Sustainable Energy Solutions: Joina City Building, Harare, Zimbabwe

This report focuses on integrating renewable energy sources, specifically solar and biomass, into Joina City, a prominent building in Harare, Zimbabwe. It explores the potential of these technologies, detailing various implementation methods such as concentrating solar power, solar heating, and photovoltaic systems for solar energy, and fixed-bed and fluidized-bed systems for biomass. The report provides cost estimations, including a comparison of LED and fluorescent lighting costs, a project development framework, and an overall project cost analysis. It also presents examples of successful renewable energy projects and highlights the major advantages of Joina City becoming self-sustainable, such as energy independence, reduced pollution, and cost efficiency. The conclusion emphasizes the benefits of utilizing long-term findings and available grants for renewable sources, while acknowledging space constraints and the readily available technologies with sufficient technical support.

Running head: RENEWABLE ENERGY
Renewable Energy
(Joina City Building)
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author Note

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Executive summary
The following report considers Joina City, a most prominent destination at the centre of Harare,
Zimbabwe. Biomass and solar energy are needed to incorporate into this building. Hence the study
discusses cost estimations and different successful instances. Essential benefits are also highlighted
that are originating from the building to turn into a self-sustainable one.

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction:......................................................................................................................................3
2. Solar and biomass to be incorporated in the building:......................................................................3
2.1. Incorporation of solar energy:....................................................................................................4
2.1.1. Technologies that could be implemented:...........................................................................4
2.1.2. Application of solar energy at Joina City:...........................................................................5
2.2. Incorporation of biomass:...........................................................................................................5
2.2.1. Technologies that could be implemented:...........................................................................6
2.2.2. Application of biomass at Joina City:..................................................................................6
3. Cost estimation for setting-up and maintaining the technology:.......................................................7
3.1. Joina City energy cost comparison schedule between led and florescent lighting:....................7
3.2. Project development framework:................................................................................................8
3.3. Total project cost:.......................................................................................................................9
4. Examples of previous successful projects:........................................................................................9
4.1. Example 1:..................................................................................................................................9
4.2. Example 2:..................................................................................................................................9
4.3. Example 3:................................................................................................................................10
5. Major advantages for Joina City building to become self-sustainable:...........................................10
6. Conclusion:......................................................................................................................................10
7. References:......................................................................................................................................12

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1. Introduction:
Renewable energy power generation has raised as the outcome of various clean energy
policies at Zimbabwe. This as a wealth of alternative energy source offers ways to power various
buildings like “Join City” without utilizing fossil fuels.
Join City is developed as a most prominent destination at the core of Harare, Zimbabwe to
lead retailers and institutions. The following study demonstrates biomass and solar energy to
incorporate into this building.
The report illustrates cost estimations along with prior successful instances. Lastly, important
benefits originating from Joina City to become self-sustainable one are also analyzed here.
2. Solar and biomass to be incorporated in the building:
Currently, building sectors are developing quickly through investing 30-40% of the entire
global basic resources. For the current sustainable built environment program for Joint City, there is
a need towards integration of proven renewable energy technologies with the building ("Joina City",
2018). This has been for numerous applications like water heating, electricity production and many
more. Operational energy uses in buildings are turning to be of growing importance at Zimbabwe.
Thus, sustainable analysis of Joint City building has turned out to be vital regarding sustainable
development. Primary goals for sustainable design are to decrease depletion of various critical
resources like raw materials, water and energy. This is to prevent the environmental degradation that
takes place due to infrastructure and facilities throughout their entire life-cycle. Further,

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environments are to be created that must be safe, effective and productive through the utility of
biomass and solar energy.
Figure 1: “Accelerating Joina City building with respect to renewable energy resource
implementation”
Source: ("Accelerating Building Efficiency: Eight Actions for Urban Leaders", 2018)
2.1. Incorporation of solar energy:
Solar energy is a clean, renewable energy source available. Some of the technologies that
could be applied at Joina City are analyzed below.
2.1.1. Technologies that could be implemented:
Concentrating solar power It comprises of lenses and mirrors focusing on sunlight. It can be the
most cost-effective one as it is used on a large scale at Zimbabwe.
Solar heating and cooling It produces heats, and solar PV systems generate electricity.

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Solar PV or Photovoltaic
energy
It converts sunlight directly to energy by solar PV panels. However,
with the rise of efficiency, its cost rises at the same time (Cao &
Alanne, 2015).
2.1.2. Application of solar energy at Joina City:
Solar systems can be used at Joina City as low temperature is needed there. The usage of the
above systems under the climate of Zimbabwe would be both economically and technically
profitable. This would take place as it is combined with sustainable construction or design of Joint
City building like usage of passive solar gains, good insulation and so on (Tuzcu, Gunerhan &
Hepbasli, 2015). A sustainable section of this conventional energy could be saved in Joina City
building. Here every possible measure must be taken to decreasing losses along with maximizing the
efficiency of the building structure.
Figure 2: “Working of biomass for electricity generation at Joina City”
(Source: "Biomass for Electricity Generation | WBDG Whole Building Design Guide", 2018)

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2.2. Incorporation of biomass:
Biomass helps in producing high-pressure steam directly. This drives a turbine generator
creating electricity. Some of the technologies that are effective in the current scenario are assessed
hereafter.
2.2.1. Technologies that could be implemented:
Fixed-bed systems Here, fuel is supplied onto a shred where it can react with oxygen in the air.
This exothermic reaction produces hot gas and steam (Liu, Xia & Li, 2015).
Fluidized-bed
systems
It produces more carbon conversion leading to reduce emissions and rise in
system efficiency. Moreover, it consists of a greater parasitic electric load
because of increased fan power necessities.
2.2.2. Application of biomass at Joina City:
Projects from biomass energy systems are most cost-effective. Transportation of fuel must
account for an unusual amount of cost. Hence resources must be available ideally from various local
resources of Zimbabwe (Nguyen & Le, 2014). Additionally, facility of Joint City should need to
store biomass feedbacks on site. Hence storage and site access are the factors to be considered here.

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3. Cost estimation for setting-up and maintaining the technology:
3.1. Joina City energy cost comparison schedule between led and florescent lighting:
Type of fitting Total cost
quantity 16512
ballast (w) 0
tube (w) 576
total rating 330527
E.C. (peak/kwh) $322.26
E.C. (strd/kwh) $127.25
E.C. (off peak kwh) $132.21
M.D cost/kw $1,848.31
opp hours/day $581.73
monthly cost $18,136.6
8
annual cost $217,640.
13

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The following graph is created from data retrieved from the above Table.
QUANTITY
BALLAST (W)
TUBE (W)
TOTAL RATING
E.C (PEAK/kWh)
E.C (STRD/kWh)
E.C (OFF PEAK kWh)
M.D COST/kW
OPP HOURS/DAY
MONTHLY COST
ANNUAL COST
0 100000 200000 300000 400000
Series2
Series1
3.2. Project development framework:
Figure 3: “The project Development Framework”
Source: (Created by Author)

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3.3. Total project cost:
Cost estimations for the project (USD)
Critical Loads Annual Consumption,
Peak Demand and Bill
282848
Capital costs
for project cost estimate
306198
Total costs
of electricity
547089
4. Examples of previous successful projects:
4.1. Example 1:
PV panels were integrated at about 70% of Net Zero Energy Buildings of Zimbabwe in 2015.
It consisted of ground source heat pumps, air-to-air heat pumps as a part of ventilation system fed to
domestic hot water storage. There, no projects were reported to disappoint users. Further, there were
ten buildings where monitored energy uses met predictions by calculations ("Net Zero Energy
Buildings | Sustainability Workshop", 2018).
4.2. Example 2:
As another instance, detailed data were collected and assessed on some energy service
company or ESCO involving partners from eight member states like Greece, UK, Italy and many
more. It was seen that while engaging in this activity in 2016, enough time was needed to be allowed
for this process ("ESCO & EE Finance – Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy", 2018).

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Moreover, decision making for public administration took time and was unable to be rushed because
of bureaucratic causes.
4.3. Example 3:
Another example is of a village at Zimbabwe that comprised of their fuel resources from
local woods and planting of quick growing species. Heating plant covered more than ninety percent
of village’s heat consumption. The organizational part of this 2017 project was found to be much
demanding. However, negotiations with inhabitants were difficult and long, as it took time to
convince about biomass as a fuel.
5. Major advantages for Joina City building to become self-sustainable:
The benefits are discussed below.
Energy
independence
PV arrays must supply distinct features promoting energy
independence and environment friendliness reducing demand for
natural resource production.
No pollution Solar panels never pollute or generate greenhouse gases while in use or
production.
Cost efficiency The fixed-bed and atmospheric fluidized-bed systems involve mature
technologies. Hence, costs must never drop significantly within a short
period.
6. Conclusion:
The report helps in understanding that the project for Joina City should take advantages of
long-term findings and grants that are available from renewable sources. However, it must be