Guide · Understanding the price
How much does a solar kit cost in Togo? What makes the price.
Published 4 September 2026 · 6-minute read
Why prices vary so much
On the Lomé market, two installations both advertised as "3 kilowatts" can cost twice as much as one another. It isn't that one seller is cheating the other: it's that a "solar kit" doesn't mean the same thing from one quote to the next. Until you know what's inside, the price tells you nothing.
This guide breaks the price down so you can read a quote, ours as well as anyone else's.
The six items in a complete kit
| Item | Share of equipment | What makes the price vary |
|---|---|---|
| Battery | ≈ half | Capacity in kWh, chemistry (LiFePO4 or lead-acid), guaranteed cycle count, IEC 62619 certification |
| Panels | a fifth to a quarter | Unit power (550 Wp or older modules), IEC 61215 / 61730 certification, production warranty |
| Hybrid inverter | ≈ a tenth | Power (6 or 10 kW), voltage (48 V), quality of the built-in MPPT controller |
| Mounting structure and wiring | a tenth to a fifth | Roof type (sheet metal or slab), cable length, protections, distribution box |
| Transport and customs | outside equipment | Shared container or standalone shipment, exemption scheme applicable to solar equipment |
| Installation and commissioning | outside equipment | Certified installer or not, warranty on the installation, hand-over report |
The main message fits in one line: the battery accounts for half the price, and it's the item a seller cuts first to show a low figure. A "cheap" kit is almost always a kit that won't make it through the night. The guide running an air conditioner all night on solar explains why.
How to compare two quotes
Never compare two total prices. Reduce each quote to three figures:
- The price per kWh of usable battery. Usable, not nominal: a 10 kWh lead-acid battery only gives you 5, a 10 kWh LiFePO4 gives you 9.
- The price per peak watt of panels. And check the unit power: 400 W modules instead of 550 W means more panels, more structure, more roof space used for the same output.
- The inverter's power and voltage. A 3 kVA 24 V inverter costs a few dollars less than a 6 kW 48 V one, and it will stop you cold the moment you add another air conditioner.
What a low price most often hides
- A lead-acid battery, or a LiFePO4 battery undersized for the night.
- Panels with no IEC certification, whose real output and long-term performance are unknown.
- A "manufacturer" warranty with no one in Togo to honour it.
- An installation with no hand-over report, done by a middleman who won't come back.
What legitimately brings the price down
Factory-direct import
A kit bought from a reseller in Lomé has passed through two or three intermediaries since the factory, each taking a margin. AFRO-ENERGY buys directly from the manufacturer, in a shared container, and installs through certified partners in Togo. The shared container is also what explains the lead time: six to eight weeks between order and installation, tracked step by step.
Exemption for solar equipment
Togo provides, subject to accreditation, a VAT and customs duty exemption on solar equipment, under Law 2018-010 on the promotion of electricity generation from renewable sources. This scheme weighs heavily on the final price. We tell you, on every quote, what has been applied.
The right size rather than the biggest
Our entire range runs on 48 V: a battery of the same model can be added within the year without changing the inverter. There is therefore no need to oversize "just in case". You choose the kit that matches the air conditioners actually installed, and add a module if the house changes. This is explained in the guide which kit for my home.
How many years the kit takes to pay for itself
An air-conditioned home in Lomé pays CEET every month on a residential rate in the region of 150 CFA francs per kilowatt-hour, excluding outages and generator use. Comparing the price of an installed kit to this avoided bill, our calculations give a payback period of three to five years depending on the kit.
A LiFePO4 battery lasts several thousand cycles and IEC-certified panels still produce more than 80% of their power after twenty-five years. Once the kit has paid for itself, many years of electricity remain with no bill, and above all no load-shedding.
This calculation counts neither the generator's fuel, nor appliances damaged by outages, nor nights without air conditioning. For many families, that's where the real saving lies.
Our prices, and when you'll receive them
AFRO-ENERGY launch prices are not yet published: they depend on the factory quotes we are finalising. They will be announced first to waiting-list members, with a welcome discount when orders open.
What is already fixed: payment is made online, at the time of ordering, in euros, Swiss francs or US dollars for the diaspora, or in CFA francs; installation is included and carried out by certified partners in Lomé; a photo report is sent at the end of the work to the person who placed the order. There is no monthly rental option.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the most expensive item in a solar kit?
- The battery: about half the equipment for a kit sized for overnight air conditioning. Then the panels, the inverter, the mounting structure and wiring.
- How many years does it take for a solar kit to pay for itself in Togo?
- Between three and five years according to our calculations, comparing the installed kit price to the avoided CEET bill, at a rate in the region of 150 CFA francs per kilowatt-hour.
- When will AFRO-ENERGY prices be published?
- First to waiting-list members, with a welcome discount when orders open. Payment online at the time of ordering, no monthly rental.