A TOTAL of 0,25 megawatts MW of photovoltaic electricity production (Solar energy) is set to be installed at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) as a means to generate power to the campus and addition to the energy exploitation in the Zimbabwe,thereby reduce electricity bills.
The Technopark department at NUST director Dr Eliton Mthethwa said the project which is still on the pipeline will generate power to Nust campus as the Sub Saharan region if well vested with sunlight during the day.
“This project will generate power to the campus and we are trying to extend it so that it reaches the student‘s residential areas and the clinic, “said Dr Mthethwa.
Installing solar power is an addition of the counrty’s power exploitation method and will reduce electricity bills the institution is facing.
“Installing solar power will reduce our costs that we have to pay to ZImbabwe Eletricity Supply Authority (Zesa) and currently they are charging us at 13c pkh,” said Dr Mthethwa.
He said Nust is the one of the Biggest and oldest Tertiary institution which renders it difficult to manage electricity usage resulting to forking out large sums of money to pay zesa bills from the institution. The primary objective of installing the plant is to demonstrate technological and financial viability by the institution but not to be independent from ZESA.
“Solar power is a natural resource,a cheaper commodity every African can rely on to reducing large sums of bills paid and load-shading. It will enable the institution to open up other doors to start or finish projects which have been stopped due to financial constraints,” said Dr Mthethwa.
The Institute of Higher learning has suspended many projects including the Construction of a Library facility on campus for decades.
He said the idea to install solar power plant at the institution was greatly considered after the recent kariba disaster where water levels are are reducing at enormously following power cuts which have battered the whole nation in the process.
“We consider this a very positive move which is expected to lift the performance of production within the institution,”said Mthethwa.
He said nowadays both secondary and tertiary schools are dependent on modern technology. Electronic gadgets such as projectors, computers and internet have remained the top priority if there has to be sustainable education system.
“We don’t want a situation where work is halted after unconditional power cuts with both lecturers and students can’t operate because computers are shut down,”
“Solar power will run the institution in full capacity without abruptly switching off, stalling the working process. We have individuals coming during the evening classes who have complained of having lost unrecoverable time after lectures would have been stopped due to series of power cuts going on,” .
“The move is there to empower Nust and its stakeholders to ensure sustainability within a community,” said Mthethwa.
He said the institution is still waiting for a license approval from the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) which will be approved after environmental assessment report by environmental management agency (EMA).
“We hope to get the license early next year(2016) specifically January so that we start working into the project which will not take us more than 3 months to finish,” he said
He said they hope to be power independent by june2016.The plant will be installed about 1 kilometer from the nearest building wielding large space of land which will allow the institution to increase its solar power plant when needed.
“We are going to import the plant and install, and it will require small labour from the technical partners,”
Dr Mthethwa said there has been doing parallel activities to raise money, and as well seeking for financial funding towards the project.
Currently the country is producing electricity at the lowest power of about 985 MW, dropping from the national power demand of 1200 MW. The country requires about 2200 MW to run normally.
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