NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 10 – The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) held a public participation meeting on the net metering and solar water heating regulations for 2022.
The consultative meeting will allow members of the public to submit their views on the regulations.
After Nairobi, the consultations will be done in Nakuru, Eldoret, Kisumu, and Mombasa.
“You may all be aware that there is a global push to provide sustainable access to resources, including power,” said EPRA Director General Daniel Kiptoo Bargoria. In his speech, which was read by Caroline Kimathi.
“In the case of power, there is a need to ensure that there is access to affordable, reliable and modern energy for all as guided by Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7, We live in a country that has great potential to achieve this goal with over 86 per cent of electricity generated in Kenya coming from renewable energy source,” she added.
The Net Metering Regulation allows electricity consumers with onsite generation to sell excess power to the national grid.
Likewise, the Solar Water Heating Regulations 2022 provide a licensing and regulatory framework for the design, installation, operation, repair, maintenance, and upgrade of solar water heating systems in Kenya with a view to ensuring safety and quality in the solar water heating value chain.
The regulations, once adopted, shall promote the use of solar water heating systems by enforcing standards in the solar water heating value chain; furthermore, the regulations call for county governments to set solar fractions based on their climatic conditions.
EPRA is conducting public participation forums in order to gather views and comments from people based on the regulations.
Kiptoo, in his speech, assured the public that their participation would not be in vain and that their feedback from the ongoing forums would be considered at all stages of the process of making regulations.
“EPRA will continue working with stakeholders to make sure the energy sector in the country is secure, cost effective and sustainable to the citizens.”
