Twenty-eight years of power system manufacturing, 3.5MW already installed across Kenya, and a complete solar power solutions offering now operate from a permanent base in Westlands.
Solaire Africa today opened its Nairobi headquarters and confirmed Kenya as the hub for its expansion across the African continent. The launch establishes a permanent base for a solar power solutions brand backed by twenty-eight years of power system manufacturing and 3.5MW already installed across Kenya.
From its new offices in Westlands, the company will run regional sales, system design and after-sales support for East Africa, building from a base already established across the country. Kenya now sits alongside India as one of Solaire’s two operating hubs, the point from which the brand intends to scale market by market.
Solaire’s story began in 1998 in India and has grown into a group carrying twenty-eight years of power system manufacturing, a 200,000 square foot facility, in-house research and development, and operations across more than fourteen countries, among them the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Tanzania and the United States. Its hardware was engineered against the grid-instability conditions that define many of these markets, rather than adapted to them after the fact.
The Nairobi launch arrives as Kenyan businesses and households increasingly turn to solar power and storage to control electricity costs and protect operations against grid interruptions.
Solaire Africa enters the market as a complete solar power solutions provider. It brings the full category under a single point of accountability: solar inverters, lithium storage, Tier-1 solar panels, solar water heaters and the balance-of-system hardware that completes a working installation, scaled from individual homes to utility-scale plants. Installation and on-site execution in Kenya are carried out through trusted EPC partners, with the ten-year manufacturer warranty staying with Solaire.
That capability is already proven in the country. Solaire’s installed base in Kenya spans residential, commercial and industrial sites and totals 3.5MW, delivered before the company opened its permanent Nairobi headquarters.
Mr. Muhamed Ali Chenangadan, Chairman of Solaire, said the move reflects a long-held conviction rather than a new opportunity.
“We did not come to Kenya to sell boxes,” he said.
“The power problems this country lives with every day are the same problems we set out to solve in 1998. Twenty-eight years of power system manufacturing taught us one thing above all: engineer it to last, and stand behind it. Nairobi is now the second home of that promise.”
Mr. Mohammed Rinas Chenangadan, CEO and Director of Solaire Africa, said the Nairobi base is built for what comes next.
“Kenya is not a test market for us. It is the platform for everything that follows on the continent,” he said. “We bring the complete solution and the long-term guarantee. Trusted partners bring it to site. The warranty stays with us for ten years. That is the model we are scaling from this office.”
Mr. Gourab Sarkar, Director of Solaire Africa, said:
“We are going to conduct training programmes across the country where interested engineers can enrol and gain hands-on product knowledge and certification upon completion. Eligible candidates will be absorbed by Solaire Africa and deployed in our upcoming projects under our payroll.
We want to educate more professionals as the demand for solar projects continues to increase, along with the need for trained manpower. Solaire Africa’s product portfolio includes off-grid, hybrid and on-grid solutions to cater to residential, commercial and utility-scale requirements. The company also offers free design services, technical consultation and both on-site and off-site technical support for our products.”
The launch was hosted at the Mövenpick Hotel in Nairobi before leaders from Kenya’s business and diaspora community. Chief Guest Mr. Amardeep Barnawal was joined by Guests of Honour Mrs. Sujata Kotamraju, Chairlady of the Hindu Council of Kenya, and Mr. Abhishek Rana, Chairman of the India Kenya Chamber of Commerce.
Their attendance underlined the deepening commercial ties between India and Kenya, the corridor along which Solaire Africa has built its operations.