The Missing Piece in Ethiopia’s Solar Revolution 

For years, I’ve been immersed in the renewable energy sector in Ethiopia, working alongside others to push the boundaries of solar power adoption. Despite the endless potential for solar energy in our country—abundant sunshine, the pressing need for sustainable solutions, and an underserved population—the path to wider adoption hasn’t been as straightforward as one might imagine.

What struck me most during this journey wasn’t a lack of enthusiasm for clean energy. On the contrary, many people I spoke to were eager for the switch to solar. The problem, however, was clear: the decision to make the change was often rooted in uncertainty, confusion, and a sense of financial unease.

In my conversations with homeowners, business owners, and even large organizations, there was a recurring theme—“I’m interested in solar, but how much will it really cost? And what will I save in the long term?”

These are valid questions, yet they remain unanswered for far too many. For a long time, the complexity of the solar decision-making process has made it inaccessible to many people in Ethiopia. It’s not enough to simply say that solar energy is the future; the truth is, many people don’t know where to start, and those who do often feel overwhelmed by the cost estimates and unclear savings projections.

When I first started exploring solar energy more seriously, I found myself asking the same questions. It was nearly impossible to find reliable, straightforward information. I wanted to know the actual savings over time—how long it would take for the initial investment to pay off and how much the system would cost me. But without a clear framework, the financial decisions remained shrouded in uncertainty.

This lack of clarity is one of the biggest barriers to solar adoption in Ethiopia. The upfront cost of solar systems, while potentially saving money in the long run, feels like an enormous risk to many. With no way to estimate savings or compare system prices, many people simply avoid the decision altogether. Others might turn to informal sources of information, often leading to inconsistent advice and misunderstandings about what solar energy can really offer them.

It’s a fact that more than 60 million Ethiopians living in rural areas still lack access to reliable electricity. Solar has long been touted as the solution to this energy crisis, especially in off-grid areas. The potential for solar power to change lives in rural communities is immense. However, over time, I came to realize something crucial: solar adoption will be driven not only by rural areas but also by the middle class in urban cities.

This realization came to me as we began our local manufacturing efforts for solar panels in the Somali region. We were excited about the prospect of local production to meet Ethiopia's energy needs, but we also encountered an undeniable truth—the adoption of solar energy in urban centers is a crucial first step. If solar isn’t being widely adopted in urban areas, how can we expect it to gain traction in rural regions? After all, urban populations have the infrastructure, financial capacity, and education to take the first leap. If they aren’t adopting solar at scale, it will be far more challenging to implement it in rural areas, where financial and logistical barriers are even greater.

The absence of a centralized, accessible tool that could break down these financial uncertainties was something I kept coming back to. What if there was a way to offer consumers the clarity they desperately needed? What if, instead of guessing or assuming, we could give them a clear and accurate picture of how much they could save over 30 years by switching to solar energy?

I realized that the lack of such a platform wasn’t just about missing information—it was about missing trust. People didn’t trust the process because it was too opaque, and that lack of trust kept them from taking the necessary first steps toward sustainable energy.

The more I thought about it, the more it became apparent that a tool to calculate savings, show system costs, and explain the long-term benefits of solar wasn’t just a nice-to-have—it was an essential missing piece. Without it, we were leaving people in the dark, uncertain about their options and unable to make informed decisions.

This frustration led me to ask: How can we create a platform that can bridge this gap? One that could provide personalized, reliable estimates based on the actual needs of users, considering their specific energy consumption, local incentives, and the costs of the solar systems available in Ethiopia.

But creating this kind of tool wasn’t easy. It took time, effort, and careful attention to ensure that it would provide people with the information they truly needed—information that was accurate, simple to understand, and above all, trustworthy. I wasn’t alone in this. The team at SahanTech Group worked tirelessly to bring this vision to life. We built the tool with one purpose: to simplify the complex and offer clarity where there was once confusion.

This platform is not about selling solar or pushing a product—it’s about providing people with the knowledge they deserve. It’s about helping Ethiopians who want to make the switch to solar but feel unsure about the costs, the savings, and whether it’s even possible for them. It’s about putting the power back into their hands, letting them explore their options in a way that is clear, honest, and tangible.

Looking back, I see how much has changed over the past few years. The landscape of solar energy in Ethiopia is evolving, but the journey isn’t over. We still face challenges, especially when it comes to educating the public and breaking down the barriers to adoption. However, this tool is a step in the right direction, and more importantly, it’s a step toward rebuilding trust and offering people the clarity they need to take control of their energy future.

In the end, this story isn’t just mine—it’s ours. The journey toward a sustainable energy future in Ethiopia requires all of us to be part of the solution. And, for me, the first step is simply to make sure that everyone has the right information to make the right choice.

With this in mind, we founded the SahanEase Solar Cost Estimator. This platform is our effort to help Ethiopians make informed, confident decisions about solar energy, giving them a clear, personalized look at potential savings, costs, and options. It’s a small but significant step in our ongoing work to bring transparency and accessibility to the solar energy sector in Ethiopia.

This version incorporates the point about rural energy access and the critical role of urban adoption, highlighting the broader context of solar adoption in Ethiopia.

You can follow me on Linkedin here Jibril Mohamed Ahmed (Ph.D)