How Ariya Finergy Is Powering Africa’s Industry with Stable, Clean Energy Solutions

Give us a brief history of ARIAYA Finergy.

ARIAYA Finergy was started around eight or nine years ago. It is a clean and renewable energy company. We provide solar energy, power stabilisation, battery backup, and battery storage solutions across East Africa. We have offices in Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, and Kampala.

To date, we have built more than 65 systems. We have completed 23 or 24 megawatt peak of solar installations and about 15 megawatt hours of battery storage. We are definitely a leader in the area of batteries and power stabilisation. That is where we truly stand out.

Let us take a look at the Energy Industry as a whole. What are the current Trends, Opportunities, and Challenges you see?

The renewable energy market in Kenya is quite vibrant. When we started the company in 2016, the market required a great deal of education. However, with the rise in energy prices, there has been an explosion in solar adoption in Kenya.

In Tanzania and Uganda, the focus is more on power stabilisation, as the electricity supply in those countries is less stable than in Kenya. There is a clear movement towards renewable energy and securing stable power across the region.

Government Incentives such as VAT exemptions have supported renewable Energy Uptake. What Policy Adjustments would you recommend to further Catalyse Investment in Clean Energy?

Subsidies have proven highly effective in Europe, the United States, and Australia. They have had a significant catalytic impact on the renewable energy sector. Subsidies would certainly make a huge difference here as well.

That said, governments in East Africa have done a commendable job in providing VAT exemptions and other incentives on solar equipment, which have helped to drive adoption.

Who are your Clients? Are they Residential or Commercial?

All our clients are businesses. We focus exclusively on the commercial and industrial sector any enterprise with high power demand. We also work with businesses that experience poor power quality, such as voltage flickers or fluctuations. These are the clients who should view us as their power partner.

You have already expanded into Tanzania and Uganda and have plans for further growth. Beyond Kenya, which markets are you argeting? Since you are now a leader in Battery Systems, which other markets do you envisage entering?

We target any market that has unstable power, which includes most of Africa particularly sub-Saharan Africa. Markets such as Zambia, Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia, and Somaliland are all potential expansion areas.

We have developed a proprietary energy management system that allows us to deliver completely seamless and stable power. As far as we are aware, we are the only company in sub-Saharan Africa offering this level of service.

The scope for growth is immense. The primary constraint is access to capital. Apart from Africa, we also see opportunities in India and South America, essentially anywhere experiencing unstable power supply.

Let us look at some sector stories and the impact of the work you have done. Could you share some examples from Kenya, Tanzania, or Uganda—anywhere—so we understand the business impact over the years?

We have implemented power stabilisation solutions in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Across all these countries, clients have reported an average increase of 30% in production. This increase is directly attributable to having stable power.

They no longer rely on generators, do not experience shutdowns, and avoid production stoppages. Even when there is a national power outage, the factories continue operating. Additionally, wastage is significantly reduced.

For example, at one of the factories in Uganda, prior to installing our system, the entire yard was filled with plastic waste. After one year of stable power, the yard was completely clear. There was no more waste, which also improved space utilisation and productivity. The 30 percent increase in production is only one aspect of the benefit—having stable power fundamentally transforms operations. Many factories across Africa operate with unstable power and unnecessary waste. We aim to give them a strong starting point with reliable, stabilised power.

Beyond Solar Panels, ARIAYA offers power stabilisation solutions that Integrate Solar, Grid, Generators, and Batteries. How do you differentiate yourselves from other EPC providers in the Region?

Many companies provide backup power, but that is not power stabilisation. Backup systems typically charge a battery from solar or the grid, and when there is a power outage, they switch over. Power stabilisation, on the other hand, is seamless. There is no switching—the factory remains fully operational without interruption.

Our system protects against flickers, voltage surges, and general grid instability. We deliver consistent voltage to the factory at all times.

Thanks to our proprietary energy management system, we can integrate the generator, the grid, the solar array, and the batteries in a seamless and efficient way. We work with each factory to design a solution tailored to their specific power requirements. As a result, even a one-hour battery can sustain factory operations for up to eight hours during the day.

The longest power cut we have successfully covered with a one-hour battery was 13 hours. This is a unique proposition that sets us apart in the region.

What Projects are you currently working on? Do you have any in the Pipeline?

We are currently working on several projects across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. These span a range of sectors and sizes, from 2 megawatts to 10 megawatts in solar and battery capacity.

One notable project is with Gentex. They experienced a 30 percent increase in production after implementation. They also endured a 13-hour power cut, which our system managed without disruption.

Because they cannot predict grid outages, we installed a screen and siren in the factory to alert staff when the grid is down. We monitor their system on a second-by-second basis, providing real-time data on how much battery time is left before switching to the generator or shutting down.

The system has completely transformed their operations. For example, just before Easter, they faced a surge in demand for their large water tanks. Historically, they struggled to meet this demand due to power issues. Two days before Easter, the power went out for eight hours. However, for the first time, they were able to work through it without interruption.

This had a significant impact on the company’s confidence and operations. They are now able to accept orders they previously would have turned down. Operating on generators for eight hours is not sustainable, as it severely affects profit margins. This success story illustrates the real-world benefits of our power stabilisation solution.

Let us look ahead over the next three to five years. What are your key priorities, and what would you like to have achieved within that period?

Our primary goal is to make our solution available in more countries across Africa. We intend to expand our footprint beyond Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Although we have been operating for nine years, expanding at the pace we envision requires capital. Access to capital remains the biggest constraint to our growth.

We aim to establish operations in countries such as Zambia and Zimbabwe. We are currently exploring projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as other parts of East Africa. The expansion potential is significant.

In addition to funding, education is critical. When we enter new markets, many potential clients do not believe stable power is possible. It is not part of their lived experience. Securing an anchor project in each new market is essential. Once others see the results firsthand, they begin to understand the possibilities.

Therefore, our two main priorities for growth are access to capital and market education. With both in place, we believe we can transform the way companies operate and fundamentally change their perception of power availability.