COMMERCIAL Electricity User’s National Baseline, a private sector-driven initiative, has embarked on a $40 million energy efficiency project for the commercial sector which is expected to save more than 300 megawatts of electricity.
Tarisai Mandizha BUSINESS REPORTER
The Commercial Electricity User’s National Baseline is a private sector initiative with the Energy and Power Development ministry, Zesa Holdings, Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC), Confederation of the Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe and Connect The World.
This project follows the successful completion of a full pilot test of the open smart metering solution as an energy efficiency demand side management tool with the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) in December 2012.
Connect the World managing director Ben Mavedzenga said the energy efficiency project seeks to establish facts around energy consumption and the parties agreed to begin with industry and commerce as it consumes a lot of power.
“We have conducted engineering surveys for 30 companies across all sectors and we have begun implementation and installations,” Mavedzenga said.
He said the energy efficiency project was being implemented by the industry bodies which include ZNCC, CZI and the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Energy Regulator, and ZETDC and Connect the World as the technical partner.
He said the implementation of the project would cost over $40 million, but each individual company was funding its cost.
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However, Mavedzenga said the project should be implemented within a year.
“The installations should commence and be implemented within one year, but if resources permit it’s something that is doable within six months,” he said.
Mavedzenga added that the full implementation of the project would enable users to provide detailed, real-time load profile data to enable users to implement pro-active accurate energy accounting, energy efficiency and empowered energy-saving interventions.
“We have started installation for the 30 companies, but due to funding, we are looking at ways to a structure that can speed up installations,” he said.
