Kenya RPCV Mark Hankins is the author Solar Electric Systems for Africa, a book published in 1992 when he set up his company, Energy Alternatives for Africa
Firm fires up the use of solar energy
ESDA promotes sustainable energy by providing technical and management expertise on appropriate options, writes Mukami Githagui
Mr Mark Hankins
A fascination for solar energy forced Mark Hankins to abandon a teaching career to start a company that would help to build a sustainable energy infrastructure.
One of the pioneers behind the alternative energy sector in Kenya, Hankins says his company was built on renewable energy resource assessment, market studies and field surveys, policy study and development, renewable energy financing design and project pipeline development, renewable energy extension and training.
Attached to the US Peace Corps in 1983, Hankins came to Kenya as a science teacher and worked at Karamugi High School in Chuka, Meru. A holder of a Master of Science degree in Alternative Energy Engineering from Reading University in the UK, Hankins is also the author Solar Electric Systems for Africa, a book published in 1992 when he set up his company, Energy Alternatives for Africa.
In 1998, Energy for Sustainable Development (ESD), one of Europe’s leading sustainable energy companies, partnered with Hankins to form what has now come to be known as Energy for Sustainable Development Africa (ESDA).
Hankins has gained a wealth of experience through working with the Ministry of Energy in Kenya on a number of projects. He has also worked in the UK as a consultant besides conducting regional training for basic photovoltaic installation in Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia.
He says he was also part of a team that designed the Ethiopian Rural Electricity Fund, which manages private sector-led rural electrification programmes throughout the country.
"When I started my own company, I only had two people and I used to do a lot of community-based projects," he says. "Most of my clients were small non-governmental organisations but now I have employed 10 people and my clientele has continued to grow over the years."
Excerpts
Q: What role does ESDA play in the energy sector?
A: It helps to build local sustainable energy by providing technical, policy, training and management expertise in Eastern, Southern and the Horn of Africa. We work in partnership with clients ranging from local communities and industries to international organisations and help them in selecting appropriate energy options.
Q: What scope of work do you handle?
A: ESDA has vast experience including project design, technical assistance and management using energy system design and planning, solar photovoltaic (PV), wood and non-wood biomass production and conversion technologies. We also help in promoting efficiency and conservation methodologies, provide off-grid power supply, solar thermal and wind energy.
Q: What is your marketing strategy?
A: We mainly work with small and medium-sized rural enterprises where we act as a catalyst for the commercialisation of sustainable energy. Our main focus remains sustainable, commercially viable renewable energy technologies.
Q: What services do you offer?
A: Clean development mechanism, renewable energy demonstrations, small business support, and financing of businesses and end-users. We also do energy auditing and planning, off-grid energy systems design and installation, which includes designing and installing appropriate sustainable energy systems for applications ranging from hospitals to eco-tourism to remote households.
We also undertake renewable energy training, product design and test marketing and improving biomass production and conversion.
Q: Have you noticed any change in the industry over the years?
A: Initially, there were various small companies trying to tap into the solar market, but now bigger companies have taken over resulting in fewer players such as Kenital, Chloride Exide, among others. The awareness among people is at a higher level, there is more professionalism, the prices are much more competitive, companies also tend to specialise more — either on exports or consumer products.
About 200,000 households are using solar products and one million use lead batteries in rural areas.
Q: Are there other types of renewable energy?
A: Yes, and they include wind, geothermal, biomass and hydropower. It’s not just about solar energy any more; globally, use of different types of renewable energy is big business.
Q: Is the government supportive of renewable energy?
A: It has greatly reduced duty on solar products but in terms of projects, the government has done little in comparison to Uganda and Tanzania.
