Imagine a life where when the sun sets, darkness blankets your home because the solar you bought no longer works. The flicker of a candle or the gasp of a noisy generator is your only company. Pretty bleak, right? But what if I told you that an innovation from the UNESCO Chair is casting a golden glow, ushering in an electric revolution? This revolution is an app that will help the shopkeeper selling you solar and your “ocha” electrician, to give you solar that will last.

Welcome to the world of Sunsafe!

Kenyans love buying solar in their local market – they buy them as components. They walk into a shop and ask for a solar panel, battery, wires, and other components. Why? Well, you can pair them with your existing appliances and even amp up your set as your electric appetite grows, easily. Here’s the roadblock, though; crafting a good quality solar system requires a bit of solar know-how. It’s like knowing that secret handshake of your childhood club. There’s training available, of course, but with a steep fee. Meanwhile, a band of registered and undercover electricians (you know, the ones we all call to fix things in our houses) are out there, pulling off solar installations on their instinct. But, fear not, Sunsafe is stepping into the scene with a game-changing project that’s about to shift the solar story. Picture an Android app – that reads a QR-code on CBSS components, analyses compatibility, and whispers in your ear the perfect pairing advice. It also waves red flags if the selected battery size threatens to offer an unreasonably short running stint for appliances – a true friend’s warning in time of need!

The key to Sunsafe’s ingenious innovation lies in its grasp of what Kenyans crave: flexibility.

Understanding the need to adapt as demands for electricity increase, Sunsafe’s CBSS offers a versatile choice. With its components sold separately, the system can be expanded and upgraded over time. This empowers families to mold their energy consumption per their needs and budget. The strength of Sunsafe’s vision does not stop at product development. Recognizing the vital need for training solar practitioners to size and configure these systems correctly, Sunsafe has planned to undertake educational initiatives and training courses. These trainings will be aimed at providing key skill sets needed to handle solar power installations safely and effectively. Sunsafe forward-thinking does not stop here. Their plan to develop a unique smartphone app to orient users on the crucial aspects of solar installation is in top gear and is expected to launch in early 2024. By imprinting the QR-code on each component, the app ensures safety, compatibility, and optimal use of
solar power systems, facilitating correct unit sizing and running times. This bold step into digitising solar installations helps create a secure and user-friendly setup process, further demonstrating their dedication to transforming Kenya’s solar power utilisation.

With this initiative, Sunsafe’s champions not just energy access but establishes the roots of an eco-friendly, low-carbon footprint future, promoting local industry growth and gender equality. Their work emphasizes social inclusion, establishing a network of trained local technicians and electrical retailers who ensure the affordability and efficiency of solar installations. In simple terms, Sunsafe is pioneering a brighter future for Kenya, one home at a time. With remarkable flexibility, its solar installation solutions liberate Kenyans from the constraints of established electrica grids and empower them to control their energy use. At the same time, through training and education, Sunsafe is cultivating a generation of skilled technicians ready to meet the increasing demand for off-grid solar installations. For ordinary folks like you or me, what did this project accomplish? It developed an ingenious smartphone tool to simplify the riddle of solar system selection. Targeting retailers and technicians, and accessible at any place and time, the app guarantees accurately sized and configured systems for customers, without the pinching need for specialized training.

So what’s the win-win? A surge in energy access, tech reliability, affordable solutions, and lower carbon footprint. It’s an enabler of gender equality and social inclusion – the cherry on top! Yet Sunsafe’s hallmark remains their drive to empower local retailers, aiding them to pilot their QR-labelling of solar systems. By doing so, these retailers, much like skilled chefs, can command a newfound respect in the market, achieving the acclaim previously reserved for city professionals. Get ready to bask in the brilliance of a brighter, greener, and smarter world, where innovation is driving progress. Who would have thought that a simple QR scan could light up lives? Awed? I thought so! Let’s illuminate more lives and more dreams – after all, the sun shines on us all!

This article was written by Keith Albert