Farming can be very challenging in Kenya. It is even more so if you are a farmer in remote areas. Fetching water becomes a crucial activity because it is needed to produce food for family consumption and sale. Smallholders spend a lot of time and energy on water procurement and sometimes walk many miles in search of good water sources.

Most people living in the rural outskirts of Kenya and relying on an unreliable water source for their day-to-day activities are always at the mercy of the ever-fluctuating rains.

But, the demand for clean water is growing daily. 

In many cases, well-digging has proven to be a viable solution to this problem, but in other instances, pits and shallow hand-dug wells dry up during the long dry season. As a result, some households experience difficulties with water availability which ultimately have negative effects on food security, health, and protection of the environment.

This is why we built a Solar-powered Agritech product—RainMaker.

What is RainMaker?

Rainmaker is the name for our solar water pump that enables you to fetch water from water sources, like wells, ponds, lakes, rivers, boreholes, or municipal water supplies (irrigation districts) to your raised tank using Power of the Sun. There are two main methods of irrigation used by RainMaker systems—drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation—each with its benefits.

RainMaker is the fastest way to water your farm – with the battery offering more than 300% of the battery capacity of leading competitors. It is simple, efficient, and requires no daily maintenance once set up! 

Some of the benefits include—fetching water just by connecting the pump to the charged ClimateSmart Battery for domestic and farm purposes, lighting your house, charging your phone by using solar energy. You also cut operational and maintenance costs.

What do RainMaker Systems do?

Our RainMaker systems are in a league of their own. These combos come with a smart irrigation controller that uses patented and built-in climate-control technology. It allows the system to automatically adjust the watering schedule and intelligently deliver the right amount of water to your lawn, plants and garden, for your farm to stay green and conserve water.

The Equipment & Service

The system includes a three-year warranty with free fittings, installation and labour. 

The lifespan of the equipment is – 

25 years for the solar panel

10 years for the pump

5 years for the battery.

That is,

The lithium battery cells can be serviced after 5 years at a cost of Ksh. 10,000 only.

The pump can be replaced at a cost of Ksh. 17,500 after 10 years.

The solar panel can be replaced at a cost of Ksh. 15,000 after 25 years. 

The smart battery gives you a real-time weather-based recommendation for irrigation via SMS. Some of the notifications installed within the system are –

Dry run protection with SMS alert

Weather-based irrigation SMS alert

Battery health optimization using LVD

Remote monitoring and predictive maintenance. 

Farmers need to Go Solar with SunCulture

When it comes to sustainable and renewable energy, solar is one of the cheapest solutions around. In terms of upfront cost, it’s also one of the most affordable renewable energy sources out there. This makes it a good option for farmers who need to reduce their emissions and electricity bills as much as possible. But what about the return on investment for farmers?

SunCulture guarantees up to a 5X increase in yields and a 10X increase in income of the farmers by addressing the irrigation gap.

Smallholder farmers who live in rural areas where the grid is often unreliable can benefit from the environmental, agricultural and economical benefits of solar. 

SunCulture is building affordable solar power systems specifically designed for remote communities.

You can visit our local sales and service centre to learn more about our systems. To contact us via toll-free, dial 080 0721042. You can expect friendly and informative responses from our team.