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Blessings Chidakwa

Herald Reporter

AN independent power producer wants to rent rooftops of residential homes in Harare to install solar panels to generate power that the company will sell to Zesa to feed into the national grid.

The pilot project is being rolled out by the Zimbabwe Solar Energy Company (ZISEC), a subsidiary of Prevail Group International (PGI), in ward 30, Glen View suburb where the solar energy generated by these panels will be sold to ZESA.

The project has the full backing of President Mnangagwa, the Government and Zesa.

Standard contractural arrangements have been agreed that allow the investor to recoup their money back over the life of the scheme and make a fair profit if they are efficient.

ZISEC staff met Glen View residents yesterday to discuss how the scheme will be rolled out.

PGI chairman Dr Paul Tungwarara said they came to find out if the residents were interested in the project.

“This project is a Presidential Solar Scheme that is going to be done under ZISEC which is going to be involved together with Prevail Group. We are going to generate solar from the rooftops and put the electricity into the grid and eradicate load shedding in the specific areas where we are installing the solar system,” he said.

Mr Tungwarara said since the residents had agreed to the project, it would be rolled out soon.

“Initially, we are going to target 400 houses. Local people will be trained to install the solar system as a way of employment creation.

‘‘The landlords will also be given a token of appreciation for generation of electricity into the national grid,” he said.