GOGLA and KEREA sign partnership to scale up the Productive Use of Renewable Energy in Kenya

Nairobi, 27th February 2024

GOGLA, the global association for the off-grid solar industry, and KEREA, the Kenya Renewable Energy Association, with the support of the IKEA Foundation, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to scale up the Productive Use of Solar Energy in Kenya in the next four years. 

The partnership seeks to enhance the use of renewable energy to improve food security and create economic empowerment in Kenya by:

• Enhancing collaboration between government representatives and off-grid solar companies in Kenya

• Improving the enabling environment for the Productive Use of Renewable Energy (PURE) markets at a national level, ensuring proper coordination between government agencies and other stakeholders

• Increasing the availability of critical market data and actionable insights for PURE, generating more in-depth knowledge of PURE appliances, products, and solutions rolled out in the country

• Improving the PURE ecosystem

Key facts on productive uses of solar energy in Kenya

• Income-generating technology like solar irrigation appears as a particularly promising avenue for social and economic impact for rural households, in a country with 7.5 million smallholder farmers (75% of all farmers in the country), and where agriculture represents 31.5% of Kenya’s GDP and employs 38% of the population. 

• During the 2022 drought period, approximately 4 million people faced extreme food shortages.  Solar water pumps and sprinklers can open more land for agricultural production, while cooling technologies can preserve food at farm gate, improve farmers’ incomes,  diversify crops, ensure crop yield, and reduce food waste. 

• An existing range of solar cooling solutions including direct current (DC) fridges and solar cold rooms can greatly benefit dairy, meat, fish, fresh fruits and vegetable production, providing a solution to improve the 7 per cent milk “spoil rate” at farm level.

• Other productive uses of solar energy lie in solar maize milling, coffee pulping and solar drying. Innovative technologies are currently being tested, with Kenya representing an innovation hub for PURE private sector companies.

• In the health sector, hospitals and health centres are already using solar for lighting but solar cooling is emerging as an application for preserving vaccines, medicines, and samples.

• For MSMEs, solar energy kits (solar lanterns and home systems) are often used to provide light and power to enterprises e.g., to extend the operational hours of shops, stalls, or restaurants. Solar-powered appliances are used in salons and beauty centres (clippers and dryers) and solar-powered TVs and music systems in cinema halls and entertainment centres. 

About GOGLA

GOGLA is the global association for the off-grid solar energy industry. Our 200+ members provide millions of low-income and climate-vulnerable people with affordable, high-quality products and services; rapidly increasing customers’ productivity, connectivity, and resilience. 

To enable sustainable businesses and accelerate energy access, we provide market insights, standards and best practices, and advocate for catalytic policies, programmes and investment. With the right support, our pioneering industry can improve the lives of 1 billion people by 2030. 

To find out more, visit www.gogla.org.

About KEREA

The Kenya Renewable Energy Association (KEREA) is an independent non-profit association dedicated to facilitating the growth and development of renewable energy business in Kenya.

KEREA was formed in August 2002 by members of the Renewable Energy Resources Technical Committee of the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) and is registered under section 10 of the societies act.

Amongst its key roles are promoting the interests of members of the renewable energy industry among government, public sector, the general public and any other organizations that may impact on the development of the industry; and the creation of a forum for the dissemination and exchange of information and ideas on matters relating to renewable energy development and utilization in Kenya.

About IKEA Foundation

The IKEA Foundation is a strategic philanthropy that focuses its grant-making efforts on tackling the two biggest threats to children’s futures: poverty and climate change. It currently grants more than €200 million per year to help improve family incomes and quality of life while protecting the planet from climate change. 

Since 2009, the IKEA Foundation has granted more than €2 billion to create a better future for children and their families. In 2021 the Board of the IKEA Foundation decided to make an additional €1 billion available over the next five years to accelerate the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.