A powerful shift at Falcon College
Falcon College, one of Zimbabwe’s top-tier private boarding schools, has installed a 1 megawatt (MW) solar power plant at its campus near Bulawayo — effectively cutting its reliance on the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA).
The large-scale solar project, installed and financed by Cicada Solar, marks a major turning point not just for the school, but for how Zimbabwean institutions are handling the country’s ongoing energy crisis.
“Cicada Solar is proud to announce the commissioning of a 1MW solar plant at Falcon College, near Bulawayo,” the company shared on X on 11 June 2025.
“This plant will ensure that Falcon has plenty of reliable, cost-effective power for its thriving classrooms, dormitories and sports fields, as the College grows from strength to strength.”
The solar plant is expected to fully power the school’s infrastructure, including boarding facilities, IT labs, science departments, admin offices, and large-scale sports facilities — all without relying on the national grid or costly diesel backup.
“#CicadaSolar has also financed and will operate and maintain the solar plant, so our partnership with Falcon has just begun,” the company added.
The timing couldn’t be more crucial. Zimbabwe’s power supply has remained fragile, with rolling blackouts and limited generation capacity across the country. Diesel generators — once a backup — have become unsustainable due to high operating costs, with fuel prices hovering at US$1.50 (around ZAR28.00) per litre.
In such a scenario, Falcon’s move to solar energy is both strategic and forward-looking.
Load-shedding fears spark solar surge
The decision by Falcon College comes in the wake of warnings from ZESA to large consumers of power. In late 2024, ZESA announced that its focus would shift towards supplying households first, leaving companies and schools to “secure their own energy solutions.”
“We have positioned ourselves to rectify all connection backlogs and end load shedding by next year,” said Dr Sydney Gata, Executive Chairman of ZESA, during the Zimbabwe-Zambia Energy Projects Summit in Victoria Falls.
He outlined an ambitious roadmap that would see Zimbabwe eliminating power imports by 2027, becoming a net exporter by 2028, and achieving universal access to electricity by 2030.
“In 2026, we aim to clear the connections backlog,” Dr Gata said. “By 2029, Zimbabwe will be a world-class power-lighting nation.”
But with over a decade of inconsistent supply, schools like Falcon are no longer waiting. The school has taken matters into its own hands, opting for clean, renewable energy that ensures continuous learning and operation — no matter what happens with the national grid.
“The energy situation forced our hand,” a person close to the college shared. “We couldn’t keep running diesel generators indefinitely. The solar plant is a game-changer.”
Cicada Solar’s installation ensures that even during nationwide load-shedding events, Falcon’s classrooms will remain lit, its internet stable, and students’ education uninterrupted.
Private solutions in a public crisis
Zimbabwe’s energy woes are not new. The Kariba hydropower station — once a reliable source of electricity — is currently operating at only 400MW out of its rated 1,050MW, due to poor rainfall along the Zambezi River.
ZESA has responded by launching six captive power projects and initiating nine new power station builds expected to inject over 2,600MW into the national grid. But the timeline is long, and the infrastructure challenges immense.
“Power shortages are largely due to the illegal sanctions imposed on us,” Dr Gata told The Herald. “They prevent us from securing concessionary loans necessary for infrastructure development.”
Meanwhile, energy experts say Zimbabwe’s future lies in distributed, decentralised power generation — exactly what Falcon College is now embracing.
For Cicada Solar, this project is part of a wider push across Southern Africa. Backed by Cicada Holdings, one of the region’s largest agri-business firms, the company is combining solar energy with long-term operational support for clients.
“We’re not just selling solar panels,” the company wrote. “We’re partnering for the long haul.”
With Zimbabwe aiming for energy independence by 2030, the Falcon project could mark the start of a larger shift — where schools, businesses and farms start generating their own power, one panel at a time.
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The post Falcon College Breaks Free From Load Shedding, Installs 1 MegaWatt Solar Plant appeared first on iHarare News.
