Solarcentury to install solar power at Galleria Mall



What you need to know:

  • The solar system will be installed on the roof of the shopping centre and will provide 50 percent of the mall’s daytime power needs.
  • The Galleria Mall solar system is Solarcentury’s second shopping centre project. The first was Garden City’s 858kWp solar carport which has been generating electricity for the retail tenants and facilities such as the lights and escalators since 2015.
  • This Solar PV system will generate over 860,000 kWh annually for Galleria, offsetting 173 tonnes of carbon per year.

Solarcentury Wednesday signed an agreement to develop a 562kWp solar power system for Nairobi’s Galleria shopping mall.

The solar system will be installed on the roof of the shopping mall and will provide 50 percent of its daytime power needs.

This is Solarcentury’s second shopping mall project after Garden City’s 858kWp solar carport which has been generating power since 2015.

The Solar PV system will generate over 860,000 kWh annually for Galleria, offsetting about 173 tonnes of carbon per year.

“I’m thrilled that Solarcentury has been chosen to work on this project. This is our 10th solar project of this size and scale; making Solarcentury the leader in providing solar solutions for commercial customers," said Mr Guy Lawrence, director of Solarcentury East Africa.

Mr Lawrence said that businesses in Kenya are continuing to invest in solar as the economics make good sense. He added that the latest project is a further proof that solar is a reliable power generation technology that can be deployed quickly and at any scale.

"We are excited about this collaboration and are looking forward to seeing the multiple benefits that Galleria will see, including taking control of their long-term power costs,” Mr Lawrence said.

The project will take nine months to complete and will significantly reduce operating costs for the mall, reducing reliance on the national grid. Solarcentury will manage the system from its operations and maintenance hub in Nairobi.

According to the company, Galleria Mall Solar PV is its 10th solar project in Kenya having previously designed and built a ground-mounted 500kWp solar photovoltaic (PV) system at Mombasa’s Moi International Airport, installation of three solar PV plants at the Nairobi-based International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe).

Other projects include a one MWp solar PV for Williamson Tea at its Changoi Tea Farm, a 500kWp system at ALP in Tatu City and setting up of a roof solar system for London Distillers in Athi River, Kenya.

This latest project follows the signing of a contract to build Solar PV at a Unilever Tea Factory in Kericho.

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