What it costs
| Size / type | Typical price | Range | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100L non-pressurised | KSh 62,000 | 55,699 – 74,990 | 4 |
| 150L non-pressurised | KSh 60,750 | 56,000 – 69,900 | 13 |
| 150L pressurised | KSh 114,300 | 95,000 – 189,000 | 10 |
| 150L type not stated | KSh 151,500 | 56,260 – 254,562 | 18 |
| 200L non-pressurised | KSh 77,000 | 50,999 – 95,000 | 31 |
| 200L pressurised | KSh 128,850 | 96,000 – 235,000 | 29 |
| 200L type not stated | KSh 139,000 | 59,000 – 301,900 | 40 |
| 250L non-pressurised | KSh 90,650 | 87,900 – 97,200 | 6 |
| 250L pressurised | KSh 154,400 | 144,500 – 164,700 | 4 |
| 250L type not stated | KSh 91,800 | 91,800 – 91,800 | 1 |
| 300L non-pressurised | KSh 99,900 | 72,000 – 135,600 | 23 |
| 300L pressurised | KSh 195,000 | 115,000 – 299,900 | 37 |
| 300L type not stated | KSh 184,000 | 69,999 – 400,000 | 36 |
| 350-360L non-pressurised | KSh 120,000 | 117,900 – 132,300 | 7 |
| 350-360L pressurised | KSh 213,300 | 180,000 – 220,050 | 7 |
| 350-360L type not stated | KSh 114,750 | 114,750 – 114,750 | 1 |
Unit prices from the listings we checked. Installation, plumbing and a roof stand are usually extra. Prices from listings on Kenyan shops and marketplaces, checked October 2026. Listings with impossible specs are left out.
How a solar water heating system works
A solar water heater is not the same as solar panels for electricity. It uses collectors that absorb the sun's heat and pass it to water stored in an insulated tank on the roof. Hot water rises naturally into the tank (a thermosiphon), so most home systems need no pump. The tank keeps water hot into the evening and often to the next morning.
Most systems also have a backup electric element in the tank for cloudy spells, sometimes with a timer or a solar hot water heater controller that switches the element on only when the water is not hot enough.
Types of solar water heating systems in Kenya
- Evacuated tube (solar tubes). Rows of glass tubes on a frame below the tank. Efficient, also in cooler weather, and the most common type on Kenyan roofs. Tubes can break from hail or stones, but each can be replaced on its own.
- Flat plate collectors (solar hot water panels). Flat glass-covered panels. Tougher and neat-looking, usually with a pressurised tank. Often more expensive.
- Heat pipe. A tube type where a sealed copper pipe carries heat to the tank, so the water does not run through the glass. Suits pressurised systems.
And by pressure:
- Non pressurized solar water heater. The tank is fed from a header tank or a gravity supply and delivers water at low pressure. Cheaper and simple; fine for showers below a raised tank.
- Pressurised. Works at mains or pump pressure, so it can feed several bathrooms, upstairs showers and mixer taps. Typically costs about 1.5 to 2 times as much for the same size.
Which size do you need?
Tanks are sold by litres. As a rough guide many installers plan on about 40 to 60 litres of hot water per person per day:
- 100 to 150 litres: 2 to 3 people
- 200 litres: 4 to 5 people, the most common household size
- 300 litres: 6 or more people, or a home with several bathrooms
Water quality matters too. Hard or salty water, common on the coast and in parts of the Rift Valley, leaves scale in the tank and tubes. Ask about a stainless steel tank or a heat-pipe design if your water is hard.
Solar water heater cost in Kenya
From the listings we checked, a 200-litre non-pressurised system typically costs about KSh 77,000, and a 200-litre pressurised system about KSh 129,000. A 300-litre non-pressurised system is typically about KSh 100,000, and a 300-litre pressurised one about KSh 195,000.
These are unit prices. The solar water heater installation cost (roof stand, plumbing, mixing valve and labour) is usually extra and varies with the roof and pipe runs. See solar water heater prices for the full breakdown, and solar installation for what a proper job includes.
Solar water heating installation and licensing
A good installation needs a roof that can carry a full tank (a 200-litre tank weighs well over 200kg when full), a frame fixed to the structure, short insulated pipes, and a tempering valve so the water at the tap is not scalding.
EPRA licenses solar water heating under the Energy (Solar Water Heating) Regulations, 2025, with contractor classes SHC1 and SHC2 and worker classes SHW1 and SHW2. When we checked in October 2026 the contractor register had no published licensees yet, so no company can be shown as an EPRA-licensed solar water heating contractor. Ask installers about their experience, the brand they fit, and the warranty on the tank and collectors.
Below are companies on our directory that list solar water heaters. Many work on the coast, where hot sun and hard water both matter, see Mombasa or all of Kenya.