A 427 kW ground-mounted solar PV system for a rose farm in Njoro, Nakuru, serving one of the largest rose farm groups in Kenya, which exports around 300,000 stems to Holland every day.
Rose farming is a fast-paced, time-bound export industry in which production costs must stay low without compromising flower quality. Greenhouse climate control, irrigation pumping and the packing and cold-chain steps that follow are typically powered around the clock, so electricity cost and reliability matter for every stem.
This customer was in a remote area with poor grid connectivity and relied heavily on gensets. With acres of land under greenhouses there was no roof space, so a ground-mounted solar solution was delivered, a first for the team.
The plant generates over 500,000 units of electricity annually and saves the client more than 40% on power costs. Pump operation was shifted from night time to peak sunlight hours so that more of the farm’s demand is met directly by solar power. Over its lifetime the system will avoid more than 12,000 tons of CO2.
Greenhouses and packhouses are often poor candidates for rooftop panels, while farms usually have open land. A ground-mounted array can be laid out for the best sun angle, is easy to reach for cleaning and maintenance, and can be expanded as demand grows. For agricultural sites far from the grid it also reduces dependence on diesel gensets, which cuts fuel purchases and the emissions that come with them.
Flower exporters sell into markets that care about how products are grown. Generating clean energy on the farm lowers the carbon footprint of each stem and gives the business a credible renewable energy story, while the savings help keep production costs in check.
Farms can compare options in solar batteries vs generators: which saves more money and whether solar-powered water pumps are worth it for Kenyan farmers. For a commercial site assessment, see our industrial solar solutions in Kenya.
Related project: 1.5 MWp solar system for a sawmilling company in Njoro.
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