Green Building
Africa’s Largest Rooftop Solar Plant Installed in Nairobi
The plant has transformed UNEP office into Africa’s first climate-neutral building.
Africa’s largest on-roof photovoltaic solar panel has been installed for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi.
Built by the German Energiebau Solarstromsysteme GmbH company, the 515 kW photovoltaic system has turned UNEP’s new office into Africa’s first climate-neutral building.
According to the managing director of Energiebau Mr Michael Schäfer, Energiebau installed the photovoltaic system for UNEP in close cooperation with and incorporating German solar technology from SMA Solar Technology AG, SCHOTT Solar, and Kaneka of Japan.
In mid-2010, Energiebau Solarstromsysteme GmbH won the contract for the project, which had a three-month installation phase.
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The solar power system consists of 4,000 modules and promises to produce 750,000-kilowatt hours of clean solar energy each year (a lot more electric energy than will likely be consumed by the building).
“Photovoltaics is developing into an important factor for the climate-neutral architecture of the future,” the Managing Director of Energiebau Michael Schäfer explained.
To create a broader impact across the region, Mr Schäfer said further systems will be put into operation through the development partnerships in Kenya and Tanzania, to demonstrate the many ways in which solar energy sources can be used.
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