Presidential solar scheme in full swing as 80 GV residents benefit
The pilot project was embarked in Glen View and homeowners will also receive a token of appreciation, roofs resemble a solar farm
Harare- THE Presidential solar scheme is now in full swing with 80 houses having been installed towards the target of a pilot project of 400 houses in Glen View.
The solar panels are being laid on rooftops to generate power to be sold to Zesa to then feed into the national grid.
The initiative involves renting and installing solar panels on the rooftops of houses in Harare.
The pilot project was embarked in Glen View and homeowners will also receive a token of appreciation.
Residents were in cloud nine this Saturday and gave testimony to how the project has transformed their lives and businesses.
“We are very grateful to President Mnangagwa for giving a greenlight to this project. The implementor Prevail Group is moving swiftly having already installed 80 houses in less than a week.
” The system is working very well and we are grateful.Our livehood is now easier and we can now stock meat, lights and all sundry, ” said Dhlakama Manyara a resident.
The project is being rolled out by the Zimbabwe Solar Energy Company (ZISEC), a subsidiary of Prevail Group International (PGI) founded by award winning businessman Dr Paul Tungwarara.
Solar power has been identified as a necessary intervention to the country’s electricity outages.
The solar energy generated by these panels will be sold to Zesa for integration into the national grid. In return, Zesa agreed in principle to suspend load-shedding in the areas participating in the scheme.
Standard contractual arrangements have been agreed upon that allow ZISEC to recoup its money over the life of the scheme and make a fair profit if they are efficient.
“We are generating solar from the rooftops and putting the electricity into the grid to eradicate load-shedding in the specific areas where we are installing the solar system and I’m glad at least 80 houses have benefited so far.
” We are going nationwide anywhere there is a roof,” said Dr Tungwarara.
Our news crew had a site tour and employment is being created through training of residents to install the solar system.
Combined Harare Residents Association director Mr Rueben Akili recently said the solar system was the way to go.
“We welcome this developmental rent-a-roof initiative meant to cushion people against load-shedding.
“As CHRA, we will play an advocacy role to ensure that theh contractual agreements between ZISEC and residents serve in the best interests of residents,” he said.
The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority has over the past years licensed over 100 small independent power producers (IPPs) with a capacity to produce around 1 300 MW. A handful of IPPs have begun power generation.
Another resident Phoebe
Ziwange who has stayed in Glen View for over 40 years shared the same sentiments.
“Thieves are now scarce since lights will be on and some of our sister who are into freezits making business are not disrupted,” she said.
Alexio Ngwendere also waxed lyrical over the project.
