SPEAKER INTERVIEW: BUNDI RAPHAEL OSORO

Bundi Raphael Osoro will be speaking at The Big 5 Construct Kenya this November. He will be speaking on "Going green in construction" at the Educational workshops at the show. Here's what Raphael revealed to us ahead of the workshop:

What is the current outlook on going green in the Kenyan construction industry?

The current outlook of green energy in construction in Kenya still has a big room for improvement. Contractors and engineers in my opinion are still not equipped with the necessary information they need in order to construct green. Same goes for the masons and foremen who take a big chunk of construction jobs in the rural areas. 

What are 3 major trends in green energy in Kenya?

The three major trends currently are solar PV energy, solar water heating and biogas. These three have dominated the construction industry.

What measures are being taken to create awareness about green building in Kenya?

Currently the government does not tax green energy products. Thus making the cost of doing installations cheaper. This entices  the market into investing in green energy. On the part of awareness, the government has not done much in that area. Awareness on green energy is still very low in Kenya in my opinion. 

Why is it important to go green in the current world scenario?

It is important to go green for obvious reasons, especially in Africa. First of all there is plenty of sunshine throughout the year hence abundant amounts of free solar energy for water heating and power generation. Secondly, we need to reduce the country's carbon print as 80% of homes and institutions still use firewood as a source of energy. The only way to achieve this is to substitute this source of energy with solar energy or bio gas. Lastly, the country cannot meet the demand of its citizens in terms of grid power. There needs to be a reduction in the over-reliance in grid power and that can be easily achieved through mass installation of solar PV systems in homes and institutions as a source of energy or as an alternative to Grid power.

Why is it important for events such as The Big 5 Construct Kenya to offer free education to construction professionals?

A program such as The Big 5 Construct Kenya will increase awareness of green energy as well as sell the benefits of going green in construction.

About Bundi Raphael Osoro -

Raphael is a Mechanical Engineer specialized in solar energy. He graduated with a BSc undergraduate degree in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering from the University of Nairobi; September 2017. He started his company Sunraserg Energy Experts the same year and went ahead to do local manufacturing of solar water heaters. The company has had a steady growth curve and is looking into the latest technologies that can be easily adapted by the Kenyan market in order to benefit them. Due to the great works done by the company, it has received recognition from top media stations like Nation and K24 and has featured in some of their programs and interviews. Raphael is certified by the Energy Regulatory Commission in the field of solar water heating and has a license of the same. Currently, he is the founder and Director at Sunraserg Energy Experts.