Leading Solar Energy Innovation in Egypt since 2011

KarmSolar was founded in 2011 by Ahmed Zahran, Randa Fahmy, Yumna Madi, and Xavier Auclair in a cafe in Zamalek with a vision to empower Egyptian businesses and communities with renewable energy. The name KarmSolar was inspired by Karm Eco-lodge in the St. Catherine’s area of Sinai where the founders were on retreat.

KarmSolar introduced it’s first solution, solar-powered water pumping, and signed it’s first contract with agri-developer Fridal to construct 33 wells for their farmland in Bahariya Oasis. KarmSolar developed and patented specialized solar pumping technology, and received the HCT-Wharton Innovation Award for invention.

KarmSolar inaugurated it’s research and development facility in the Bahariya Oasis area. The campus is solar-powered and serves as a base for R&D operations, event and retreat space, and dwelling facilities for the KarmSolar team when working on projects in the area.

The KarmSolar organization grew to include two new subsidiaries, KAL and KarmPower. KAL is a high-performance architecture design firm specializing in human-centric, sustainable, and energy-efficient built environments. It was previously known as KarmBuild. KarmPower serves as the engineering, procurement, and construction arm for KarmSolar and KAL.

KarmSolar became the first company in Egypt to receive an Independent Power Producer (IPP) license from Egypt ERA allowing us to sell electricity from a major off-grid solar station. KarmSolar signed its first PPA solar generation contract with Juhayna for a 1.0 MW station serving Juhayna’s 11,000-acre off-grid ENMAA farm.

KarmSolar joined the Egyptian Government’s Feed-in-Tariff scheme allowing IPPs to sell electricity to the national grid and signed a contract with the town of Sahl Hashish for a 2.2 MW solar station under the scheme.

KarmSolar signed an agreement for the largest private PPA in Egypt to date in 2017. The solar station's size is 16.8MW and it serves an agri-developer's farmland in the Wadi el Natroun region. The station is currently undeveloped and is expected to begin operation in 2022.

KarmSolar launched it’s power distribution business and signed with Badr El Din Development’s Arkan Plaza in Sheikh Zayed City to manage the energy infrastructure for the mall and establish a dedicated solar station on-site. The power distribution department has since extended it's agreement with Badr el Din to also manage energy distribution for Arkan Town after the success of the Arkan Plaza model.

French renewable energy multinational EDF Renewables became KarmSolar’s largest shareholder through capital investment into the company. EDF-R brings unparalleled knowledge, resources, and expertise that elevated KarmSolar’s operations and commercial capabilities to a higher international standard.

KarmSolar successfully navigated the COVID-19 pandemic by maintaining strict health and safety precautions for team members and stakeholders and providing valuable medical support via health partners to their community. KarmBuild (now KAL) designed the Egypt Care Hospital, an ICU field hospital that adds intensive care capacity with rapid and cost-effective deployment. KarmBuild published the designs for the station open-source on the internet.

KarmSolar announced its new water solutions division KarmWater, which specializes in solar-powered water desalination and water storage solutions. KarmWater signed it’s first solar desalination project with Marsa Shagra resort in Marsa Alam, covering 100% of the resort’s water needs using desalinated water.

KarmSolar is the first private company in Egypt to obtain a permit to distribute electricity in Marsa Alam from the national grid. KarmSolar was awarded 10 MW of distribution capacity and signed with 8 destinations to join the solar grid. Dedicated PV stations at each location contribute renewable energy on-site.

The Farafra SolarGrid is the first private microgrid of its kind in Egypt: a fully integrated system combining solar PV, battery storage, and diesel generators to bring 24/7power to off-grid agricultural land. Designed from the ground up to replace diesel dependency, this innovative solution sets a new benchmark for sustainable infrastructure in remote regions.

To reduce exposure to currency risks in Egypt, KarmSolar began exploringneighboring markets with energy laws that align with our model. We set out toidentify countries where supportive regulations and viable tariffs could makeclean energy projects both scalable and sustainable. That search has opened thedoor to new regional opportunities.