As homes and hotels adopt solar water heating to save on power costs, demand for solar hot water system experts has risen.

It is against this backdrop that the Strathmore Energy Research Centre (SERC) has launched the Solar Thermal Hub of Excellence.

Developed in partnership with SolarisKit, Energy Catalyst, UK Aid and Innovate UK, the centre is set to upscale solar thermal technology adoption across Kenya, Rwanda and the larger sub-Saharan Africa.

It will serve as a premier centre for training, research, and innovation in solar hot water systems, addressing the critical need for sustainable heating solutions. "Africa, situated in the Global Solar Belt, holds untapped potential to lead in sustainable energy solutions," noted Dr Faisal Ghani, founder of SolarisKit. "Despite the region's abundant solar resources, penetration rates for solar thermal technology remain below 0.5 percent in Sub-Saharan Africa.