Zimbabwe saves 70 MW after ditching incandescent bulbs

Nearly 70 megawatts got clawed back into the grid after Zimbabwe ditched old-school light bulbs and went almost all-in on LEDs.

National LED switch hits 99.9 percent

• The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority says incandescent bulbs are basically gone nationwide.
• Victor Sibanda, ZERA’s research and efficiency engineer, spoke during the SADC Sustainable Energy Week in Victoria Falls.
• From Zimbabwe’s side, adoption reportedly climbed to roughly 99.9 percent.
• That mass swap trimmed close to 70 megawatts from electricity demand.

Households resisted at first

• Early on, many families clung to the bulbs they had used for years.
• Sibanda described the rollout as a grind while pushing unfamiliar tech.
• Convincing people to leave comfort zones took time and steady messaging.
• Eventually, the country leaned fully into energy-saving LED lighting.