Key points:
- The new solar plant provides power to the United Methodist institution, saving money and offering a reliable source of energy for students as the country grapples with power-shedding outages.
- The $400,000 solar plant was wholly funded by Africa University Tennessee Inc., enabling the university to fulfill one of its strategic objectives for 2025.
- The solar plant includes 576 panels built below the Africa University Cross and Flame, producing enough energy to power 600 households.
As the sun shines high above the hill at Africa University, its light and heat are absorbed by hundreds of rectangular panels that enable the pan-African institution to live up to its vision of ensuring the lights will never go out on its ministry.
The United Methodist university has achieved a new milestone in a quest to harness sustainable green energy and escape from the incessant power shedding currently bedeviling the whole country with some areas only getting six hours of electricity a day.
“We now have an abundance of energy from a source which never runs out,” said Vice Chancellor Peter M. Mageto.
“The construction of the solar plant is a declaration that AU is investing not only in renewable energy, but also the future of the people,” he said.
The massive 250-kilowatt solar power plant, with 576 solar panels and generating enough electricity to power about 600 households, fulfills one of the institution’s strategic objectives for 2025.
This is the first phase of a larger project and currently provides uninterrupted power supply for all dormitories, farm offices, the canteen, Laurie Haller Ubuntu Retreat Center, Kwang Lim Chapel, the administration block, clinic and agriculture and engineering colleges. Subsequent phases will cater to the university’s properties in Mutare city and its farm.
To safeguard the solar infrastructure, the university implemented robust security measures by erecting a 480-meter clear view fence, installing closed-circuit televisions and ensuring access to the solar panels and sub-station is restricted to authorized personnel.
Mageto said it was their contribution to the country’s goal of broadening access to energy by freeing up space on the national power grid allowing more underserved and off-grid communities to get electricity.
Africa University’s solar project is the first of its kind and the largest in Manicaland province, where the school is located, and the first among institutions of higher learning in Zimbabwe.
The $400,000 project, which was wholly funded by Africa University Tennessee Inc., through undesignated endowment funds, will save substantially in electricity costs each month and demonstrates Africa University’s commitment to environmental sustainability. Bills from the national power supplier averaged $20,000 per month before the school established its solar plant.
“Annually, we had to spend a minimum of $216,000. That was our energy bill. Our maximum (would) be around $240,000. So, we will save around $240,000 per year,” said Professor Talon Garikayi, deputy vice chancellor at AU and an engineer overseeing the solar power project.
The Rev. Alfiado Zunguza, Africa University outgoing board chair and an executive with the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, urged institutions to continue dreaming big.
“We want to thank all those who dreamed, those who implemented the dream and those who kept dreaming for making this project a reality. We ask you to keep dreaming,” he said.
“May this project be just the beginning of what is to come as Africa University continues to show the country and the continent that it is possible to self-fund projects of this magnitude.”
With renewable energy, the whole campus has more reliable power, the institution’s laboratories can run longer and data centers can be used more efficiently. Fuel-powered generators that required about $600 to run every day have been switched off resulting in operational sustainability.
James H. Salley, president and chief executive officer of Africa University Tennessee Inc. and associate vice chancellor for institutional advancement for the university, celebrated the project, which was completed in a record 26 days.
“This effort at sustainability — this innovative project — serves as a model for sustainable innovation across the Manicaland province, the country of Zimbabwe, the southern Africa region and the continent of Africa,” he said.
“It aligns with the university’s strategic plan, and it accentuates a green campus evolution that leads to sustainability and environmental protection.”
Salley said he was grateful the university did not hire someone from outside the institution to manage or protect the massive investment, instead letting Garikayi use his engineering background to serve as the project manager.
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“It’s no accident that Africa University built this plant under the Cross and Flame. The lights will never go out at Africa University,” he said.
Pierre Kahambwe Lubangi, the former president of the student’s representative council, was overjoyed by the establishment of a renewable energy source on campus.
“African youth face many challenges today and among them the lack of stable electricity remains one of the major barriers to fulfilling their dreams,” he said.
“This solar project is not just a technical advancement, it is a promise, a source of light, both literally and figuratively, that illuminates our path towards a better future.”
Lubangi also expressed appreciation to the Africa University board and Bishop L. Jonathan Holston, resident bishop of the North Alabama and Alabama-West Florida Conferences and president of Africa University Tennessee’s development board.
Misheck Mugadza, Manicaland Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution and Africa University alumnus, commended the college for asserting its status as a beacon in the province.
“As Manicaland’s premier institution of higher learning and one of the continent’s most celebrated academic centers, Africa University continues to make us proud,” he said.
Mugadza said the university is a key development partner walking hand in hand with the government of Zimbabwe in advancing national priorities.
“Investing in green technologies and building climate resilience is no longer optional, it is urgent. Africa University’s growing focus on sustainability research, environmental innovation and renewable energy solutions is commendable and aligns closely with the priorities of the government,” he said.
With the landmark installation of the solar plant, Africa University has reinforced its position as a pacesetter, lighting the way for Africa’s future.
Chikwanah is a UM News correspondent based in Harare, Zimbabwe.
News media contact: Julie Dwyer at (615) 742-5470 or [email protected]. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free UM News Digests.
