Kenya is finally stepping into the era of net metering, moving from policy promises to a live pilot program. While challenges around billing and awareness remain, the opportunity for businesses, institutions, and households to generate and share clean solar power marks a pivotal shift in the country’s energy future.
Blog by Edward Kinyanjui – Plexus Energy Ltd.
Imagine a world where the extra solar power you generate during the day doesn’t go to waste—it simply flows back into the grid, and you get credited on your electricity bill. That’s the power of net metering.
It’s a policy tool that has revolutionized solar adoption in countries like the U.S., India, and South Africa by making every rooftop a potential mini power plant.
For Kenya—where renewable energy already makes up over 90% of generation—the big question has been: when will net metering truly take off?
Kenya’s Energy Act 2019 provided the first legal foundation for net metering.
It empowered the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) to create regulations that allow electricity consumers who generate power (e.g., from solar) to offset their consumption by feeding excess back into the national grid.
The regulations themselves—Net Metering Regulations 2022—were formally gazetted, setting out the framework for implementation.
On paper, the stage was set. In reality, however, the devil lay in the details—particularly Kenya Power’s billing system, which was not yet ready to handle crediting exported power.
Fast forward to today, and progress is finally tangible. According to the Energy Society of Kenya (ESAK), Kenya Power has agreed to begin a 6-month pilot phase. Here’s what’s happening:
Pilot Phase: Selected applicants with different capacities across the country will be allowed to connect and feed into the grid.
No Credits (Yet): During the pilot, participants will not earn bill credits because Kenya Power’s billing system is still being developed.
The Transition: Once the billing system is finalized, all pilot participants will be automatically transitioned to net metering clients with full crediting in place.
This approach—while not perfect—signals the real beginning of net metering in Kenya.
For businesses and institutions with captive power plants (think factories, schools, hospitals, or resorts), net metering is a game-changer. It means: Lower energy bills.
Faster payback on solar investments. A chance to be part of Kenya’s green energy leadership story.
For the country, it’s about unlocking distributed energy, reducing strain on the grid, and accelerating the path to 100% renewable electricity by 2030.
Billing Systems: Until Kenya Power’s IT systems catch up, credits won’t flow.
Policy Certainty: Investors need assurance that the pilot won’t stall indefinitely.
Awareness: Many potential beneficiaries don’t yet know that net metering is moving from policy to practice.
The Big Opportunity
Kenya stands at a tipping point. If the pilot phase is successful and scaled, we could see a future where homes, schools, factories, and farms all contribute clean power to the grid.
At Plexus Energy, we see this as not just a technical shift, but a mindset revolution: from consumers of electricity to prosumers—producers and consumers at the same time.
Net metering has been on Kenya’s horizon for years. Now, with the pilot underway, the sun is finally breaking through the clouds.
The question is: are you ready to plug in and be part of the revolution?
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