Plexus Energy | Commercial & Industrial Energy Insight
Kenya’s energy sector continues to evolve as the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) updates and implements rules affecting electricity, renewable energy, energy management and customer-generated power.
For businesses investing in solar PV, battery energy storage and energy-management systems, understanding the regulatory environment is becoming just as important as choosing the right technology.
For 2026, businesses should pay particular attention to the rules governing net metering, energy management, grid connection and the treatment of electricity exported to the distribution network.
EPRA’s published regulatory materials show that Kenya’s current framework includes the Energy (Net Metering) Regulations and the Energy (Energy Management) Regulations, while additional electricity-market regulatory work is also underway.
1. The regulatory picture businesses need to understand
It is important to distinguish between regulations issued specifically in 2026 and regulations that are already in force but have practical implications for businesses in 2026.
EPRA’s current public regulatory listings include the Energy (Net Metering) Regulations, 2024, the Energy (Energy Management) Regulations, 2025, and the Energy (Integrated National Energy Plan) Regulations, 2025. EPRA also publishes a 2026 Electricity Market, Bulk Supply and Open Access regulatory instrument.
For solar customers, this means the key question is not simply whether solar is allowed. The important questions are how a system is designed, whether it is connected to the grid, whether it can export electricity, whether the customer qualifies for net metering, and what approvals or agreements are required.
2. What net metering means for commercial and industrial users
Net metering allows an eligible customer with renewable generation to supply excess electricity to the grid and receive energy credits that can be used against electricity consumed at other times. Under the published 2024 Net Metering Regulations, the framework applies to
renewable-energy systems below 1 MW. For commercial and industrial customers, the installed capacity for net metering is limited to 1 MW and is also capped by the customer’s historical maximum demand or contracted load demand, as applicable.
This makes system sizing particularly important. A commercial customer should not assume that installing the largest possible solar system automatically provides the greatest financial benefit. The system should be designed around the facility’s load profile, operating hours, tariff structure, available roof or ground area, and the customer’s intended use of batteries or grid export.
3. Why battery storage is becoming more important
Battery energy storage can help businesses use more of their solar generation on-site instead of relying on the grid during periods when solar production is low. It can also help manage demand, support continuity during grid interruptions where the system is designed for backup operation, and reduce unnecessary export of surplus generation.
For commercial and industrial facilities, the strongest approach is increasingly to consider solar PV and battery storage as part of one energy-management strategy. Battery capacity should be based on the customer’s actual load profile and operational requirements rather than simply adding storage as an afterthought.
4. Solar exports and the importance of compliance
A grid-connected solar installation should be designed and operated in accordance with the applicable regulatory and utility requirements. Net-metered export is different from uncontrolled or unauthorised electricity injection into the distribution network.
Businesses therefore need to understand whether their project is intended for self-consumption, approved net metering, or another permitted operating arrangement.
Recent public reporting in September 2026 has highlighted renewed attention to unauthorized electricity exports and the treatment of approved net-metering exports. Because tariff notices and regulatory instruments can change, project owners should confirm the current requirements with EPRA and the relevant electricity distribution licensee before commissioning or modifying a grid-connected system.
5. Energy management is now a strategic issue
EPRA’s Energy (Energy Management) Regulations, 2025 reinforce the importance of energy efficiency and energy performance in designated facilities. For large commercial and industrial users, this means solar should not be viewed in isolation from energy audits, efficiency measures, load management and operational improvements.
A properly planned energy program can combine efficient equipment, monitoring, solar PV, battery storage, demand management and ongoing performance analysis.
The result is a system designed around how a business actually consumes electricity rather than a solar installation based only on available roof space.
6. What businesses should do before installing or expanding solar
- Review the load profile: Understand daytime consumption, peak demand, night-time demand, and seasonal changes.Confirm the regulatory pathway: Establish whether the project is self-consumption, net metering,
- or another approved configuration.Check capacity limits and approvals: Confirm applicable requirements with EPRA and the electricity distribution licensee.Consider battery storage: Evaluate whether storage can increase solar self-consumption, support critical loads or improve demand management.
- Use compliant professionals: Work with appropriately licensed solar PV professionals and qualified engineers where required.
- Monitoring plan: Include metering and energy monitoring so performance can be verified after commissioning.
- Review the economics: Compare capital cost, financing, electricity savings, battery replacement considerations, export treatment and expected payback.
7. What this means for commercial and industrial solar in Kenya
The direction of Kenya’s energy framework makes project quality and compliance increasingly important. For businesses, the value of a solar project is no longer determined only by the number of panels installed. The system must work with the customer’s electricity demand, the grid connection arrangement, the applicable regulatory requirements and the businesses
Long-term energy strategy.
For facilities with significant daytime consumption, solar PV can directly offset grid purchases. Where consumption extends into evening or where resilience is important, battery storage can provide additional value.
Where grid export is contemplated, the project must be designed around the applicable net-metering and utility requirements rather than assuming that all surplus generation can simply be sent to the grid.
8. The Plexus Energy approach
At Plexus Energy, commercial and industrial solar projects should begin with the customer’s energy requirements, not with a standard system size. A professional assessment can examine electricity consumption, demand patterns, available installation space, operational priorities, backup requirements, and the applicable regulatory framework.
As Kenya’s energy regulations continue to develop, businesses can benefit from working with an experienced EPC and renewable-energy partner that understands system design, engineering, compliance, commissioning and long-term performance. The objective is a solar and
Energy-storage solution that delivers measurable value while fitting the customer’s operational and regulatory environment.
Conclusion
Kenya’s evolving EPRA framework is making energy compliance and system design increasingly interconnected. For commercial and industrial customers, the most important step is understanding the rules that apply to the proposed system before installation, especially when batteries, grid connection, or electricity export are involved.
Businesses considering solar in 2026 should assess their electricity profile, confirm the applicable regulatory pathway, evaluate the role of battery storage, and ensure the project is designed and commissioned in line with current requirements.
Before a project proceeds, check regulatory information against the latest EPRA publications and the requirements of the relevant electricity distribution licensee.
