How to Choose a Solar Installer in Kenya: 12 Questions to Ask (and EPRA Licences Explained)

Your solar system is only as good as the people who install it. Quality panels and a premium inverter can still fail, underperform or become dangerous if they're poorly designed, badly wired or left without protection. That's why choosing the right solar installer in Kenya matters as much as choosing the right equipment.

This guide explains how solar licensing works in Kenya, gives you twelve questions to ask every installer, and lists the red flags that should send you elsewhere.

Solar licensing in Kenya: what EPRA licences mean

The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) regulates solar photovoltaic installation in Kenya under the solar PV regulations. In broad terms:

• Technicians who design and install solar PV systems are licensed in classes, commonly referred to as T1, T2 and T3. Higher classes are permitted to work on larger and more complex systems.
• Contractors, the companies that sell and install systems, hold their own class of licence, commonly referred to as V1, V2 and V3.
• Manufacturers, importers and vendors of solar equipment are also covered by the regulations.

Why it matters to you: a licensed installer has demonstrated training and is accountable to a regulator. Unlicensed work can create safety hazards and may complicate insurance claims or warranty support. Always ask to see the licence, and check that the class suits your project and that it hasn't expired.

Licensing details and classes can change. For current requirements, refer to EPRA's official guidance.

12 questions to ask every solar installer

About the company

1. "Can I see your EPRA licences, for the company and the technicians who'll do my installation?" A good installer will show you without hesitation.
2. "Can I see examples of similar systems you've installed?" Photos, site visits or references from customers with similar homes or businesses help you judge experience.
3. "Who will actually do the installation?" Some companies subcontract. Know who's on your roof and who's responsible.

About the design

4. "Will you do a site survey before giving a final quote?" Roof condition, shading, wiring and your actual loads must be checked in person.
5. "How did you size this system?" They should reference your bills, your appliance list and your backup needs, not just a standard package.
6. "What will run during a blackout, and for how long?" Get a clear answer on which circuits are backed up and the expected backup time.
7. "Can the system be expanded later?" Ask whether the inverter can accept more panels or batteries.

About the equipment and quote

8. "Can you give me an itemised quote with brands, models and capacities?" Panels (watts each), inverter (kW, type), batteries (chemistry, usable kWh), mounting, cabling, protection devices and labour.
9. "What protection is included?" Surge protection, breakers, isolators and earthing should be listed explicitly.
10. "What are the warranties, and who handles claims?" Manufacturer warranties plus the installer's workmanship warranty, in writing.

About after-sales

11. "What happens if something stops working?" Response times, support channels, costs of call-outs after the warranty period.
12. "Will you show me how to use and monitor the system?" You should know how to read the inverter, check battery status and what to do in an alarm.

Red flags to watch for

• A firm price over the phone without knowing your usage or seeing your site.
• No licence, or reluctance to show it.
• A quote with only a total, or vague lines like "complete 5 kW solar kit".
• Unrealistic promises, such as "run your whole house including the electric shower and cooker all night" from a small system.
• Pressure to pay the full amount upfront before equipment is delivered or installation begins.
• No mention of protection devices or earthing.
• Unbranded or unverifiable components, or batteries with no datasheet.
• No written warranty or after-sales terms.

How to compare quotes fairly

When you have two or three quotes, line them up in a simple table:

Often, the "expensive" quote turns out to include a larger usable battery, better protection or a longer warranty, and the "cheap" one turns out to be missing something important. Comparing like for like shows you the real difference.

What a good installation process looks like

1. Initial conversation: your goals, bills and budget.
2. Site survey: roof, shading, wiring, loads and where equipment will go.
3. Itemised proposal: design, components, backup, savings and payment terms.
4. Installation: neat, labelled, safely routed cabling; secure mounting; protection installed.
5. Commissioning: testing every mode, including a simulated outage.
6. Handover: documents, warranties, and a walkthrough of how to use and monitor the system.
7. After-sales: a named contact and clear response times.

What to expect on installation day

A professional installation is organised, safe and tidy. Here's what good practice looks like:

• A clear schedule agreed in advance, including when power will be switched off and for how long.
• Safety on the roof: ladders secured, harnesses where needed, and care not to damage roofing sheets or tiles.
• Neat cabling: cables in trunking or conduit, clearly labelled, and routed away from where they could be damaged.
• Equipment placement in a cool, ventilated, accessible spot, with the inverter and batteries away from direct sun and moisture.
• Protection installed and shown to you: surge protection, isolators, breakers and earthing.
• Testing before handover: solar production, battery charging, and a simulated outage to prove backup works.

Your handover checklist

Before the installer leaves, make sure you have:

1. A system diagram showing what was installed and which circuits are backed up
2. Model numbers and serial numbers for panels, inverter and batteries
3. All warranty documents, including the workmanship warranty
4. Monitoring set up on your phone, with login details
5. A walkthrough of the inverter display, alarms and what they mean
6. Instructions for safe shutdown in an emergency
7. A named contact and number for after-sales support
8. A final invoice matching the quote you accepted

Keep these documents together. You'll need them for warranty claims, insurance and any future expansion.

Local installer or big national brand?

Both can be good choices. What matters is capability and accountability, not size. Large companies may offer broader product ranges and established processes. Smaller local installers may respond faster and give you more personal attention. Whichever you consider, ask the same twelve questions, check the same licences and compare quotes the same way.

Two things deserve extra weight. The first is response time after installation: an installer an hour away who answers WhatsApp quickly can be more valuable than a famous name with a slow call centre. The second is track record with systems like yours: a company that mostly installs small home kits may not be the right partner for a factory, and vice versa.

The bottom line

Choosing a solar installer is choosing a long-term partner. Check the licence, insist on a site survey and an itemised quote, understand exactly what will run in a blackout, and get warranties and support terms in writing. An installer who is happy to answer all twelve questions is usually one you can trust with your roof, your wiring and your money.