DAMASECK CHIRWA
LUANSHYA,ZAMBIA
Summary
Skilled electrical and renewable energy engineer with expertise in solar software applications and photovoltaic systems. Proficient in renewable energy modelling and solar system design, with a strong focus on compliance reporting and team training. Committed to advancing sustainable energy solutions through innovative photovoltaic projects.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
11
11
years of post-secondary education
Work history
Operations in Charge 94 MW Solar Plants
CEC Renewables
Kitwe, Copperbelt
06.2024 - 02.2026
- Plant Operations of 60 MW Solar Tracking Plant and 34 MW Fixed tilt Solar Plant:
- Performance Monitoring and analyzing plant's performance, including energy production, efficiency, downtime, Capacity Utilization Factor and Performance Ratio.
- Troubleshooting: Identify and troubleshoot technical issues, and implement corrective actions.
- Equipment maintenance: Ensure that all equipment, including solar panels, inverters, tracker control units, motors and transformers, are properly maintained and repaired.
- Ensuring compliance with Healthy Safety, Environmental and Quality regulations, policies, and standards
- Conducts daily string monitoring to ensure all solar strings are live and operating optimally, identifying and resolving issues promptly to minimize energy loss
- Conducts regular Inverter Performance Analysis to ensure optimal energy conversion efficiency, identifying and addressing performance deviations to maximize plant output.
- Scheduled and planned maintenance activities for 94 MW solar plant, ensuring minimal downtime and optimal performance.
- Prepares and submits Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Key Performance Indicator reports, providing insights on plant performance, energy output, and areas for improvement.
- Generates daily solar energy forecasts, informing production planning and grid management decisions
- Ensured quality control for Itimpi 136 MW Phase II solar plant, monitoring installation, testing, and commissioning processes to meet standards
- Manage employees in routine maintenance, installation, repair, and diagnostics of Solar plant infrastructure such as inverters, transformers, solar panels, and module mounting structure.
Regional Electrical Engineer- Southern and Western Province
Energy Regulation Board
Livingstone, Southern Province
09.2014 - 05.2024
- Monitoring of electricity undertakings with regard to efficiency and performance, having regard to the purposes for which they were established.
- Receiving and investigating complaints from consumers on service provision, price adjustments, and incidents and accidents in the energy sector.
- Carry out routine inspections of assigned Electrical installations and premises to ensure compliance with technical standards, safety, and licensing requirements set by ERB.
- To compile inspection reports highlighting the compliance level of the inspected utilities for the attention of the Manager.
- Design standards for the quality, safety, and dependability of the energy supply;
- To assist the Manager Electricity to maintain and update a database to facilitate storage and retrieval of required information concerning the undertakings;
- Develop measures to reduce the environmental impact of energy sector activities;
- To carry out any other duties within technical competence as assigned by superior.
Senior Assistant Engineer-Electrical
CNMC Luanshya Copper Mines
Luanshya, Zambia
07.2011 - 01.2014
- To supervise subordinates in the routine Maintenance, Installations, Repair, and Trouble Shooting on plant facilities such as; 3.3kv motor for the longest single conveyor belt in Africa, Transformers, Circuit Breakers Oil, Pumps, motors, Motor control centers, liquid rheostat, and other Auxiliaries.
- Testing and maintenance of protection relays at Cable belt, power plant, and hoists section.
- Servicing of batteries for the protection relays and trip coils for the circuit breakers.
- Carries out substation and switch-yard maintenance.
- Ensure that discipline is maintained by subordinates, observing set Company procedures and by fair but firm handling of the labour force.
Lecturer-Power Electrical
Northern Technical College
Ndola, Copperbelt
07.2008 - 07.2011
- To train and develop students to become better Technicians in different fields like Electrical, Refrigeration, Process instrumentation and Mechanical Engineering.
- Preparing and setting exams for students.
- Conducting short courses in Power system protection and variable speed drives.
- Conducting laboratory experiments with students.
Station Electrical Technologist-Mulungushi Power Station
Lunsemfwa Hydro Power Company
Kabwe
06.2006 - 05.2008
- To supervise subordinates in routine Maintenance, Installation, Repair, and Trouble Shooting on station facilities such as; Turbines, Transformers, Generators, Circuit Breakers Oil Coolers, Pumps, and other Auxiliaries.
- Conducts inspection of complete units and components to investigate performance flaws and recommends solutions to station Manager for scrutiny and approval.
- Preparation of schedules for operation and maintenance of power station
- Supervising major jobs involving total power station
- Testing and maintenance of protection relays at Mulungushi and Lunsemfwa Power Stations
- Maintenance of Supply and distribution lines
- Testing and streamlining of oil samples for power stations
- Carries out Generator stator winding repairs, transformer, 66KV bulk oil and O.S.M 10 Circuit Breakers and other associated switchgear repairs.
- Carries out maintenance of Winder equipment i.e. drive motors, brake thrusters, and isolators.
- Carries out maintenance of domestic pump motors and isolators.
- Servicing of batteries for protection relays and trip coils for circuit breakers
- Carries out substation and switchyard maintenance.
- Assisting project manager with upgrading of power station by installing a new 10.5MW machine to replace old 2.3MW machine.
- Drawing up graphs for station performance.
- Ensures that station procedures are followed.
- Acts as station manager in absence of station manager.
- PRINCIPLE ACCOUNTABILITIES: Reporting to Station Manager
Education
Master of Technology - Renewable Energy Technologies & Management
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
Haus Khas, New Delhi 01.2020 - 12.2022
Degree - Electrical Engineering
University of South Africa
South Africa 01.2015 - 01.2018
Diploma - Electrical Engineering
The Copperbelt University, School of Technology
Kitwe, Zambia 01.2003 - 01.2005
Certificate - Teaching Methodology
Technical Vocational and Teachers College
Luanshya 01.2009 - 01.2010
GED - Grade 12 School Certificate
St Clements High School
Mansa 01.1998 - 01.2000
Skills
- Solar software applications
- Photovoltaic expertise
- Photovoltaic systems expertise
- Renewable energy modelling
- Solar systems designing
- Training team members
- Compliance reporting
REFEREES
- Nasima Shaikh, Senior Manager, nshaikh@erb.org.zm, +260966836486, Energy Regulation Board, P.O. Box 37631, Lusaka
- Rahul, Goyal, Lecturer, rahulgoyal@dese.iitd.ac.in, +91 81710 12572, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Delhi, India, Department of Energy Science and Engineering
- Dingiswayo Chilumbu, Maintenance in Charge, chilumbud@cec.com.zm, +260977799048, CEC Renewables, P.O. Box 20819, Kitwe
HOBBIES
Playing soccer, learning new things, reading new books and making friends.
OTHER COURSES ATTENDED
- Training on Ground mounted/ Floating Solar Projects by the International Solar Alliance
- Environmental Assessment and Information Management at KGRTC
- Supervisory Skills Luanshya Copper Mines
- Peer education Certificate United Church of Zambia.
Timeline
Operations in Charge 94 MW Solar Plants
CEC Renewables
06.2024 - 02.2026
Master of Technology - Renewable Energy Technologies & Management
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
01.2020 - 12.2022
Degree - Electrical Engineering
University of South Africa
01.2015 - 01.2018
Regional Electrical Engineer- Southern and Western Province
Energy Regulation Board
09.2014 - 05.2024
Senior Assistant Engineer-Electrical
CNMC Luanshya Copper Mines
07.2011 - 01.2014
Certificate - Teaching Methodology
Technical Vocational and Teachers College
01.2009 - 01.2010
Lecturer-Power Electrical
Northern Technical College
07.2008 - 07.2011
Station Electrical Technologist-Mulungushi Power Station
Lunsemfwa Hydro Power Company
06.2006 - 05.2008
Diploma - Electrical Engineering
The Copperbelt University, School of Technology
01.2003 - 01.2005
GED - Grade 12 School Certificate
St Clements High School
01.1998 - 01.2000