Building Lasting Trust in Solar Products with a Customer-Centric Approach

By Oghale Ariawhorai (Arnergy’s Senior VP of Customer & Partner Success)

Despite solar energy projects being available in Nigeria since 1985 and promising power stability, their adoption across the country remains low. According to a Boston Consulting Group and All-On study, Nigeria underperformed its peers in off-grid solar penetration, with installed PVs per capita of about 1 Watt compared to an average of 8 Watts in similar emerging markets. 

Even with recent advancements in local renewable technology, much skepticism still lingers around solar products, mainly stemming from previous negative experiences, misconceptions, high acquisition costs, and a general lack of trust in the industry. For Nigeria to maximize the advantages of solar energy, solar providers must move the conversation beyond just selling solar systems toward consultative, educational approaches that empower customers and build lasting trust.

How Vital is Trust in Nigeria’s Solar Market?

Customers value trust, which significantly influences their buying decisions, and Nigerians are no different. Many prefer word-of-mouth recommendations over advertisements and other forms of communication. Due to past experiences with substandard products, poor installations, and misleading offers, many Nigerians have doubts about solar energy, contributing to low adoption rates in this sector.

Addressing these trust gaps requires a proactive approach and strategy to connect with consumers and build trust. At the heart of the trust-building strategy should be consultative customer engagement. Solar providers can use this approach to build stronger customer relationships, correct misconceptions, and empower them to make informed energy decisions.

Educating Customers with Relatable Outreach

Customer education in Nigeria’s solar industry should start by demystifying multi-layered solar solutions. For many customers, technical specifications like kWp solar panels, kVA inverters, kWh battery storage, and flexible payment terms can be complex and intimidating, fueling the existing skepticism.

To build trust, solar providers need to simplify the technicalities, share clear messages, and provide authentic, real-life solar case studies to help customers understand solar benefits in familiar contexts and see how they will affect their current energy reality.

Building Trust through Community Engagement

Engaging social, cultural, or professional communities is one of the most practical approaches to connecting with customers’ pain points and making an evidence-based case for solar adoption. For instance, while solar solutions with no upfront costs are objectively more cost-effective and reliable than oil-fired generators for housing estates, many of these estates still rely on diesel generators due to a low level of awareness. By collaborating with these communities, solar providers can build more trust, share new insights, and address consumer concerns at scale. 

Removing the High Acquisition Cost Barrier

The traditional capital-intensive nature of solar systems can be prohibitive for households and MSMEs. In a 2024 poll by Arnergy, 100% of the respondents identify “Raising capital for solar acquisition” as a primary barrier to adopting reliable solar systems. To eliminate the high-cost barrier and make solar more accessible, providers need to incorporate flexible financing options into their solar products and pricing.

Budget-friendly payment models like Arnergy’s zero-down-payment solar plan and the pay-as-you-use (PAYU) model allow customers to spread solar payments over several years and avoid the high upfront costs. Also, providing straightforward and sincere payment terms can ease further decision-making and inspire trust in the long-term plans. 

Reinforcing Trust with After-Sales Support

Solar systems are unfamiliar technology, and consumers may have various questions and concerns regarding usage and maintenance. To inspire confidence, solar providers must prioritise robust after-sales education and support to alleviate these concerns and strengthen trust. Adequate after-sales support could include:

• User-friendly onboarding.
• A remote monitoring app.
• Digestible user guides.
• Routine maintenance check-ins.
• A responsive customer service team

All these efforts combine to address customers’ concerns and fears in real time and guide their experiences. 

Prioritising Customer Needs to Stay Ahead

At a time when Nigerian consumers are becoming increasingly conscious and selective, connecting with them and demonstrating a sound understanding of their pain points could be the key to securing their trust. Adopting a responsive and customer-centric approach that prioritises simple messaging, real-life case studies, community engagement, flexible financing, and robust after-sales support is the most viable path for solar businesses seeking to build trust and drive more solar adoption.