News / National
Govt to roll out solar power project
12 Dec 2012 at 05:06hrs | Views
THE Government will soon roll out a project to install solar energy at its institutions that include hospitals, colleges and schools countrywide.
The solar power will be used for water heating and other uses thereby conserving electricity.
In an interview recently, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Power Development, Mr Patson Mbiriri said they had chosen the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) and Harare Institute of Technology as the pilot institutions for the project.
"We are installing a water heating system at UBH and a similar system is being installed at HIT. The two institutions have been chosen as pilot institutions for the project and once successful, the project can then spread to other institutions countrywide," said Mr Mbiriri.
He said the installation at the two pilot institutions was being funded by the South Koreans who were providing all the required material and expertise.
The Permanent Secretary said the idea came after realising that the Government was consuming a lot of electricity at its institutions.
"We are consuming a lot of electricity at these institutions where at times we heat water 24 hours a day but some of it is left to cool off because we cannot use it all at once.
"Instead of using electricity throughout the day, we could conserve it by switching to solar power," he said.
Mr Mibiriri could however not say how much Government expected to spend on the project or give the number of institutions likely to benefit.
He however said once the Government was satisfied with the installation at the two pilot institutions, it will then take over and roll out the project to different institutions throughout the country.
"We hope to go nationwide once we are happy with the installation at the two institutions," Mr Mbiriri said.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Public Works Mr Gabuza Joel Gabbuza said the Government had carried out a feasibility study at all public buildings which included schools, colleges, hospitals and clinics in preparation for installation of solar energy.
"We were asked to build the platform where the solar energy panels would be erected at UBH, but the whole project is being done by the Ministry of Energy and Power Development. However, we have done a feasibility study countrywide in preparation for installation of solar power at public buildings and institutions," he said.
The solar power will be used for water heating and other uses thereby conserving electricity.
In an interview recently, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Power Development, Mr Patson Mbiriri said they had chosen the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) and Harare Institute of Technology as the pilot institutions for the project.
"We are installing a water heating system at UBH and a similar system is being installed at HIT. The two institutions have been chosen as pilot institutions for the project and once successful, the project can then spread to other institutions countrywide," said Mr Mbiriri.
He said the installation at the two pilot institutions was being funded by the South Koreans who were providing all the required material and expertise.
The Permanent Secretary said the idea came after realising that the Government was consuming a lot of electricity at its institutions.
"We are consuming a lot of electricity at these institutions where at times we heat water 24 hours a day but some of it is left to cool off because we cannot use it all at once.
"Instead of using electricity throughout the day, we could conserve it by switching to solar power," he said.
Mr Mibiriri could however not say how much Government expected to spend on the project or give the number of institutions likely to benefit.
He however said once the Government was satisfied with the installation at the two pilot institutions, it will then take over and roll out the project to different institutions throughout the country.
"We hope to go nationwide once we are happy with the installation at the two institutions," Mr Mbiriri said.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Public Works Mr Gabuza Joel Gabbuza said the Government had carried out a feasibility study at all public buildings which included schools, colleges, hospitals and clinics in preparation for installation of solar energy.
"We were asked to build the platform where the solar energy panels would be erected at UBH, but the whole project is being done by the Ministry of Energy and Power Development. However, we have done a feasibility study countrywide in preparation for installation of solar power at public buildings and institutions," he said.
Source - TC
