Innovative Business Model for Solar Energy inRural Kenya

Step by step into self-employment: The social solar company Kenya Solar Solution Ltd. accompanies six young interns in their new life as micro-entrepreneurs for solar energy.

“To be honest, lack of capital is the only reason why I still do not have my ownbusiness. I would also really like to ensure that my community has access tosolar technology” said Lazarus Otieno, from the Kenyan village Ragana. A fewweeks later he is not only a proud graduate of the Sarah Obama Solar LearningCentre in Abura, Kenya, but also an intern at the social enterprise Kenya SolarSolutions Ltd. This is the first step towards an independent career as anentrepreneur and seller of solar technology. He can use his newly acquiredskills in a professional environment and earn his own livelihood.

Since 2013, The Sarah Obama Solar Learning Centre in collaboration withSolafrica, has been training solar technicians. The young participants of thesecourses come here to enjoy theoretical and practical training in solartechnology as well as gaining sound background knowledge in climate changeand energy. To increase the graduates’ chances of employment, the curriculumin recent years has also been extended to include accounting, marketing andbusiness management.

To enable motivated workers in the region of western Kenya to access aneconomic activity, Solafrica has helped build Kenya Solar Solutions Ltd (KSS).Thanks to an innovative business model, the graduates of the training centerhave the possibility to build their own business and become self-reliant.

During their training the prospective trainee solar entrepreneurs learn how various solar devices function.

A franchising system for solar installations was introduced for the firsttime with KSS. For the pilot test six young men and women were selected fortheir good performance and their high level of motivation. These candidates now have the opportunity as a franchisee to sell their own mobile solardevices to the local population.

KSS, as a franchisor, organizes the purchase and import of solar material, and supports the new and independent small business owners in building their own company for the distribution and installation of solar material.

This innovative business model has now been running, for the first time, fortwo weeks as a professional pilot. Our pilot managers Joshiah Ramogi and JohnOkello are supporting the six candidates in their first sales.

Many questions are still open, but the first results are that in the first week sixmobile solar devices were sold for CHF 100.- each. We are optimistic that thisbusiness model can work well. This is not only an important step towards acleaner energy supply, but also local jobs will be created and the localeconomy will be sustainably promoted.

Raphael Engler spent several months in Kenya for Solafrica after having graduated in Management, Technology and Economics at theETH. He is currently following to creation of the solar franchising system from Switzerland.