How to Choose a Solar Installer in Kenya: Licences, Quotes and Red Flags

Check the EPRA licence

The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) licenses solar PV technicians (classes T1 to T3) and solar PV contractors (class C1) under the solar PV regulations, and vendors and manufacturers have their own classes. Ask to see the licence, check that it is current and confirm who holds it, the company or the individual.

What a good quote includes

• Panels: brand, wattage, quantity and warranty.
• Inverter: brand, model, continuous kW rating, whether hybrid.
• Batteries: chemistry, usable kWh, cycle or year warranty.
• Mounting, cabling, isolators, breakers, surge protection and earthing.
• Labour, commissioning and handover documents.
• A single-line diagram or design summary.
• Payment terms, timeline and what is excluded.

Questions to ask

1. Will you visit my site and review my bills and appliances?
2. How did you size the system, and what assumptions did you use?
3. Can you show recent installations or references?
4. What warranty applies to panels, inverter, batteries and workmanship, and who handles claims?
5. Does the system need Kenya Power approval, and will you handle the application?
6. What after-sales support and maintenance do you offer?

Red flags

• No site visit before quoting.
• Pricing as one number per kW with no equipment list.
• Unwillingness to name brands or show datasheets.
• No licence, or a licence that belongs to someone else.
• Pressure to pay everything up front.
• Prices far below every other quote, which often means undersized cable, no protection or poor batteries.

Payment and handover

Agree stage payments tied to delivery, installation and commissioning. At handover, you should receive the design diagram, equipment serial numbers, warranty documents and instructions for the monitoring app and basic operation.