…rolls out new solar power products
Sun King, one of the leading off-grid solar energy companies, has targeted Nigeria’s micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) with new solar-powered equipment, positioning reliable electricity as a way to support commercial activity and reduce the impact of unreliable grid supply.
The off-grid solar company launched its Power Series in Nigeria, comprising the Power Hub Pro, a 5kVA inverter expandable to 30kVA, and Power Freeze, a 210-litre freezer powered by an inverter and battery.
The company said the products are designed for homes and businesses, as well as schools and hospitals, as it expands beyond basic solar lighting into larger power systems and productive-use equipment.
Titi Ayo Oshodi, Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos State on Climate Change and Circular Economy, said the expansion of distributed energy solutions could have wider economic implications because of the importance of MSMEs to economic activity.
She said Sun King had moved beyond being a solar energy provider by developing solutions that could support the livelihoods of everyday Nigerians, particularly through MSMEs.
“I like the fact that they have adopted the strategy to connect or deploy solutions through the MSMEs,” Oshodi said.
She said more reliable access to electricity could support activities including refrigeration, mechanised processes and other commercial operations, potentially increasing economic activity among small businesses.
“If we’re able to spike up the commercial activity, especially with the MSMEs, then we can be sure that our GDP, you know, will definitely give us that sort of number for the economic growth and development that we need as a sustainable city,” she said.
Oshodi said access to finance remained one of the challenges to expanding such energy solutions, while reducing dependence on the national grid was also important.
She said Sun King had the assets and technically viable solutions but needed to connect these to green finance, including the possibility of structuring projects to access carbon finance.
At the product launch, Omoyemi Tuga, Vice President, Sun King’s vice president for PAYGO, Western Central Africa, said the Power Freeze was designed to use solar energy during the day and battery power at night, enabling it to operate throughout the day.
“This allows that during the day, once the freezer works with the sun, and then when it’s at night, the battery powers the freezer,” Tuga said.
He said the Power Hub Pro is an upgrade from the company’s existing 2kVA and 3.3kVA inverters and can be expanded to 30kVA as customers’ electricity needs increase.
“So today we’ve introduced the 5 kVA series to the market, which is expandable up to 30 kVA. So this can power either your home, power your businesses, power schools, power hospitals, power practically anything we want in the Nigerian economy,” he said.
The company is also using consumer financing to address the upfront cost of solar equipment.
Tuga said Sun King’s EasyBuy model allowed customers to make a down payment and spread subsequent payments weekly or monthly over one to two years, depending on the product.
“It’s very difficult for a customer to buy the product at once, to pay for it outright. That’s why we have our in-house financing, which we call EasyBuy,” he said.
The launch comes amid a significant electricity access gap in Nigeria, creating a market for distributed energy systems among households and businesses.
Adedayo Olowoniyi, Technical Lead for Mission 300 in Nigeria, said more than 70 million Nigerians lacked access to electricity, making distributed solar one of the fastest ways to extend electricity access.
He said more than five million new off-grid connections were made between 2025 and 2026, excluding on-grid connections.
Olowoniyi said the government’s Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up (DARES) programme, supported by a $750 million World Bank programme, provides capital subsidies to companies deploying solar equipment in rural and low-income communities.
“The government, through a program, a World Bank program called DARES, which is a $750 million program, provides some level of capital subsidy to companies like Sun King, which then reduces the burden and the cost to Nigeria,” he said.
He said expanding electricity access would require greater participation from private companies and state governments because the Federal Government could not achieve the target alone.
“We need support of state governments. We need support of private sector to be able to drive further deepening of solar penetration in Nigeria,” Olowoniyi said.
The development reflects a broader shift in Nigeria’s off-grid market from basic household lighting towards productive-use equipment capable of supporting businesses and other economic activities.
Sun King said its growth in Nigeria has been driven by partnerships with distributors, dealers, retailers, installers and financial institutions, while continuing to develop products aimed at making electricity access more affordable.
