Array size from daylight use
Solar is sized to the energy you can use while the sun is up, plus what a battery carries into the evening, using Kenya's monthly peak sun hours.
How solar sizing worksSolar calculator
How much solar do you need? Find out in a minute.
Enter your KPLC bill, how much you use during daylight, the backup you want and any electric vehicles you charge. The calculator sizes the solar array, inverter and battery, and estimates savings against reviewed Kenya Power tariffs.
Backup from essential load
Usable battery capacity is your essential load multiplied by the hours of backup you need, converted to a nominal lithium bank.
Battery storage guideCharging energy per vehicle
Daily distance and typical consumption for cars, motorcycles, vans and buses give the charging energy, including charger losses.
EV charging planningSavings at your real rate
Savings use the all-in KPLC rate for your class, including fuel cost charge, levies and VAT, split by time of use where it applies.
Kenya electricity tariffsEstimate your system
- Solar array
- 4.34 kWp 7 × 620 W panels, about 20 m² of roof
- Inverter
- 5 kW Hybrid, with battery
- Battery
- 6.0 kWh usable About 6.7 kWh nominal lithium (LiFePO₄)
- Estimated savings
- KES 12,194/month 81% of energy charges, KES 146,330 a year
- Solar generation
- 6,054 kWh/year 5,171 kWh used on site
- Simple payback
- Add a quote Before financing and maintenance
Show monthly table
| Month | Generated (kWh) | Used on site (kWh) | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 558 | 456 | KES 12,908 |
| Feb | 575 | 412 | KES 11,659 |
| Mar | 625 | 456 | KES 12,908 |
| Apr | 510 | 441 | KES 12,491 |
| May | 453 | 439 | KES 12,415 |
| Jun | 379 | 369 | KES 10,454 |
| Jul | 364 | 357 | KES 10,092 |
| Aug | 461 | 445 | KES 12,606 |
| Sep | 528 | 441 | KES 12,491 |
| Oct | 540 | 456 | KES 12,908 |
| Nov | 478 | 441 | KES 12,491 |
| Dec | 581 | 456 | KES 12,908 |
Want this sized with real equipment, cable runs and supplier prices?
Get a detailed planEstimate only. It uses Kenya's average monthly solar resource, a 78% performance ratio and reviewed KPLC all-in energy rates. Fixed and demand charges, shading, export credit and tariff changes are not included.
Frequently asked questions
How many solar panels do I need for my house in Kenya?
Divide the energy you want solar to supply each day by Kenya's average peak sun hours (about 4.9) and a performance ratio of about 0.78. A home using 300 kWh a month with half of it in daylight needs about 1.3 kWp for daytime use, which rounds up to three 620 W panels. Adding a battery to carry solar into the evening increases the array.
How much can solar save on my KPLC bill?
Each kWh of solar you use on site replaces a kWh you would otherwise buy at your all-in tariff rate, including fuel cost charge, levies and VAT. Savings depend most on how much of your use happens during daylight. Fixed and demand charges are not reduced by solar alone.
What size battery do I need for backup?
Multiply the essential load you want to keep running during an outage by the backup hours. Two kilowatts of lights, sockets and a fridge for four hours needs about 8 kWh of usable storage, or about 9 kWh nominal lithium iron phosphate at 90% depth of discharge.
How much solar does an electric car or boda boda need?
A typical electric car uses about 16 kWh per 100 km and an electric motorcycle about 4 kWh per 100 km. A car driven 50 km a day needs about 9 kWh of charging a day including losses, roughly 2.3 kWp of solar if it charges during the day.
How accurate is this calculator?
It is a first-look estimate using Kenya's monthly solar resource and reviewed KPLC energy rates. A detailed StimaPulse plan uses your interval or bill data, hourly solar and weather, real equipment from a governed catalog, cable sizing and supplier prices, and a licensed engineer must verify the final design.
Get a plan for your site.
Bring a utility bill, load list, fleet schedule or supplier quote. We will turn it into a sized, costed and comparable plan.