The project was launched in late 2021 and aimed to establish the company’s remote monitoring and control products and services for solar and pumping systems in the Kenyan market.
As part of the project, marketing and sales measures were implemented by EcoPhi in cooperation with the German Energy Agency (dena). A special focus of the activities was the training of local partners. At a formal opening ceremony, the project was successfully presented to existing partners, customers and stakeholders by CTO Sebastian Zenz in Nairobi.
A solution specifically for the growing solar and water market
The expansion of solar energy and water infrastructure is progressing rapidly in the country. However, solar and pumping systems can only contribute to climate protection and economic development if they are operated sustainably. This is the goal of the company EcoPhi. It offers remote monitoring and digitization solutions specifically for systems in rural regions and harsh environments. EcoPhi systems are characterized by being robust and easy to install, while being able to be used in a wide range of different applications.
Installers, operators and end-users can thus keep an eye on their plants at all times and intervene quickly in the event of problems or carry out remote maintenance without having to travel long distances. This saves time and money and ensures that the plants are operating longer.
In addition, especially in the case of widely distributed plants, the management of the systems poses great challenges for the operators and requires high capacities. Digital solutions can help to operate the plants more efficiently and sustainably.
The EcoPhi systems – modular and versatile
A special advantage of the EcoPhi systems is their modularity and flexibility of use. Thus, the systems can even be used economically in small solar home systems – but also in large and complex installations such as mini-grids or C&I projects.
A closer look at the EcoPhi systems installed in Kenya shows just how versatile and modular EcoPhi’s products and services are. At the beginning of the RES project, the company had not yet implemented any projects in the country. Since then, more than 50 monitoring and control projects have been installed in different areas such as solar energy, pumping stations, refrigerated containers as well as biomass boilers.
This is an important advantage for customers who install and operate different types of plants. Thanks to EcoPhi’s solutions, customers do not have to use different solutions for monitoring and controlling the plants, but can cover this centrally and easily through the EcoPhi platform.
Further expansion of activities in Kenya even after completion of the project
The successful implementation of the project has enabled EcoPhi to establish a solid position in the market of monitoring and control solutions for solar and water systems. The company can now rely on a good customer base and a network of installation and distribution partners.
“We are proud to be an increasingly important part of the Kenyan market and now plan to further expand our presence in the market,” said CTO Sebastian Zenz during the project’s official commissioning ceremony in Nairobi. “The experience and knowledge gained from the project will be used as a basis for our future activities.”
To continue to be successful in the future, EcoPhi strives to constantly improve its services and products through innovative ideas and effective partnerships. In addition to the technical improvement of the products and software, further steps will be taken to expand the network of service partners and distributors in order to reach customers faster and increase the service level.
Kenya is strategically a very interesting market for EcoPhi. In addition to selling products in the market, Kenya is going to become a hub for the company’s activities in East Africa. The possibility of local production is also currently being planned. This will simplify logistical challenges. In addition, the increased value added locally can create jobs and strengthen Kenya as a production location, so that Kenya can become not only a sales market but also a production market for EcoPhi.
The RES project Kenya is being funded as part of the Renewable Energy Solutions Programme of the German Energy Solutions Initiative of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action.