ZNCC estimates that on average the country’s national energy grid is wasting or losing energy due to magnetic effects, Pseudo – loading and inefficiencies, as follows, 180MW- 260MW during industrial hours, 245MW- 300MW during peak hours, 350MW- 450MW during industrial hours.
CZI president Joseph Kanyekanye told delegates at the Mandel/GIBS symposium that it would be wise for industry to switch to the night shift where there was less demand on power. He suggested that the country needs to import power from regional countries at during off-peak hours as a way of saving power on the national grid.
In light of these challenges, the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce has commissioned Zimtronics [Electrical Utilisation and Energy efficiency Specialists], in collaboration with the Department of Electronics [Harare Institute Of Technology] to embark on a major drive in capacitating its entire membership by initiating energy efficiency training programs, that are tailor made to explore various commissioning opportunities for energy efficient.
This will include new construction commissioning, retro-commissioning (RCx), continuous-commissioning (CCx),and monitoring-based commissioning (MBCx), as a short to medium term measure geared towards addressing the current national energy crisis, which the national economy has been battling with, since independence.
In the short term, ZNCC anticipates to recover on average between 220Mw to 300Mw for industry and commerce, with an anticipated decline in energy bills of between (20%-40%) to industry and commerce
In this regard ZNCC is encouraging all its members and the business community in general to take up these training programs.
The nation will benefit in several ways, which include the creation of, virtual earth stations, i.e. through PEEP and AEEP, on average 270Mw (VES) can be realised, with an annual capacity of 2365Gwh and ZNCC estimates this to be valued at US$160 million per annum.
The other benefit is of the Power factor correction which has the potential to reduce demand by another 218MW (VES), this again has an annual capacity of 1910Gwh and estimated to be valued at US$129 million per annum. This has the capacity to do away with imports as well as stabilising energy securities outside system disturbances
On the part of industry, companies will realise low production costs due to less energy bills, possibilities for tariff slashes due to load factor and power factor improvement and improved security to energy supplies.
It can be noted also that Energy efficiency brings in some investment opportunities i.e. the American Council for an energy efficient economy, showed that energy efficiency upgrades have significant better pay backs and have low risks than many stock market investments.
Other benefits include the following; low electricity costs, delays the need for additional power stations to meet power demands, helps reduce environmental damage, using energy effectively means less coal power fired stations, more Productive hours to the industry characterized by reduced intermittent power cuts due to constrains in demand, Creates demand side management response resources, introduces collaboration on market transformation and procurement of demand side technologies and through peak demand management, total energy consumption will be reduced thus reducing the need for large investments in power network and generating power plants.
Z.N.C.C. Estimates that about 60% of the available power on the grid or demand is industrial consumption. About 1520MW on average available, 900MW outside peak hrs is consumed by the industry. According to the global market we anticipate to generate savings between 10%-15%,regardless of capacity through passive energy efficiency programs (PEEP), another 5%-15%, by combining (PEEP) with active energy efficiency project (AEEP),further 2%-8%, can be realised through commissioning i.e. continuous commissioning (CCx), Monitored based commissioning (MBx), and Retro-commissioning (RTx). These projects will bring on average about 30% of the 900MW, meaning about 270MW.
Energy efficiency, is the cleanest and quickest solution to the energy dilemma, cleanest because the greenest unit of energy is the energy you didn’t need to use. And quickest because with solutions that are available today, you can save up to 30%
The targeted market for these training programs ranges from mining, commercial, public sector, agriculture and manufacturing.
For more information and to book your participation you can get in touch with the ZNCC secretariat on the following numbers 2936820, 781557, 780207, 781672 or reply via
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