London Distillers’ building in Athi River, Kenya will soon be powered by the sun. International solar company Solarcentury is to install an almost 1MW roof solar system that will generate enough solar electricity to power the whole building during daylight hours. By offsetting the need for grid energy, the system will enable London Distillers to save $180K per year for at least the next 25 years, the lifetime of the system.

Solarcentury will design and install a solar hybrid system that will operate in parallel with the grid, or the diesel generator if the grid fails. Reducing its reliance on diesel and grid energy will significantly cut London Distillers’ energy spend, and offset 335 tonnes of CO₂ every year. The cost of the system will be paid for in six years; London Distillers will then enjoy free solar electricity for the lifetime of the system.

Mohan Galot, Chairman of London Distillers comments, “We are always looking for ways to improve the cost efficiency of our operations and protect the environment, and investing in solar presented us with a solution for both these ambitions. We worked with Solarcentury to review our long-term energy needs, and help us understand the most effective solar solution for our company. Being able to power the whole building using solar electricity during the day is very impressive – we’re saving money and helping the environment. It’s a win win!”

Solarcentury’s team of ten, all based locally in the Nairobi office, will be involved in the development and delivery of the project, with support from the engineering and project management team in the London HQ.

Guy Lawrence, Director of Solarcentury in East Africa commented, “We are excited to be delivering the largest commercial rooftop solar system in East Africa. This solar investment makes London Distillers a pioneer company in the manufacturing sector and also demonstrates a genuine commitment to reducing its environmental impact.

The system will be the fourth solar hybrid system Solarcentury has designed and installed in Kenya which is testament to the skill of our team as well as the relevance of this technology in Kenya, to help reduce reliance on diesel energy. We are seeing increasing uptake of commercial scale solar projects among industries looking to reduce the environmental impact of their operations and their energy costs.”

The system will be connected to the grid and generating clean solar electricity by the end of the year.