Firstly, Sekuru Soko, we have to
make sure that the available electricity from the grid is used strictly for
industrial purposes. Our industries and essential services like hospitals must
have constant supplies of electricity. This is for running critical equipment
and machinery. Let us define these as primary usages. We will always need
energy even for non-primary industrial activities. Like Sekuru Soko Brighton
put it, muniscle wastage like unnecessary lighting, excessive cooking, et
cetera do cumulatively lead to a massive wastage of electricity on
non-productive or non-economic activities. In dealing with such energy usages,
here are a few things we can do.
1. Let us encourage the use of
solar electricity. We have enough solar energy we can tap for non-primary uses
such as lighting and running light equipment such as radios and televisions.
Farms, hospitals, schools and other institutional non-primary energy consumers
can be powered using solar electricity.
2. For domestic or household-installed solar energy, each house is likely to generate more
electricity than it can use. The surplus can be fed into the national grid for
credit.
3. We have to come up with
energy-saving policies that are actionable and with an enforceable regime of
compliance rules. Conventional oven stoves have to be replaced with microwave
ovens. I cook, kulez. I know it takes less time and energy to precook my nyama
yekugocha using a microwave oven than boiling that nyama on a conventional
stove. In 10 minutes, I can defrost & precook a pack of frozen meat. Lowering
taxes on microwave ovens & increasing taxes electric stoves has to be
considered.
4. There are fluorescent lights
and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). We can phase out the stardard bulbs. Fluorescent lights and LEDs demand low energy
but are efficient. Let us lower tariffs on these while jerking up the price on
the wasteful ones.
5. There is plentiful natural gas
on the region. We can use gas for domestic cooking. Rather than importing gas
stoves, let us encourage, or even demand, our university & even vocational colleges to reverse
engineer imported gas stoves. We can ask the private sector and creative
citizens to enter into the challenge, too.
6. In the Highveld, we have
mountains that cause atmospheric airflows. We can install wind turbines to
generate energy. A few farms in places like MashCentral, MashEast &
Manicaland can be used as models to assess the feasibly of generating
electricity at the point of usage (POU).
7. On a larger scale than this,
we can put wind turbines on the mountains surrounding Mutare for POU power
generation. We have enough mechanical & electrical engineers to reverse
engineer imported turbines. Our universities can lead this localization of
equipment reproduction.
8. We must explore more POU power
generation using gas turbines. Jet engines are now used to generate electricity
with greater frequency due to vast supplies of natural gas. We must join the
fray.
9. We have enough rivers that can
be dammed for the dual purposes of supplying water and generating electricity.
If we already do not have one, we must have an army corps of engineers. We have an idle
standing army. Let us put it to work to uplift the nation in times of peace.
10. We have enough coal to
generate electricity. Environmentalists will bewail pollution, but we will have
to sacrifice something to revive Zimbabwe. Every industrialized nation has had
to go through a dirty phase on it's way to economic development &
prosperity. At any rate, there are now ample clean-coal power technologies to
enable us to use our vast reserves of coal. Again, this offers the opportunity
of POU power plants.
11. We must not rule out nuclear
energy to generate power. This need not be a national objective. Let it be
regional. South African has a historical foothold on this. We have very bright
personnel who can contribute to the regional venture.
12. Though it may sound like a
quark, we may have to participate in basic research on fusion or implosion
energy. We want to be at the forefront if ever this leads to cheap &
plentiful energy in the future. Chew on these thoughts, muera Gudo.
Ndinoera
Moyo.
May 18, 2019, 6:50 AM
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