SNV introduces Carport Solar energy for industries

The Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV), an international non-governmental organization, has launched a new solar systems, Photo Voltaid (PV) to help industries in Ghana.

The new PV systems would depend on four carport (car park) rooftop panel to generate eight-kilowatt solar power to the national grid.

Its net meter allows netting the electricity consumed from and supplied to the grid, helps reduce the monthly electricity cost. Its annual energy savings would result in 1,920KWh and the projected savings would be GH¢ 7,000.

At the launch of the system in Accra, Madam Amanda J. Childress, SNV Country-Director in Ghana, said the SNV’s vision is to provide innovative development work in three sectors of their operations, such as Water Access, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), agriculture and renewable energy to bring true change into the lives of Ghanaians.

She said the importance and benefits of the PV systems was not new since the renewable energy sector of SNV was well known for the promotion of technologies such as solar lanterns, which had received uncountable testimonies of its relevance in the period of the erratic power supply.

Madam Childress said the system would not eliminate total dependence on the national grid, adding that; “it replaces 20 per cent of our consumption from the national grid and hoped to achieve total independence in our energy production in the near future.”

“I am proud to see that we are no longer talking about what we should do, but rather, we are already reaping the benefits of the system with a net reduction in our national grid consumption,” she said.

The Country-Director asked institutions, industries and individuals to take advantage of the system to supplement their power needs.

She expressed gratitude to the Deng Limited, the system installer, the Energy Commission, and the Electricity Company of Ghana, who included the new solar PV system in their reverse meter pilot programme.

Mr Frederick Ken Appiah, Renewable Energy Officer of the Energy Commission said the Commission initiated 200,000 National Rooftop Solar Programme in the country.

He said President John Dramani Mahama in his State of the Nation Address affirmed the government’s commitment to the rooftop programme by announcing an introduction of an ancillary service charge, part of which is to be used to implement the programme.

“If we are able to implement this, we will reduce the daily national peak load by 200 megawatts through self-generation, using solar PV technology, contributing significantly to the national energy mix of the country.

He said there was high potential for Ghanaians to utilize the scorching sun and derive its full benefits and urged commercial and industrial entities to emulate SNV and self-generating, using the solar PV technology.