MARTIN MAWAYA
Gweru– The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) has successfully completed an energy-efficient retrofitting project at Gweru Provincial Hospital.
This initiative is expected to reduce the hospital’s total energy consumption bill by approximately 10% and curb its carbon footprint.
The LED (a light-emitting diode (a semiconductor diode which glows when a voltage is applied) lighting retrofit project aims to save the institution’s lighting energy demand compared to older, less efficient forms of lighting that were in place previously.
It will also contribute to a reduction in electricity demand and lower carbon emissions.
The energy-efficient retrofitting project was commissioned by Energy Minister Edgar Moyo on Monday.
He commended ZERA’s efforts in driving the country’s economic and environmental sustainability.
Moyo added that the project will significantly contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and help the country meet its climate change targets of reducing emissions by 40% per capita.
The $79,435 retrofit project involved replacing the hospital’s outdated lighting with 2,871 energy-efficient LED units.
Prior to the project, the hospital’s average electricity demand was 463 kilowatts, with lighting alone accounting for 102 kilowatts and a monthly average bill in excess of $12,000.
“At full capacity, the lighting systems at the hospital contribute 22% of the electrical load, which shows that lighting is a major contributor to the electricity bill,” said ZERA board chairperson Dr. David Madzikanda during the commissioning of the project.
He said the previous lighting system had only 55% functionality, with illumination levels falling to an average of 33 lux (indoor and outdoor) and at night to an average of 12 lux, far below the recommended 300 lux.
The poor lighting conditions posed challenges for healthcare workers, particularly at night, compromising patient care, added Madzikanda.
However, the retrofit initiative will improve the illumination level at the hospital to a range of 50 to 400 lux for indoor and more than 25 lux for the outdoor and street lighting, in accordance with international hospital lighting level standards.
“The LED retrofit project ensures 100% lighting functionality across all departments, improves safety, and enhances patient care,” Dr. Madzikanda said. “Furthermore, LED lighting is 85% more energy-efficient, has a longer lifespan, and requires minimal maintenance, reducing the hospital’s operational costs.”
According to the ZERA Board Chair, the project is also a lasting platform for raising awareness of energy-efficient lighting technologies and can be used to benefit in improving service delivery in the sector.
It is also part of the government’s initiative to intensify demand-side management.
The Gweru General Hospital project is the fourth one after Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo, Harare Children’s Hospital, and Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital.
The regulatory authority targets to retrofit the remaining six provincial hospitals with efficient lighting and technology in the next three years.
