What it costs
| Size / type | Typical price | Range | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100W | KSh 3,428 | 2,374 – 8,400 | 46 |
| 200W | KSh 5,440 | 3,324 – 14,000 | 53 |
| 300W | KSh 7,500 | 4,400 – 21,000 | 48 |
| 400W | KSh 7,999 | 6,290 – 17,999 | 33 |
| 450W | KSh 9,849 | 6,499 – 27,887 | 32 |
| 500-550W | KSh 11,688 | 7,499 – 28,000 | 68 |
| 600W+ (565-720W) | KSh 12,760 | 6,840 – 24,999 | 109 |
Prices are for the panel alone, from Kenyan shops and marketplaces. Mounting, cable, inverter, batteries and installation are extra. Prices from listings on Kenyan shops and marketplaces, checked October 2026. Listings with impossible specs are left out.
What a solar panel costs, in brief
Going by the listings we checked, a 100W panel typically sells for about KSh 3,400, a 300W panel for about KSh 7,500, a 450W panel for about KSh 9,800 and a 550W panel for about KSh 11,700. Ranges are wide, because the same wattage is sold by marketplace sellers under little-known brands and by solar shops stocking big-name modules, which cost more.
Bigger panels cost less per watt. A 100W panel works out at about KSh 34 a watt, while a 450W or 550W panel is closer to KSh 21 or 22 a watt. For solar panels on a house, a few large panels usually beat many small ones, as long as your roof has the space. See the full list on our solar panel prices page and every size from 50W up on solar panel sizes.
What solar panels on your house actually do
A panel turns sunlight into DC electricity. On its own it powers nothing in your house. A working home system also needs:
- An inverter to turn DC into the 240V AC your sockets use.
- A charge controller to charge batteries safely. Most modern hybrid inverters have one built in.
- Batteries if you want power at night or during KPLC outages.
- Mounting, cable, breakers and earthing so the system is safe and lasts.
That is why the panel price is only part of the bill. A solar panel at home is the start of a home solar system, and the rest is sized around what you want to run.
How to pick the best solar panels in Kenya
There is no single best brand, but top rated solar panels share the same signs:
- A real datasheet. It shows maximum power (Pmax), voltage, current, efficiency and dimensions, measured under standard test conditions. The label on the back should match it.
- High efficiency for its size. High efficiency solar panels give more watts from the same roof area. Most modern monocrystalline panels convert roughly a fifth of the sunlight that hits them, sometimes a little more.
- A positive power tolerance, such as 0 to +5W, so you never get less than the rating.
- A long performance warranty in writing, from a seller who will still be there to honour it.
- A sensible price. A panel far below the typical price for its wattage is usually overrated.
Big-name brands such as Jinko, JA, Longi, Trina and Canadian Solar cost more than marketplace brands, but come with datasheets you can check. The types of solar panels page explains mono, poly and bifacial.
All weather solar panels and fake ratings
Every proper solar panel is built to sit outside in sun and rain for many years, so "all weather" on a listing is a sales phrase, not a type. What matters is a sealed junction box, a solid aluminium frame and tempered glass.
The bigger risk is a fake rating. Some marketplace listings claim 715W to 1000W from a single panel at around KSh 10,000. No standard panel of that power sells at that price, and we leave such listings out of our figures. A real 300W panel is roughly 1.6 metres long; if one is much smaller, the rating is not real.
Tax and VAT on solar panels in Kenya
Some sellers note that solar equipment may be VAT-exempt, while installation and other services are not. Of the sellers we checked, only Chloride Exide showed its prices as tax included; the rest did not say. Ask every seller to state VAT on the quote, so you can compare like with like.
Solar panel suppliers in Kenya
You can buy panels on Jumia and Jiji, from solar shops in town, or through an installer. Buying through a licensed installer often costs a little more per panel, but the panels are matched to your inverter and batteries and someone is responsible for the whole system.
Larger suppliers on our directory include Chloride Exide, which lists brands such as Jinko and Victron, and Davis & Shirtliff, which lists Trina among its panel brands. For installation, look for an EPRA C1 (contractor) or V1 (vendor) licence. The green EPRA badge on a profile shows we found the company on the register. Then read our guide to solar installation.