Currently, the council pays Zesco over K150, 000 per month on electricity supplied to the 17,000 street and traffic lights currently installed in Lusaka.
Solarquest will install transmission poles with embedded electronic billboards (that will generate income for developer and council), equipment and related accessories while the LCC will authorise, waive some levies and provide land, among other things.
In an interview on Wednesday, company managing director Mayur Patel said about US$ 35, 000 has been invested to conduct a demonstration of the alternative energy solutions on Parliament Road in Lusaka.
“The aim of the demonstration will be to showcase the quality of the solution, and discuss the plans to roll out across Lusaka once a contract is signed.
“The advantage of this will be reducing the burden of energy on Zesco, bringing illumination and therefore safety to the roads and embracing alternative energy as a viable option for the country,” he said.
Earlier, Schneider Electric head of sustainable development for Anglophone Africa cluster Zanelle Dalglish said the company aims to contribute to the transformation of industries with an innovative, international and responsible mindset.
“The solar street lights have a very unique battery solution that offers a 10-year lifespan and can endure extreme climates. The installation time is 10 minutes and can be fitted as retrofit to existing poles.
“These solar lights offer the best in class lumens per watt ratio and have the technology to ensure zero blackouts during the evening,” Ms Dalglish said.
And LCC director of Engineering Services Maliwa Muchuu said the council will partner with the private developers in the provision of solar-powered street lights after all the necessary approvals.
“We intend to stop using the use of conventional electricity for the street lights since it is expensive with the recent tariff adjustment. Currently, we have 17,000 street lights and the council is spending in excess of K150, 000 per month in prepaid electricity,” Mr Muchuu said.
Lusaka is an eyesore ,but thanks to the street lighting project we can now illuminate the poverty and neglect much better.
Great idea
Thanks
BB2014,2016
Lusaka needs cleaning also. And from which country is Maliwa Muchuu?
Yes Lusaka is an eyesore that needs cleaning and getting rid off the vendors. And you call Lusaka a capital city, my foot! Look at the following in your browser and see how a city should at least look like. I built this city.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=JWAOxcVytfI
m.youtube.com/watch?v=C77HMC7amds
Even a country like Ivory Coast has a better city
m.youtube.com/watch?v=J2W7cwZdT0A
Just hope those solar lights aren’t Chinese! Pantu if rain season is upon as, they will definitely stop working
That’s a great idea, going Solar. The dry joke, though, is that when Lusaka City Council, and other Councils who may go Solar, stop paying he K150,000.00 (plus) per month to Zesco, there will be another Tariff Increase. This is because ZESCO will now have fewer high-paying customers, and their profits will drop. Therefore, they will have to increase their price so that the remaining few customers can still give them the profits they need. That is what has happened to ESKOM in South Africa. Large industries stopped depending on them, or reduced capacity due to Load-Shedding a couple of years ago. They are now applying to the Regulator to, again, allow them to increase Tariffs…..
Sometimes you wonder whether we really have engineers that plan ahead especially in timeso when we were grappling with high demand in energy then someone comes up with electric powered Street lighting? 2 years down the line…we have to respend on the same project?
Lusaka is a city that needs lighting. All civilised cities pay attention to lighting, street names pedestrian walkways and roadmarking. Garbage collection too
That’s the way to go