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Oliver Kazunga Business Reporter
The Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company has installed energy saving bulbs in more than 150 000 houses in major cities and towns, saving 60 megawatts of power, an official has said.Speaking at the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) 2013 awards presentation in Bulawayo last week, Engineer Ralph Katsande of ZETDC said the rolling out of the energy saving bulbs was part of a number of key demand side management interventions they had embarked on.
“The original quantity of 5,5 million Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) has been revised to three million. ZETDC procured 1 031 250 CFLs during the last quarter of 2012 for the first phase of CFL installations. CFLs have been installed to date in 153 340 houses in Harare, Bulawayo, Mutare, Masvingo, Gweru, Kwekwe, Chinhoyi and Bindura,” he said.
He said an unverified 60 megawatts has been realised from lamp installations to date, adding that the University of Zimbabwe was engaged to do the measurement and verification exercise.
Eng Katsande said the benefits of demand side management included improved system reliability, reduced power import bills and load shedding as well as helping to protect the environment by reducing the effects producing electricity have on the environment.
As part of demand side interventions, he said houses in Harare and Bulawayo had their ripple control system equipment refurbished.
“Programming was done to switch off all geysers with ripple receivers from 0700 hrs to 1000hrs and 1800hrs to 2000hrs every day.
“An estimate of 12MW, based on the receivers installed 20 years ago, is being controlled at the moment. The two systems can drop a total load of about 42MW when fully functional.
“There is an estimated of additional 80 000 water heaters in both Harare and Bulawayo that can be added to the systems to increase the power reduction to about 150MW.”
He said a number of policy issues had been initiated to overcome demand side management barriers. Eng Katsande said the Government would be requested to scrap Value Added Tax on demand side management and energy efficiency products and services.
“A Statutory Instrument requiring all business customers to migrate electronic ballasts within a period of 12 months will be drafted. ZETDC is working with the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (Zera) to accredit energy saving companies that will be approved or allowed to offer energy management services to companies,” he said adding that ZETD was also working with the Standards Association of Zimbabwe to develop a standard aimed at protecting against sub-standard lighting equipment.
Online Reporter