Urban communities and commercial farmers have been rallied to embrace green energy solutions under the government’s net metering programme.
Solar dealers and energy experts convened in Chinhoyi this Monday to exhibit clean energy innovations, against the backdrop of rising power demands driven by the Second Republic’s re-industrialisation agenda.
The consensus was clear, renewable energy is no longer a luxury, but a necessity.
“We have organised this exhibition to bring together energy players and the community. This way we promote a dialogue of utilising our natural resources for our benefit.
This dovetails with the President’s mantra that ‘Nyika Inovakwa neVene Vayo’, so we have to come up with solutions for our problems. Let us tap into solar energy so that we reduce the burden on the national grid,” the Coordinator of the Mushana Solar Association, Brian Vengayi said.
The net metering initiative allows consumers who generate their own solar energy to feed excess power into the national grid and receive credits, effectively reducing their electricity bills.
Commercial farmer Mr Francois Kriel believes the programme will be a game-changer for farmers facing high electricity costs, particularly during the winter cropping season.
“As farmers, we face huge electricity bills, especially during the winter wheat season. Investing in green energy will cushion us and complement the Government’s efforts. This is the direction we are championing in the sector,” he said.
Ms Natasha Matambudziko, an Energy Technician with ZETDC, highlighted the technical viability of the programme.
“As ZEDTC we are pushing for the use of green energy, particularly solar, which is abundant in the country. We want our households and commercial players to become both consumers and producers of electricity. Net metering can be done from as little as 1KVA up to any capacity,” she said.
The push for solar energy is aligned with Zimbabwe’s climate change commitments and efforts to transition to sustainable and renewable energy sources such as solar and biogas.
Stakeholders say embracing such solutions is pivotal to achieving energy resilience and reducing the national carbon footprint.
