Solar panels by town

How much sun a town gets decides how many panels you need and how fast they pay for themselves. The tables below compare 32 towns, sunniest first, using the same example in each: a small home using 5 kWh a day. Open a town for three worked examples, its best and weakest months, and common questions.

Kenya

TownPeak sun hours a dayEstimated costPayback
Lodwar 6.43 KSh 117,000 3.7 years
Isiolo 6.38 KSh 117,000 3.7 years
Eldoret 6.19 KSh 117,000 3.7 years
Kisumu 6.19 KSh 117,000 3.7 years
Kakamega 6.06 KSh 117,000 3.7 years
Narok 6.01 KSh 117,000 3.7 years
Naivasha 6.00 KSh 117,000 3.7 years
Nakuru 5.95 KSh 117,000 3.7 years
Nanyuki 5.94 KSh 117,000 3.7 years
Kisii 5.82 KSh 117,000 3.7 years
Kitale 5.79 KSh 117,000 3.7 years
Malindi 5.79 KSh 117,000 3.7 years
Garissa 5.69 KSh 117,000 3.7 years
Mombasa 5.67 KSh 117,000 3.7 years
Kitui 5.66 KSh 117,000 3.7 years
Kericho 5.62 KSh 117,000 3.7 years
Meru 5.58 KSh 117,000 3.7 years
Machakos 5.55 KSh 117,000 3.7 years
Nyeri 5.45 KSh 145,650 4.6 years
Thika 5.43 KSh 145,650 4.6 years
Voi 5.38 KSh 145,650 4.6 years
Embu 5.31 KSh 145,650 4.6 years
Nairobi 5.31 KSh 145,650 4.6 years

Tanzania

TownPeak sun hours a dayEstimated costPayback
Dodoma 6.34 TSh 2,356,000 5.6 years
Mwanza 5.88 TSh 2,356,000 5.6 years
Tanga 5.75 TSh 2,356,000 5.6 years
Mbeya 5.71 TSh 2,356,000 5.6 years
Zanzibar City 5.56 TSh 2,356,000 5.6 years
Arusha 5.45 TSh 2,936,500 7.0 years
Dar es Salaam 5.36 TSh 2,936,500 7.0 years
Morogoro 5.32 TSh 2,936,500 7.0 years
Moshi 5.27 TSh 2,936,500 7.0 years

Sun hours are Global Solar Atlas long-term averages. Costs include installation and a battery sized for 40% of a day's use, with solar covering about 80% of the bill. Estimates only; get quotes from local installers.

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