LG to introduce 4K OLED TVs in Kenya

Consumers in Kenya will from next year be able to purchase 4K OLED TVs locally following LG Electronics’ plan to introduce them into the Kenyan market.

The company has announced plans to introduce the innovative 4K OLED TV in Kenya in the first quarter of 2016.

The futuristic LG 4K OLED TV is touted world over as the pinnacle of technological achievement and a new paradigm that will change the dynamics of the next generation TV market.

OLED TVs deliver a superb viewing experience with more natural, comfortable colors and a maximum response time of 0.001ms, which is more than 1,000 times faster than conventional LCD flat panel TVs. They are also known to render images with perfect blacks and perfect colors with an infinite contrast ratio.

The 4K OLED television employs an advanced panel developed by LG Display which features LG’s proprietary Four-Color Pixel WRGB technology. With 33 million sub-pixels working to produce the most lifelike colors and infinite contrast ratio, viewers will feel like they’re watching the real thing. With richer, brighter and more natural hues, the self-lighting pixels also guarantee deeper blacks and its fast response rate helps the TV render motion flawlessly without flickering or blurring.

Since unveiling its innovative OLED technology to the world in 2012, LG has been commended for making a revolutionary step toward the next generation of TV technology. LG released new 4K OLED TV models this year at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2015 in Las Vegas, with industry experts raving about LG OLED’s innovative technology and design.

The announcement comes at a time when rivals briskly stampede at the door to exit the OLED TV market. The company is ramping up its investment in the category. Though industry experts agree that OLED TVs have unparalleled display quality, leading electronics manufacturers are suspending production of what is billed as the next-generation TV citing technical challenges in improving panel durability and reducing production costs.

Samsung, Sony and Panasonic have already quit the race, but LG Electronics has taken the lonely path and recently announced new OLED TV models becoming the first electronics manufacturer to commercialize 4K OLED TV.  

The display market is highly competitive, and superior picture quality remains a hugely important differentiator. Currently, the lion's share of the television market today still belongs to LED LCD TVs.

These use light-emitting diodes to light up the LCD screen and offer the widest array of price points, sizes and features. LCD TVs still exhibit imperfections when displaying rapid motion, as in sports, and because of the nature of the technology, the color black is represented by dark grey.

Promised for several years and now finally making inroads into the large-screen TV market are OLED sets. Using organic light-emitting diodes, OLED sets can light up each picture element individually, without the need for the separate light source that LCDs require. This translates into a much brighter, more colorful picture.

LG is setting trends on the display front and in 2016, several competitors are expected to finally follow LG’s lead into the OLED market. Its status as a pioneer in the category gives it a significant leg up on the upstart competition and has allowed for it to lay foundations for domination of this rapidly emerging market well into the near future.

German experts train Kenyan companies on renewable energy at 4 day conference

In a bid to reduce energy costs and access affordable power

GIZ Programme Manager Renewable Energy Project Development Programme, 
 Jasmin Fraatz and Dr. Roman Brinzanik, Head of New Markets, Kraftwerk Renewable
 Power Solutions GmbH exchange notes with County Executive Committee 
Member for Trade, Industrialization, Cooperative Development and Tourism
 Anna Othoro at a press briefing held for the opening of the Renewable Energy 
conference and German Solar Training Week at Southern Sun Mayfair Hotel, Nairobi.  

Commercial and industrial enterprises in Kenya are investing more in reliable, affordable and environmentally friendly energy to cover their demand for electricity. In order to equip Kenyan renewable energy technicians, financing institutions and the public sector with in-depth knowledge to efficiently respond to this rising demand, the GIZ Renewable Energy Project Development Programme (PDP) holds four day training. The 2^nd German Solar Training Week will be held in close cooperation with the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Kenya (AHK) in Nairobi from 23^rd and 26^th November. It will cover technical and economic aspects of grid connected photovoltaic (PV) systems, professional PV off-grid systems and PV-diesel hybrid systems.

“The 2^nd German Solar Training Week will bring together German companies with the Kenyan private sector, government officials and academia”, explains Jasmin Fraatz, Programme Manager for the GIZ Project Development Programme. The companies Autarsys GmbH, HOPPECKE Batterien GmbH & Co. KG, SMA Solar Technology AG and SUNSET Energietechnik GmbH that hold the training sessions are internationally known for their expertise and sophisticated products.

The increased uptake of solar technology in Kenya has led to high demand for skilled financial and project planners, as well as engineers and technicians who can sustainably design, install and operate solar PV systems. Compared to 2012 where the country only had 800–1000 solar PV technicians working in the market, the number has substantially increased by demand and through the introduction of regulations for trained technicians.

However, the training gap especially on larger solar systems for mini-grids, industrial and commercial applications still remains high. Therefore, the Renewable Energy Project Development Programme, implemented by GIZ under the “renewables – Made in Germany” initiative, brings together experts from leading German technology companies who will spearhead this comprehensive training.

Jasmin Fraatz adds that GIZ continues to foster a well-established relation between Kenya and Germany in enhancing expertise in the field of clean energy through impactful considerable know-how on solar energy, bioenergy and system integration. Access to solar-powered lighting, heating and cooling clean energy is crucial to cost reduction for Kenyan industrial and agricultural stakeholders.

GIZ Programme Manager Renewable Energy Project Development Programme, Jasmin Fraatz giving remarks on the contribution made towards equipping Kenyan technicians, financing institutions and the public sector with in-depth knowledge to efficiently respond to this rising demand of renewable energy at a press briefing held for the opening of the Renewable Energy conference and German Solar Training Week at Southern Sun Mayfair Hotel, Nairobi.

County Executive Committee Member for Trade, Industrialization, Cooperative Development and Tourism Anna Othoro giving remarks on the state of renewable energy projects in the County at a press briefing held for the opening of the Renewable Energy conference and German Solar Training Week at Southern Sun Mayfair Hotel, Nairobi.