I think this (No "simple" Solar) has more to do with "job/revenue protection" - I mean - if many people had solar PV panels and didn't need energy from the Grid - who would then buy electricity? Of course, if the Electricity Company installs lots of PV and then sells that electricity to consumers - no problem! (tongue in cheek)... Any reasonable electrician can re-arrange an electric board for solar power, add an inverter, PV's, batteries - etc. I've actually done this myself (in South Africa) using Victron equipment (Victron Multiplus 48/5000/70). I have just under 10KWh of LiFePO4 batteries - which can last a good 8 hours. I'm not off-grid yet - need more PV panels - which will only happen with a roof change (I currently have thatch). I then paid an electrician to come inspect it and provide a Certificate of Compliance (CoC). His only modification was to add some safety stickers. The future looks bleak in South Africa. Most electricity is produced here by burning coal. There are too many fingers in the (money) pie who don't want to see change. We need good leaders to move us away to greener energy and renewable systems - e.g. Electric Cars, Electricity from Solar PV/Wind - etc. On 12/2/20 3:13 PM, awatila--- via kictanet wrote:
It’s really disappointing
We are also having some policy conflict as there was another government policy that required houses to install solar
Regards,
Alex
*From:*kictanet <kictanet-bounces+awatila=yahoo.co.uk@lists.kictanet.or.ke> *On Behalf Of *Alice Munyua via kictanet *Sent:* Sunday, November 29, 2020 12:13 AM *To:* awatila@yahoo.co.uk *Cc:* Alice Munyua <alice@munyua.com> *Subject:* Re: [kictanet] Government moves to stop use of solar energy
Seriously! We can not get a break.
On Nov 28, 2020, at 14:03, Mwendwa Kivuva via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke <mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>> wrote:
https://nation.africa/kenya/business/epra-races-to-strangle-solar-use-3212238?view=htmlamp&__twitter_impression=true <https://nation.africa/kenya/business/epra-races-to-strangle-solar-use-3212238?view=htmlamp&__twitter_impression=true>
The Draft Energy (Solar Photovoltaic Systems) Regulations, 2020 seek to make it a harder and more expensive to manufacture, import, install or maintain solar components and systems and make consumers stick to the expensive and unreliable national power grid.
You will need a bachelor’s degree or three courses in engineering to operate as a solar power technician, if the new guidelines drafted by the energy regulator are implemented.
The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra) has introduced a raft of punitive rules that could stifle the mass switch to cheap solar power by ordinary Kenyans and heavy consumers that has left Kenya Power in financial difficulties.
According to the regulations, a technician must obtain a licence from the authority in order to design, install, commission or repair a solar photovoltaic (PV) system.
The permits are granted, based on the capacity of the system to be installed.
Licence classes STI, ST2 and ST3 are for systems with a capacity of not more than 400 watts, 2kW, and 50kW respectively.
Only a technician with a class ST4 licence will be allowed to install solar grids of any capacity.
A bachelor’s degree is a must if you want to make a career out of installing solar grids. You will also need relevant experience in electrical engineering.
Solar technicians will part with Sh2,250 to Sh6,000 in order to get and renew their licences, while contractors will pay Sh3,000 to Sh6,000.
The contractors must take insurance policies of between Sh1 million and Sh10 million.
Solar operators will be slapped with a daily fine of Sh10,000 if they delay to renew their licences, Sh20,000 if they do not issue a completion certificate for a project and the same amount for failing to provide a warranty for installation.
Epra said regulating the industry would ensure solar components and systems meet approved standards.
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