The Presidential Solar Scheme has kicked off with installation at 400 houses underway in Harare where 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, starting with the pilot project in Glen View. The homeowners will receive a token of appreciation.
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.
The pilot project is being rolled out by the Zimbabwe Solar Energy Company (ZISEC), a subsidiary of Prevail Group International (PGI), in Ward 30, Glen View suburb.
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.
PGI chairman Dr Paul Tungwarara yesterday said the rolling out of the programme is underway.
"The Presidential Solar Scheme has kicked off. This project is going to be done under ZISEC which is going to be involved together with Prevail Group.
"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," he said.
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Dr Tungwarara said initially, they are targeting 400 houses with locals being trained to install the solar system as a way of employment creation.
He said landlords will also be given a token of appreciation for the generation of electricity into the national grid.
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 the 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.
