03/03/2026
During one of my visits to the U.S., I told a Cameroonian nurse that I run a solar energy company in Cameroon.
Her reaction shocked me.
She immediately said, almost angrily:
“Solar in Cameroon is a scam. They charge you so much for all those batteries. Here in America I have solar and I don’t even have batteries. And honestly, I don’t even see how it has helped me. When I go back home, I’ll just buy a generator.”
That moment stayed with me.
Not because she disagreed.
But because it revealed a serious misunderstanding.
Let’s be clear.
🇺🇸 In America, most solar systems are grid-tied.
No batteries.
No storage.
Why?
Because the grid is stable.
If your panels don’t produce, the grid covers you.
If you produce excess, you sell it back for credits.
Solar there is mainly about reducing your electricity bill.
That’s it.
Now let’s talk about 🇨🇲 Cameroon.
• The grid fails frequently.
• Voltage fluctuates.
• Outages can last hours.
• Some areas barely have reliable access.
Solar here is not about bill reduction.
It is about survival and comfort.
When ENEO goes off, your panels alone cannot power your house.
Without batteries, everything shuts down.
So when you see a Cameroonian system with multiple batteries, it’s not “overcharging.”
It’s storage.
It’s protection.
It’s continuity.
It’s engineering for an unstable grid.
You cannot import the American solar mindset into Cameroon.
It’s like bringing snow tires to Douala and asking why they don’t perform in heat.
Different infrastructure.
Different objective.
Different design.
Generators might look cheaper at first.
But fuel never stops.
Maintenance never stops.
Noise never stops.
Breakdowns never stop.
Solar, when properly designed for our reality, is long-term energy security.
To my diaspora family in the U.S. and Canada:
Before calling solar back home a scam,
Understand the environment first.
In America, solar is comfort and savings.
In Cameroon, solar is survival and comfort.
Same sun.
Different realities.
solar.smartsana.com
