Khmer Solar Information

Khmer Solar, was founded and legally registered in 1997 by Ford Thai and Peter Banwell. Ford Thai is a dual citizen of Cambodia and the United States and the majority shareholder, Peter Banwell and Margaret Ryan, the company's other primary shareholders, are both United States citizens. In 2008, KunthapHing, an American educated engineer, a dual citizen of Cambodia and France, joined the company as a senior manager and shareholder, bringing with him more than 40 years of experience in the energy and environment sector. The company was founded to serve rural Cambodians who were off the electric grid and not likely to have reliable power anytime in the foreseeable future. Our mission is to assist in the development of Cambodia by providing customers with high quality solar electric systems at a reasonable price with excellent customer and technical services. Our first project was a government project to supply and install solar electric home systems to a rural village. Our first steady customers were mostly nongovernmental organizations and donors who built schools and health centers for the government. In the past fifteen years, the Cambodian economy has experienced unprecedented growth and a vibrant private sector has emerged. Cellular telecommunication depends on solar energy to power communication towers which are off the grid. In addition, tourism has expanded and the hotel industry has chosen solar hot water, a clean energy supply that saves hotel owners money. As the market evolved, so did the company and Khmer Solar now serves into six sectors: telecommunications, solar hot water, solar navigational lighting, grid tie systems, solar home systems and specially designed solar systems. Khmer Solar is headquartered in Phnom Penh, with branch offices in Battambang, Siem Reap and Kampong Thom. We have 10 fulltime sales, office and administrative personnel and 14 technicians. We are the oldest and most experienced solar energy company in Cambodia.