4 November 2014: Phocos AG, an off-grid power supply company and member of the Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE), organized a workshop on off-grid photovoltaics (PV) for East African companies. The event focused on the design and optimization of PV systems, as well as on other related innovations available on the market.

The workshop, held from 21-22 October 2014, in Nairobi, Kenya, was geared towards manufacturers, distributors and solar installers in East Africa, and brought together approximately 30 participants from Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Tanzania, Somalia and other East African countries. The event focused on the cost-effectiveness and reliable design of autonomous PV systems. It aimed to: increase awareness regarding the potential of off-grid solutions in the region; introduce new products; and strengthen customer relations.

According to a report on renewable energies carried out by the German embassy in Nairobi, around 30% of the population in Kenya, one of the most developed countries in Africa, still lacks access to electricity. The report further indicates that: in the northern rural areas, less than 5% of all households are connected to the grid, with frequent power outages due to excess demand and inadequate transmission and distribution technology; 68% of the Kenya’s energy comes from biomass, contributing to deforestation and forest degradation; and the rest of the energy comes from burning diesel and kerosene.

Phocos underscored the solar potential of sub-Saharan Africa and stressed that autonomous PV systems, also known as stand-alone systems, not only reduce the consumption of diesel and biomass but also provide energy in remote villages, pastures or mountain huts. [Phocos Press Release]