A solar heating plant. [Photo/greenhouse.com]Housing developers and building owners yet to fit their premises with solar heating systems risk being slapped with a fine of up to Sh1million or imprisonment of one year as the grace period for the Solar Water Heating Regulations 2012 lapses tomorrow.
Failure to comply with the law will also attract disconnection of electricity. “Those who will not have complied by tomorrow risk being slapped with a fine of up to Sh1 million or an imprisonment term of up to one year or both,’’ said MMC Africa Law partner Jacqueline Wangui.
The regulations had allowed the grace period for compliance but it lapsed on May 25 this year. However, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) granted developers and contractors a further six months to comply with the requirements.
Wangui said pursuant to the regulations, the design, installation, repair, and maintenance of a Solar Water Heating System needs to be in accordance with the Code of Practice provided for under the Solar Water Heating for Domestic Hot water Kenya Standard, as well as the building code made under the County Government Act, 2012.
On Monday, ERC said that schools, residential areas, and commercial buildings have the poorest installation rates in regard to the mandatory solar water heating systems regulations while the hotel industry had the highest uptake of solar water systems placing the compliance rate above 90 percent. The government lifted import duty and removed value added tax charged on renewable energy equipment in a bid to boost the development and uptake of solar energy.