Chronicle Editor
Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
ZIMBABWE Energy Regulatory Authority (Zera) chief executive, Mr Eddington Mazambani, has urged consumers to adopt alternative energy sources such as solar to ease demand for electricity and alleviate power shortages in the country.
This comes amid reports that about 40 percent of electricity used to heat water by individuals and companies is causing unnecessary power shortages leading to load shedding in the country.
Limited power output has been attributed to constant breakdowns of coal-fired generators at Hwange Power Station, which has negatively affected the productive sector.
Addressing businesspeople and exhibitors who attended the recent Midlands Show business conference in Gweru on Friday, Mr Mazambani said the country could save about 300MW of electricity if all energy consumers were to switch to solar water heating, use energy efficient appliances and partake in the net-metering programme.
He said daily power generation is very erratic lately due to breakdowns at Hwange Power Station.
“About 40 percent of electricity used to heat water by individuals and companies is causing unnecessary power shortages leading to load shedding in the country,” said Mr Mazambani.
“If all energy consumers (domestic, industrial, mining, farmers and commerce) were to switch to solar-water heating, use energy efficient appliances, adopt LPG or biogas and partake in the net-metering programme, it is envisaged that a total of about 300MW could be saved and channelled towards the sectors that desperately need power.
“We could do away with load shedding if water heating is stopped in the country,” he said.
While the Government banned the installation of new electric water heaters in a bid to save power, Mr Mazambani said Zera was shocked to find out that new buildings were still being fitted with electric water heaters.
Under the new regulations adopted in 2019, new buildings that do not have solar water heaters cannot be connected to the grid, and offenders can face a fine and up to a year in prison.
“We are now working with Zesa because we have seen that this is not being implemented. Houses are being connected with electric water heaters and not solar water heaters,” said Mazambani.
“We are taking Zesa to task so that they don’t connect such houses because when you take away heating of water, you save 40 percent of our energy bills.
“This will then see us reduce load shedding. If 40 percent of energy is taken from water heating, then it will be on grid for use for other things and we develop the country.”
The Zera boss called on investors to set up power generating plants, preferably powered by renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and bio-waste.
“Solar energy is the way to go and we are pushing to have all Government buildings have solar panels.
We need to unlock potential in solar energy.
“We are also capacitating people to install solar in homes and companies because solar is the way to go,” he said.
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