What net metering is
When your panels produce more than you are using, a net-metered system exports the surplus to the Kenya Power grid. A bidirectional meter records both what you import and what you export, and your exports earn credits against future bills.
The rules in Kenya
- Domestic systems can export up to 4 kW on a single-phase supply and 10 kW on a three-phase supply.
- Commercial and industrial systems can go up to 1 MW, capped at your highest recorded demand over the previous 12 months.
- Each unit you export earns a credit worth half a unit. It takes two exported units to cancel one unit you buy.
- Credits roll over month to month, but unused credits are forfeited at the end of Kenya Power's financial year.
- You apply to Kenya Power, sign a five-year net-metering agreement, and pay for the meter and connection yourself.
Source: The Energy (Net-Metering) Regulations, 2024 (Legal Notice 104 of 2024). Check the current rules with EPRA or Kenya Power before relying on them.
Why exporting is worth less than using
Every unit you use yourself saves you the full all-in price, which we estimate at around KSh 29.19 per unit on the domestic high-consumption band once pass-through charges, levies and VAT are added. A unit you export earns only half a unit of credit. So the same unit is worth twice as much used or stored as it is exported.
That is why we quote battery storage as standard. A battery captures the midday surplus and gives it back to you in the evening, at full value, instead of exporting it for less. It also keeps your lights on in an outage, which an export-only system cannot do: a grid-tied system without storage shuts down when the grid does, as a safety requirement.
When net metering does make sense
- You use most of your power in daylight, rarely have a surplus, and do not need backup.
- Your roof can host a bigger array than you can use or store, and you want the credits on top.
Even then, credits that expire at year end reward a system sized to your own use. Our sizing guide shows how to get that right, and our guide to grid-tied, hybrid and off-grid systems explains the choice.
Common questions
Is there net metering in Kenya?
Yes. Under the Energy (Net-Metering) Regulations, 2024, domestic systems can export up to 4 kW on single-phase or 10 kW on three-phase supply, and businesses up to 1 MW. Each exported unit earns half a unit of credit, and unused credits are forfeited at the end of Kenya Power's financial year.
Can I sell solar power to Kenya Power?
Through net metering you earn credits against your bill rather than cash, and each exported unit is credited as half a unit. Using or storing your own solar is usually worth more.