PLAYERS in the renewable sector have been called upon to commit to the growth of Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) systems market.
The ‘Power for All’ campaign comes at a time population growth and energy demand are growing faster than the power grid can keep pace.
Energy experts believe stakeholder-participation by companies, civil society organisations, investors, aid agencies and Government, if united, could achieve the energy goals and accelerate DRE market growth.
This call to action is the result of a 12-month campaign consisting meetings and workshops designed to raise awareness and provide practical support to stakeholders seeking to support DRE.
Zimbabwe has an electrification access rate of 40 percent.
While electrification has reached 80 percent in urban areas, rural electrification lags behind at around 21 percent.
The country is primarily depended on coal, oil, hydro-electric power and biomass to meet its energy needs.
The deteriorating electricity grid infrastructure, which has suffered from years of underinvestment, is currently depended on power imported from South Africa.
Diesel generators are a common sight in urban areas, while rural areas depend on kerosene to light their homes.
Energy alternatives have seen various initiatives by the likes of SNV Netherlands Development Organisation, Hivos, Oxfam and ZERO, giving rise to mini-grids and micro-grids, thus transforming communities.
Zimbabwe’s Sustainable Energy Access for All by 2030 (SE4ALL) has seen commitment from Government to double the amount of energy saved.
Speaking at an event recently held in Harare, Charlie Miller, the director of national programmes, said everyone has a role to play in growing the DREs market.
“Today is a culmination of the months of collaboration with many players through the Power for All campaign,” Miller said.
“DREs represent an opportunity for energy and there is need for companies to extend the value chain.”
Power for All campaign manager, Chiedza Mazaiwana said there was hope to grow the DREs market.
“Of the 26 companies registered under the Renewable Energy Association of Zimbabwe (REAZ), only a few are in the DREs systems with others in hydro and biomass presenting a great opportunity for companies,” said Mazaiwana.
“We have made baby steps and we are not yet there, but these will become strides as we ensure improved health facilities and other social services for our people.”
Government is currently crafting a Rural Energy Masterplan which will ensure a wider access to clean and affordable energy.
Other existing policies include the Renewable Energy Masterplan (2016) and National Energy Policy (2012), among others.
The REAZ chairperson, Isaiah Nyakusengwa, said players in the industry were committed to improving the market.
“The industry is committed to building the capacity to meet quality standards but these can be done if we set targets,” he said.
“Some of these targets must include raising awareness on these technologies, finding financing solutions, establishing a green fund and improving market data.”
Players in the industry shared how they have put in place measures to ensure consumers easily access DREs.
Satewave Technologies general manager, Brian Sekete said while there is lack of trust for DREs due to previous experiences, there is need to increase awareness on the use of the systems.
“When we started, we wanted to balance pricing and quality for a meaningful lifespan and these have increased tremendously with lanterns and homelight systems now lasting five years,” he said. “People need to be taught how to properly use these systems so that the lifespan increases.”
Speaking about his company’s endeavour to provide quality products for the Mhondoro-Ngezi community, Zonful Energy’s chief executive officer William Ponela said the global action should be about providing lasting solutions for communities.
“That community is a zone full of activity and our company felt it needed to find a different way in which it could solve the energy poverty in that area,” Ponela said.
“We are in an industry where a lot of trial and error has occurred, but we have done our research for the past five years and we are confident of our product and proud to be the only company giving these products on lines of credit.
“We have improved the product by ensuring that through its production there is a Zimbabwean input so that there is a total solution to energy poverty.”
As efforts to improve access to energy go on, it is wise to do away with myths such as that of solar panels being very expensive and embrace the fact that they are an increasingly affordable option that will save households money in the long run.
This is because the cost of producing and installing solar power systems has fallen dramatically over recent years and continues to fall.
The solar panels installed on rooftops today are more than 500 times cheaper to produce than the first solar cells of the mid-1950s and costs are coming down fast.