Solar Batteries in Kenya

Storage is what turns a solar array into power you can use at night and through a KPLC outage. Without it, a system generates only while the sun is on the panels.

What we stock

1 product, KES 95,000 to KES 95,000. Prices exclude installation.

Sizing storage

Battery capacity is sized on the energy you need to carry through the hours the panels are not producing, plus whatever reserve you want for a cloudy day or an extended outage. A 5kWh battery covers a typical evening and overnight load for a household running lights, a fridge, a TV and electronics — it does not cover an electric shower, a cooker or an immersion heater, which are far better left on grid or moved to daytime solar.

Usable capacity is lower than nameplate capacity, and lithium units are specified with a depth of discharge that protects cell life. Size on usable kWh.

Lithium against lead-acid

Lithium-ion costs more per kWh at purchase and less per kWh over its life. It tolerates deeper discharge, holds capacity over more cycles, needs no watering or ventilation and is far lighter to mount. Lead-acid remains cheaper to buy and is still appropriate for small or intermittently used systems.

The Livoltek unit we stock includes a built-in battery management system, which handles cell balancing, temperature and over-discharge protection without a separate controller.

Installation

Batteries must be mounted in a ventilated space out of direct sun, with correctly rated DC protection between the battery and the inverter. This is the part of a system where cost-cutting on cable size and fusing causes fires, and it is one reason EPRA requires licensed personnel.

Questions