HACO Industries Embrace Solar to Cut Energy Costs

HACO Industries Kenya Limited has today announced that part of the operations at its facility in Kasarani, Nairobi is now powered by solar PV technology, in a move to help cut energy costs and save the environment.

The 240 kWp solar PV system will replace approximately 40% of the facility’s grid consumption, helping reduce costs and lower its environmental footprint. The system is expected to generate over 8,200,000 kWh during the system life, saving over 5000 MT of CO2.

The solar PV system was engineered, designed, supplied, installed, tested, and commissioned by Premier Solar Solutions and financed under an operating lease provided by Solarise Africa. Premier Solar will also provide Operations & Maintenance services for the solar PV system going forward.

The solar project adopted the highest safety standards to enable robust post implementation cleaning and maintenance access. The installation of access stairs, non-slip walkways and a lifeline system ensures safe access to the roof at all times and mitigates the risks of working at heights.

A cleaning system, which utilises multiple water access points on the roof and extendable brushes, will allow easy cleaning of the modules whilst reducing the risk of slipping.

HACO Industries is a leading Kenyan FMCG company that develops/innovates and manufactures high-quality brands in the Personal Care, Hair Care, and Home Care categories, with a mantra of offering great quality at affordable pricing for the African people.

Haco Industries MD, Mary-Ann Musangi, commented at the unveiling of the solar project that “Haco is keen on driving the sustainability agenda, and this solar PV system is now able to generate renewable energy that is sustainable and affordable.

This is the first phase which has enabled a hybrid system that uses solar during the day for the Plastics Factory and grid power during the night shift. The next phase will entail an enhancement in solar reliability either by powering the second factory i.e. the Cosmetics Factory with solar or extending the use of solar during the night shift for the Plastics Factory by investing in power storage solutions.”

The overall outlook is to drive responsible consumption and production in line with the UN’s Sustainability Development Goal number 12, which is a key driving factor for the Haco Sustainability agenda. In the long run, the net outcome of solar adoption will be to drive down CO2 emissions considerably.

Solarise Africa is a pan-African Energy-as-a-Service company. Through their smart financing solutions, they unlock possibilities and empower their partners to thrive and actively drive Africa’s progress.

Solarise Africa works with a selected group of renewable energy solution companies and collaborates very closely with partners to provide a range of tailor-made financial solutions. Solarise Africa has successfully delivered just under 5MW of solar plants in Kenya, with another 2MW to go live before the end of the year. The company has existing facilities of 2.5MW operational in South Africa and 600kW in Rwanda, Uganda, and Ghana, bringing Solarise Africa’s continental footprint to roughly 10MW.

Solarise Africa CEO and Chief Commercial Officer, Sakkie van Wijk, added: “We are excited to be a part of Haco Industries’ transition to renewable energy. We all have a part to play, and by adopting solar energy Haco will not only save energy costs – around 54% throughout the lifecycle of the plant – but also significantly reduce its carbon footprint. We look forward to partnering with them on their sustainability journey.”

Premier Solar Solutions, the Kenyan subsidiary of Starsight Premier Energy Group, is a market leader in the provision of end to end distributed solar PV solutions to the commercial and industrial (C&I) sector in Kenya. Services provided include load profiling, structural surveys, design, engineering, procurement, installation, testing, commissioning, financing, operation & maintenance (O&M) and remote monitoring.

By the end of 2021, the company will have delivered 18 projects in Kenya, totalling over 12 MW, with a pipeline of a further 20 MW in Kenya to be delivered in 2022. Expansions into Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda are planned for 2022 and 2023.

Starsight Premier Energy Group Chairman and CEO, Rupesh Hindocha, added, “we are very proud to have been chosen by a prestigious company like Haco Industries to deliver their inaugural solar PV system. We are confident the system will deliver the expected benefits, both financial and environmental, and look forward to continuing our engagement with Haco and the broader group as they continue to focus on the provision of clean energy to power their operations both now and in the future.”