February 1 2023 Roadmap for green building standards in Zim
The Green Digest February 1 2023 2 Inside: ■ DPA ink deal to install carport solar solution at Zimplats .. p4 ■ Roadmap for green building standards in Zim .. p6 ■ Econet, Zetdc sign smart meter deal .. p9 ■ New housing projects an opportunity for Zim to climate change .. p10 Cover: The development of standards for the built environment would be vital in supporting and reshaping Zimbabwe’s environmental sustainability policies and procedures according to an expert. The Green Digest is published daily by Alpha Media Holdings Cnr Strand/Bessemer Roads, Graniteside, Harare PO Box BE 1165, Belvedere, Harare, Zimbabwe Tel: 773934-8, 798894-6, 771635. DIRECTORS Chairman: Trevor Ncube, [email protected] Phineas S Hwata, Sternford Moyo, Mari Budesa, Rashid Maliki, Mohamed Nanabhay, Kenias Mafukidze (GCEO) ACTING EDITOR IN CHIEF Kolwani Nyathi, [email protected] EDITOR Alfonce Mbizwo, [email protected] WRITER, SUB EDITOR & DESIGNER Admire J Mlambo, [email protected] MARKETING & ADVERTISING: Commercial Executive, Punish Murumbi, [email protected] Business Development Manager, Wilson Masawa, [email protected] BULAWAYO OFFICE: Amtec Building.Cnr 12th Ave/Robert Mugabe Way Tel: 883184-8/887057/58/69/70/71 Fax 76837 After hours editorial 0714 119 403 P.O. Box AC 558, Ascot, Bulawayo. DISTRIBUTION & SUBSCRIPTIONS: Munn Marketing (1992) (Pvt) Ltd PO Box 10460, Harare. Cnr Strand/Bessemer Roads, Graniteside Tel: 771722/3, 755333 E-mail: [email protected] Cell: 0773 207 437 BULAWAYO AMTEC Building, No. 116 R Mugabe way cnr 12 Avenue,1 St Floor Amtec Building. Bulawayo Tel. 883184/5/6/7/8,887069/70/1,887058/885 280/1/2. PRINTERS: ZimInd Publishers, Cnr Strand/Bessemer Roads Graniteside, Harare. Tel: 771722/3 Econet, Zetdc sign smart meter deal
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The Green Digest February 1 2023 4 ENERGY BY Staff Reporter Distributed Power Africa (DPA), a business of Cassava Technologies, a leading pan-African technology group, is set to install two carport solar solutions at Zimbabwe Platinum Mines (ZIMLATS). The carport installations will power the Zimplats administration hub at the company’s Mupani Mine offi ces in Mhondoro Ngezi, resulting in cost savings and fulfi lling Zimplats’ vision to reduce carbon emissions, promote clean energy, and develop green and sustainable mining operations. With a projected annual energy production of 276,000kWh, the two Zimplats carports will save approximately 161 tons of carbon emissions and over 1 600 trees per year. Solar carports are a fast-growing trend in the energy industry globally. They offer effi cient use of space as they do not require additional land, which is a major advantage for commercial enterprises with limited space. DPA, a leading supplier of renewable energy infrastructure across Africa, is responding to the growing need for alternative power by developing end-to-end solutions for customers in various sectors across the continent, including in Zimbabwe. “This innovative carport solar project provides a solution that fulfi ls both environmental sustainability and cost-saving goals for Zimplats. We look forward to supporting other commercial and industrial partners in their efforts to switch to more effi cient, DPA ink deal to install carport solar solution at Zimplats
The Green Digest February 1 2023 5 greener, and cost-effective power solutions,” said DPA chief executive officer, Norman Moyo. Zimplats, Zimbabwe’s biggest mining operation, is currently on an expansion drive with the development of new mines and processing capacity. The company has stated its desire to increase investments in renewable energy. DPA, the energy arm of Cassava Technologies, last October signed an agreement with Varun Beverages to install a 2.5MWp rooftop solar plant at the Pepsi bottler’s Harare factory. In December last year, it signed its most notable project is the deal to install rooftop solar at key properties for the National Railways of Zimbabwe Contributory Pension Fund nationwide. Combined, the installations at various locations of the NRZ Pension Fund clients will total 5.3MW with a projected annual energy production of 5.59GWh, the project will contribute significantly towards relieving the grid. In the deal with Pepsi beverage maker, DPA and Varun agreed to a 25-year power lease agreement for the system, which is projected to give Varun annual energy production of 4.1GW. It will be the largest roof-mounted solar system installed in Zimbabwe to date. Varun produces 76 million bottles and cans per month from its factory and has announced plans for further expansion. Among projects concluded by DPA in the country include Schweppes at 1MW, the Surrey Meats (118kW) and the Kefalos (600kW) solar plants which are seen as key to helping Zimbabwe improve energy supply.
The Green Digest February 1 2023 6 T he development of standards for the built environment would be vital in supporting and reshaping Zimbabwe’s environmental sustainability policies and procedures according to an expert. Kudzai Chitiva, a board member of the Green Building Council of Zimbabwe was speaking at a conference held by local stakeholders in the built environment and related sectors to build awareness of the importance of green building standards for Zimbabwe. With energy generation and the building sectors being big emitters of greenhouse gas emissions (GNG), Chitiva pointed out that electricity and heat generation for the built environment contributes 40% to 47% of the world’s carbon footprint. He said due lack of mandatory building standards, Zimbabwe was seeing unplanned development, in areas not fi t for such developments. This means Zimbabwe needs to develop sustainable practices to combat climate change and carbon emissions. “Working with the government and other stakeholders, we want to introduce Green Building Standards for enhanced energy effi ciency in residential buildings, offi ce buildings, and commercial buildings,” he said. “The fi rst output is the development of an implementation plan. The second output is the assessment of buildings. Roadmap for green building standards in Zim
The Green Digest February 1 2023 2023 7 The third output is the development of green building practices and the fourth output is the development of an effective framework.” Chitiva noted that UNDP had been instrumental in supporting GBCZw while Environment, Tourism, and Hospitality ministry was also among its key stakeholders. In his presentation, he demystified the building rating and certification process. “I see a building rating and certification as more of an audit process. All of us have gone through some audit processes. It could be a quality management audit. It could be an energy management audit,” he said. “The difference in this particular kind of audit is that we are focussing on environmental performance. Buildings are one of the biggest polluters. We cannot meet our emission targets if we do not consider buildings as far as their performance is concerned. “How are buildings related to climate change? It starts with the Paris Agreement at COP25, which is a brainchild of the United Nations Framework on Climate Change. Zimbabwe is a signatory. What we have committed under the Paris agreement as Zimbabwe is that we want to reduce our emissions by 15% by 2030.” He added: “But where do most of this energy go? We have already seen that up to 30% of the energy produced is consumed in buildings. Again, most of this energy is being produced by The proposed cyber city
The Green Digest February 1 2023 8 fossil fuels as sources. “As much as we are worried about fossil fuels and their effects on climate, we are also seeing a real challenge as far as our other biggest generator is concerned, which is Kariba hydro. We are having these consistent water challenges. It is apparent to everyone that we are having these incessant power cuts.” Among the other issues he addressed were: Zimbabwe must tilt towards those areas that are challenging, such as energy, water, environmental management, and raw materials In commercial buildings, the focus must be on renewable energy. Buildings are responsible for up to 40% of freshwater consumption, yet water is a big challenge in Zimbabwe. For raw materials, the council was looking at issues of recycling and using locally produced or locally manufactured materials. This empowers local industry and limits emissions. There are building rating and certifi cation tools already developed, such as Green Star from SA, which started in Australia. These can be reviewed to suit local conditions. On new buildings, Zimbabwe can make a deliberate decision to ensure they meet a certain minimum compliance standard. Existing buildings can undergo a process of retrofi tting
The Green Digest February 1 2023 9 ZETDC acting managing director Ralph Katsande and Econet business solutions business strategy executive Jimmy Shindi show off parts of the smart meter that was installed at Econet Msasa in Harare on Wednesday BY STAFF REPORTER Z ESA Holdings has partnered with Econet Wireless Zimbabwe to roll out its ambitious US$35 million prepaid and smart metering programme aimed at reducing debt risks due to payments default by major electricity consumers. The strategic partnership will be implemented through ZESA’s power transmission unit, the Zimbabwe Electricity and Transmission Distribution Company (ZETDC) and Econet Business Solution (EBS), a subsidiary of Econet. The programme, aiming to install 12 770 smart meters by June 2023, will ensure accurate billing, accountability, transparency and e ciency among utilities, as well as reducing technical and commercial losses. The EBS Executive, Dr Jimmy Shindi, said Econet was excited to be chosen as one of the technology partners by ZESA Holdings in implementing the project that is key in Zimbabwe’s development ecosystem. “We are con dent that this partnership will build and leverage the strengths and assets of both companies to establish a more sustainable energy grid,” he said at the installation of the smart meter at Econet headquarters in Msasa on Wednesday. “We would like to work with Zesa in many other digital areas in the development of our economy. We believe that this relationship will not only bene t the two organisations but other stakeholders in the country as well,” he said. All smart meters to be installed in Zimbabwe are a foundation of a smart grid that could, in future enable micro renewable generation and dynamic supply and demand. Smart meters will be tted with SIM cards to allow for dual communication. Speaking at the same occasion, ZETDC acting managing director Engineer Ralph Katsande said the company embarked on smart metering to improve business performance and customer experience. “This is a game changing technology for us as a business and to our customers and partners. We are in a long-term win-win partnership with our customers. And today we are happy to be with Econet who also more than a partner are, a consumer, but also as a player in the technology sector. We are excited that Econet has come on board, and I have no doubt that they will enjoy the bene ts that come with this technology,” he said. The latest development comes at a time when several countries, including Germany, South Africa and the United Kingdom, are installing smart meters to conserve energy and provide the foundation for a cleaner and more e cient energy system. ZETDC’s smart and prepayment meter project manager, Engineer Wilfred Shereni, said smart meters provide a way to achieve energy-saving targets more e ciently. “Smart meters track energy usage down to the unit, making billing more accurate and helping consumers keep a tight control of their spend, by ensuring they only pay for the electricity they actually use,” he said. A smart meter generally records consumer usage in near real-time and, when paired with a computer, provides a view of previous usage so that customers can take swift action to avoid energy wastage. Econet, Zetdc sign smart meter deal
The Green Digest February 1 2023 10 RENEWABLE ENERGY New housing projects an opportunity for Zim to climate change VINCENT Kitio, the Lead Urban Energy Team Urban Basic Service Section at the UN-Habitat says research carried out by the agency and sister agencies had shown that 56% of the energy generated in Africa is consumed in buildings alone. This presents an opportunity for Zimbabwe to mitigate climate change, using technology developed in other countries. “If we are to remove people from informal settlements, or if we are to upgrade informal settlements, we need to build adequate houses,” Kitio said at a conference held recently by local stakeholders in the built environment and related sectors to build awareness of the importance of green building standards for Zimbabwe. “That is one of the biggest opportunities of the Green Building Council, for the real estate sector and the private sector. We need to design houses that are suitable for people living in those cities.” Among some of the points he made were: Offi cials traveling to advanced countries, such as Dubai “If we are to remove people from informal settlements, or if we are to upgrade informal settlements, we need to build adequate houses.”
The Green Digest February 1 2023 11 RENEWABLE ENERGY were bringing new building designs to Africa and telling their countries to build similar structures in Africa. UN-Habitat had done work on promoting energy-effi cient buildings in East Africa, and Zimbabwe was on the right track. Some of the interventions that Zimbabwe needs to do have been done in other countries, so it was not behind. What was important was to adopt what has been done in other countries to move faster. The world was witnessing rapid population growth, and Africa and Southeast Asia had not been spared. The global population is expected to reach 9,6 billion by 2050, with six billion living in urban areas. In Zimbabwe and across Africa, UN-Habitat was noticing rapid urbanisation. In Harare, new settlements were coming up everywhere and the population of African cities will rise from 600 million currently to 1, 6 billion by 2 050. For Africa, he said, the problem was that 60% of the population is living in precarious conditions in informal settlements, with very little access to urban basic services. Apart from urbanization, Africa was facing housing defi cits. If the continent is to achieve SDG 11, it must ensure that everybody has to access adequate houses. In sub-Saharan Africa, governments must build 260 million homes by 2030 to accommodate their citizens. 75% of housing units that will be standing in 2050 were yet to be built. In Kenya, housing defi cits were more than two million, while in Nigeria, the number ranged from about 30 million to 40 million. In Zimbabwe, he said the housing defi cit was around 1,5 million, and it would be diffi cult for the continent to achieve these numbers.
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