ZERA processing over 100 applications for net metering programme

The Zimbabwe Electricity Distribution Company (ZETDC) has so far connected 163 points with a cumulative capacity of 10.458 megawatts to the net metering programme as at the end of October this year, an official said.

Net metering is a program where private solar system owners use the national electricity grid to “store” excess energy that they do not use at any given point during the day.

It is implemented through Statutory Instrument 86 of 2018 as amended in 2022 for solar systems with capacity up to 5MW.

On a cloudy or rainy day when private solar panels are not producing enough energy, the utility grid will feed the home with energy and count it against the credits that the owner would have “banked’ over time.

At the end of the month or year, one will be billed the net amount of what one sent to the grid and what one pulled from the grid, hence “net metering”.

Speaking at an investor engagement meeting, Zimbabwe Regulatory Authority (ZERA) electrical inspector, Thubelihle Ndlovu, said commercial solar systems have contributed 8.424 Megawatts (81 percent) while domestic systems channeled 2.034 Megawatts to the national grid.

“The total cumulative installed capacity for the 163 connected points is 10.5 MW as at end of October 2023,” she said.

Ndlovu said the utility is currently processing 111 applications to join the net metering program, and these will supply a further 9MW.

She also told stakeholders that to date, the authority has issued 87 renewable energy Independent Power Producers (IPP) licences for projects with a cumulative installed capacity of 1 904.49 MW of which so far 134 MW (7 percent) is operational while 78.6 MW (4 percent) is under construction and expected to be commissioned by the end of the year. – New Ziana