Kenya, even as the grid expands. These systems fall into two categories: component-based solar systems (CBSS) or plug-and-play systems (PPS). Plug-and-play systems are pre-assembled solar home systems (SHS), while CBS are sold as separate components, which are assembled on-site by technicians into SHS.

CBSS are often preferred by consumers due to their load flexibility (i.e. a system is designed for loads the consumer has and/or wants to power) which allows for [higher tiers of electricity access][3] (increased capacity, reliability), more easily than PPS. Unfortunately, [limited technical knowledge][4] about the design and installation of solar PV, can render CBSS unreliable or unsafe. This lack of knowledge can result in sub-optimally sized systems or systems sold without key components of system safety and functionality, like charge controllers.

This project addresses the identified knowledge gap by developing a system running on a smartphone that digitizes selection of CBSS components thus simplifies system sizing in component-based solar photovoltaic systems. It targets electrical retailers and technicians to ensure that the systems they put together for customers are correctly sized and configured, without requiring sizing knowledge.

[0]: https://www.knbs.or.ke/?wpdmpro=2019-kenya-population-and-housing-census-volume-iv-distribution-of-population-by-socio-economic-characteristics
[1]: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/31333/9781464813610.pdf?sequence=6&isAllowed=y
[2]: https://www.kplc.co.ke/category/view/50/planned-power-interruptions
[3]: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/24368/Beyond0connect0d000technical0report.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
[4]: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2214629621001948