Solar lighting system targets rural Kenya

Company hopes to provide illumination for off-grid homes with products powered by the sun's rays

Riding on the Belt and Road Initiative, Shenzhen Power-Solution Industries Co, a Guangdong province-based maker of solar powered lighting products, hopes to penetrate and control a significant share of the African market.

The company has been participating in trade fairs in Kenya and other African countries over the past three years in an effort to showcase its products. Through the fairs, the company has been able to sign deals with several distributors and looks forward to signing more.

The company hopes to distribute its products in rural Africa, especially in areas not served by a power grid, says company Vice-President Susan Lee.

Lee says most homes on the continent, especially in rural areas, are off the grid and rely on kerosene and candles.

During China Trade Week in Nairobi, Kenya, from June 29 to July 1, the company launched a new product, a solar-powered home system customized for Kenya's off-grid population.

The system, with a retail price of 2,300 Kenyan shillings ($22), can provide lighting for up to four rooms, has an integrated torch for outdoor lighting and a highly luminous wall light, and can recharge cell phones.

"When the battery is fully charged, it can last for eight hours while lighting three bulbs, 16 hours for torch usage and eight to 10 hours for wall lighting. The battery takes eight hours to be fully charged," says Lee.

In East Africa, Lee's company looks at growing the Kenyan market first, after which it will target other regional markets. "Once we penetrate the Kenyan market, we will replicate the success to Ethiopia, Sudan and Congo, among other East African countries," she says.

"We have been able to grow and maintain our market share through manufacturing quality products, issuing a one-year warranty and having our product certified by Lighting Global," she says.

Lighting Global is the World Bank Group's platform for supporting sustainable growth of the international off-grid solar market. Its aim is to rapidly increase energy access to 1.2 billion people without grid electricity.

edithmutethya@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Africa Weekly 06/30/2017 page28)