Zimbabwe’s long hours of sunlight make solar energy a viable and convenient option for powering the nation. Today, more than 40 percent of households in the country have rooftop solar panels and solar water heating. The latest cash crop to arrive on farm fields: solar panels. That’s right — solar farms are sprouting up across SADC in all shapes and sizes, from small ones that light up local communities to gigantic, utility-scale solar farms that power thousands of homes. More Farmers in Zimbabwe embrace Solar-Powered Technology.
The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) has processed 39 solar power projects that have capacity to generate up 1,151.87MW, as the country moves towards renewable energy to increase capacity. The projects are expected to require an investment of over $2,3 billion.
What is a Solar Farm?
A solar farm is a large collection of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels that absorb energy from the sun, convert it into electricity and send that electricity to the power grid for distribution and consumption by customers like you. Solar farms — which you’ll sometimes see being called solar parks or photovoltaic power stations — are usually mounted to the ground instead of rooftops and come in all shapes and sizes.
Types of Solar Farms
Of the tens of thousands of solar panel installations in the Zimbabwe, they can be grouped into two types of solar farms, both based on size.
* Utility-scale
* Community solar
Utility-Scale Solar Power
First and foremost, the phrase “utility-scale” can be a bit misleading. Technically, all solar energy projects — whether it’s a few rooftop panels or a whole acre of them — are “on the grid” providing the local utility company with solar-powered electricity. The only time a solar energy project is not truly utility-scale is when it’s completely disconnected from the grid and not connected through a power line. This is almost never the case.
But for our purposes and most discussions of this nature, utility-scale solar farms refer to those massive areas of land where solar panels stretch beyond the horizon. Such installations consist of hundreds of thousands of solar panels that absorb energy from the sun, generate an electric current and distribute that power on high-voltage power lines. The electricity travels along those power lines to the electricity grid, eventually making its way to your home.
These facilities, typically operate on power purchase agreements, wherein businesses agree to purchase a specific amount of electricity either from the utility or the generator. They also operate through other means, such as tax equity investments, a fancy term you can learn more about in this solar for business article.
That’s just one side of the solar farm coin! The other consists of the thousands of smaller-scale farms the industry refers to as community solar or solar gardens.
Community Solar Farms
Community solar farms are small-scale solar facilities that generate around 5 MW of electricity for a local community of homes and businesses. The power is shared among everyone who participates in the program. Depending on the number of residents and the amount of production, the residents could get a reduction in their electricity bill for investing in this solar project.
Here’s how it works:
* The solar panels are installed in a large, open area of the neighbourhood that receives maximum exposure to sunlight.
* The solar energy gets fed into the larger electricity grid for the region.
* People who joined the solar program will see their energy bill adjusted for the amount of energy generated in relation to the size of their home.
This is possible with technology called “virtual net metering.” Your retail energy company (ZESA/ESKOM) will credit your bill for the amount of electricity your community solar farm generates in proportion to your home’s energy load.
Community solar also differs from utility-scale solar because it’s considered distributed energy or distributed generation resource (DER). The electricity produced by the community solar farm is used to power the homes within a close range. Thus, they’re less likely to lose power if the grid goes down.
Either option Frog Cables remains a reliable partner for your requirements.