MARTIN MAWAYA
GWERU–Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) says the net metering system uptake has increased with a total of 124 connections already contributing to the electricity national grid.
The net metering system which became effective in 2020 following the success of a pilot project, is now contributing an average of five megawatts to the national grid.
The concept which allows individuals and institutions to send excess generated renewable energy to the national grid via grid-tied inverters is set to help ease the power outages that has been affecting the country.
Speaking during the stakeholders engagement meeting in Gweru last Friday, ZERA technical director, Misheck Siyakatshana says the authority is expecting more energy to be added on the grid from independent players.
“The whole purpose of this net metering program is to allow those people with economic benefits to them as well, to export the power to the grid and this is then offset against their bills. We expect as much as 800 megawatts to be added to the grid both from independent power producers and from those people who are producing for self use linked to the grid.
“We are seeing a number of consumers turning into pronsumers, that is they produce for consumers. We expect this to actually rise as we conscientise the public and the stakeholders about this program,” he said.
He urged consumers to use electricity efficiently as 20 percent of energy produced is wasted.
He said for the country to have “adequate energy now and, in the future, lies in the effective regulation of the sector, as well as advocating for the use of renewable energy as a country”.
Under the project, anyone who has a renewable energy source can apply for net-metering and contribute to the national grid for an agreed fee.
Stakeholders who attended the net metering awareness indaba in the Midlands Province said the model will go a long way in promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Benedict Ndoro of Lytcristal Zimbabwe Pvt Ltd highlighted that ZETDC net metering presented a huge opportunity for the industry following a general boom in business as people jostle to install alternative energy sources.
Build Your Dreams Zimbabwe Pvt Ltd general manager, Mufaro Mugumbate added that “the coming on board of electricity vehicles has had an impact on the need for more energy as they rely on power as a source of powering them”.
ZERA developed Net Metering Regulations under (SI 86 of 2018) and subsequently amended it where a number of issues were revised including increasing the participating threshold from 100kW to 5MW.
