Tesla’s Powerwall 2 batteries are helping Zimbabwe change the landscape of its local telecom networks. Contact online >>
Tesla’s Powerwall 2 batteries are helping Zimbabwe change the landscape of its local telecom networks.
Zimbabwe is a country that usually faces a shortage of physical cash. With this in mind, the southern African country has widely embraced digital financial transaction systems, a notable part of which is conducted through mobile devices. Unfortunately, the country also is prone to power outages, with some lasting as long as 18 hours per day.
During outages, base stations of telecom providers stop operating, and those that do usually rely on dirty diesel generators to keep the structures active. The system works, but fuel is scarce in Zimbabwe as well. Norman Moyo, the chief executive officer of Distributed Power Africa, describes the situation in the country in a statement to Bloomberg.
"Telecommunications have become the lifeblood of the economy. If the telecom network is down in Zimbabwe, you can''t do any transactions," he said.
Econet Wireless Ltd., one of Zimbabwe’s mobile providers and the company behind EcoCash, one of the country’s most popular mobile money systems, opted to adopt a less conventional approach to respond to the country’s power problems. Instead of relying on an unstable grid and diesel generators, Econet opted to utilize Tesla’s Powerwall 2 batteries to power its base stations.
The project is notable, with the initiative involving the installation of two Powerwalls for each base station. The entire project involves the installation of 520 Powerwalls, is Tesla’s most extensive telecommunications initiative to date, according to Moyo. Considering that Econet has about 1,300 base stations across Zimbabwe, there is a good chance that Tesla’s 520 Powerwalls will only prove to be the beginning.
Moyo, whose company handles the installation of the Tesla batteries, noted that if the Zimbabwe project proves successful, similar models could be adopted in other areas too. Among these are regions such as Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, both of which are also experiencing power shortages.
Econet notes that the Powerwall 2 batteries are designed to step in at times when the base station’s solar panels are not generating enough electricity. Each pair of Tesla Powerwalls could power a base station for as long as 10 hours on their own, according to the telecom provider.
Commenting on the project, a Tesla spokesperson has noted that the company is currently working with several telecommunications companies across the world. The Silicon Valley-based company added that it sees a combination of solar panels and battery storage devices as a good opportunity to expand its business and reach in regions where electricity supply is limited, or at best, erratic.
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The Tesla Powerwall has transformed the lives of many in the US and how we use energy, but did you know that it''s even being utilized in the developing world in places such as Zimbabwe?
Their electric grid’s limitations have been a significant obstacle for Zimbabwe; the developing nation is susceptible to prolonged power blackouts. However, because a single Tesla Powerwall can store up to 10 hours'' worth of electricity, the country can use them to stay powered during outages.
As you can expect, the Powerwall offers much potential for this African country to become self-dependent on energy, leaving it room to grow and develop into a prosperous nation. Below, we''ll talk about the many ways the Tesla Powerwall is being used to transform Zimbabwe.
Just 41.04% of Zimbabwe''s population has access to electricity, which is a significant improvement over the 32.3% figure from 2014. The African nation sources its power back to one hydroelectric power plant and four coal-powered generators.
The country has had to contend with prolonged recessions (2000-2008) and political turmoil, both significant roadblocks in the path to energy dependence.
Given the nation''s limited energy infrastructure up to this point, extensive power outages are not rare. In some cases, power cuts have lasted as long as 18 hours. These are not simply weather-related power outages; they are scheduled cuts that become necessary due to the limited energy infrastructure and the financial health of the nation''s utility provider.
As you can probably imagine, the historical narrative around Zimbabwe and its energy sector have made it difficult for the burgeoning country to realize its true potential.
The limitations of Zimbabwe''s energy infrastructure mean that it is difficult for mobile network providers to even function. One of the reasons this is so unfortunate is that the nation of Zimbabwe relies significantly upon electronic money transfers if it is going to get any business done.
Econet Wireless is the most significant provider of the mobile services necessary for electronic transactions to be completed; the company currently holds a 95% market share. In the past, Econet Wireless has tried using traditional gasoline generators as a back-up plan, to no avail.
For one, there is no guarantee that there will always be fuel available to power the generators when they are needed continuously. Besides being inefficient, traditional generators are noisy and can be costly to maintain.
This is where the Tesla Powerwall comes in. Econet Wireless has been installing Powerwall batteries at its base stations all over Zimbabwe to provide a back-up source of energy when the power has been cut. The company doing the installations for Econet plans to install two Tesla Powerwalls at all of the 1,300 base stations positioned across Zimbabwe.
Overall, the Powerwall battery has been found to be quite a suitable alternative to diesel generators. The Powerwall can store energy from both the existing electric grid and from a set of solar panels.
The Powerwall itself costs about $6,500 in Zimbabwe. The first phase of the project has involved plans for Exonet to deploy 520 Tesla Powerwalls at 260 of its sites. Since two units are being installed at each location, you can anticipate each of the 260 installations costing at least $13,000 for a total of 260 x $13,000 = $3.38 million.
Estimates of the total costs have not yet been released, but you can certainly anticipate more installation and transportation costs. These costs can vary from site to site, with more remote locations costing more.
Still, Zimbabwe has determined the project to be well worth the associated costs when you consider the positive impact that it should have on the economy. More than $200 million of mobile cash passes through Zimbabwe''s electronic payment programs daily. If the internet has to be shut down, even for a little bit, then the country will stand to lose a great deal of economic opportunity.
Additionally, the Powerwall is actually cheaper to use than a diesel generator. The use of batteries has cut reliance on traditional generators in the nation by 75%.
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