Energy Deficit in Ghana - Matters Arising

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MARCUS AMPADU 11 years ago

"Alternative forms of energy supply such as wind farms, tidal, solar and geothermal sources are not popular in Ghana."

I always wonder why we are caught in this predicament with the abundant renewable sources of energy we ...
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"Alternative forms of energy supply such as wind farms, tidal, solar and geothermal sources are not popular in Ghana."

I always wonder why we are caught in this predicament with the abundant renewable sources of energy we have - solar, wind, ocean tides, geothermal, biomass, waste-to-energy conversion systems, and bio-fuels.

In addition to our national grid, we should also have regional grids, and even look into off grid systems.

If Narendra Modi, the Prime Minster of India, is planning to rely principally upon photovoltaic energy in providing electricity to 400 million Indians who currently do not have it, it is pathetic that a nation like ours with a population of about 25 million have to experience rampant outages.

It is equally embarrassing that even Bangladesh,a nation who can't compete with us in terms of availability of natural resources, is installing two new rooftop photovoltaic systems every hour.

From Axim, Anomabo, Apam, Ada, Adina, to Aflao public, private, and public-private partnerships should invest in offshore wind turbines to generate electricity for all the neighboring towns and villages.
Michael 11 years ago

Good piece, but point of correction, Blue Energy, is only on paper, they have not yet started construction let alone generate a watt of power.
@ Marcus, it is good to use renewable power sources like solar and wind, however ...
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Good piece, but point of correction, Blue Energy, is only on paper, they have not yet started construction let alone generate a watt of power.
@ Marcus, it is good to use renewable power sources like solar and wind, however our Ghanaian attitude of expecting everything free or cheap is driving this concept onto the shelf.
francis kwarteng 11 years ago

Marcus/Prof. Sakyi,

Great piece.

Marcus your contribution here is on point. Great!

Happy New Year to you both!

Thanks.

Marcus/Prof. Sakyi,

Great piece.

Marcus your contribution here is on point. Great!

Happy New Year to you both!

Thanks.
Ama Serwah 11 years ago

I just emailed you a love letter re GRC

I just emailed you a love letter re GRC
Oheneba Fredua Okrontoh 11 years ago

Thank you for an insightful, well-written analysis of our energy situation.

If only we had leaders with the same level of energy (no pun intended), enthusiasm and political will to match the brilliance of its people at hom ...
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Thank you for an insightful, well-written analysis of our energy situation.

If only we had leaders with the same level of energy (no pun intended), enthusiasm and political will to match the brilliance of its people at home and scattered all over the world people!
peace 11 years ago

a lot of inaccuracies

a lot of inaccuracies
Abeeku Mensah 11 years ago

Ghana's political and educated elite class can be anything to anyone throughout our short history but has never been principled neither have they shown themselves to have foresight and patriotic zeal required of citizens of a ...
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Ghana's political and educated elite class can be anything to anyone throughout our short history but has never been principled neither have they shown themselves to have foresight and patriotic zeal required of citizens of any country. For example, Ghanaians who hold citizenship of other nations and proudly come through our airports using their minted passports from their new found nations do not have to tell anyone in Ghana of their pride in being citizens of the country whose passport they bear. Unfortunately, they along with our political and educated elite class who have their families outside Ghana with similar values and aspirations continue to push for a dual citizenship deal/scheme that is of no benefit to Ghana but to the individuals. These relatively well off families and interests on many occasions than not own land through family connections and or have acquired and or developed properties in Ghana. But those who are in the know understand these "foreign" owners of property in Ghana have been sources of land/property disputes but more likely not to be around for the organization of community based groups with plans to improve the communities within which their property sits. The character trait of these Ghanaian born foreigners include a wait on government to provide expected government services when it arrives or they will bribe an official to get a service or two when the community at large is denied those very expected services. In short, meaningful development in Ghana can come from the government and not from individuals. Hence the most effective way to improve and implement supplemental energy sources in Ghana is for the national government to mandate that all government office buildings be retrofitted with solar energy kits. Does it really make sense for European nations with continued and uninterrupted electricity supply to supplement their energy sources using solar energy while we sit in Ghana and no one has to tell us of the abundant energy we get from the sun by looking at our skin each day? Most government office buildings use energy for lighting, drive computer and other telecommunications peripherals; solar energy should be sufficient to drive those systems and provide needed energy for street lights and CCTV security camera systems at all government office complexes.
The national government cannot count on citizens in waiting in the Diaspora neither will it be possible to expect selflessness and sacrifices from a group that are more likely to have sharpened the tribal and political party vitriolic stance and reasoning since leaving our shores; they did not knowingly without coercion denounce their Ghanaian citizenship because of loyalties to Ghana.
Is it not a fact that patriots in most civilized, industrial western nations do make decisions each day to improve the lot of communities without government and yet these traits never robed off on Ghanaian or ex-Ghanaians in the Diaspora except for the slave master relation that is derived from the property seeking mantra that justifies getting rich by foul means even when disproportionate use of community resources are expended by a few individuals to attain their property seeking agenda?
Ama Serwah 11 years ago

1) Energy efficiency and saving policies e.g. how houses should be built, window sizes & positions, materials to use e.g. use x% bricks and not 100% cement blocks
We build houses like in Europe and put sliding windows and A ...
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1) Energy efficiency and saving policies e.g. how houses should be built, window sizes & positions, materials to use e.g. use x% bricks and not 100% cement blocks
We build houses like in Europe and put sliding windows and AC.
Govt must ban use of sliding windows
Large louvered windows alone reduce energy demand. Most people in Ghana need ECG light in their rooms during the day.
Natural light comes in rooms and wind blows. No need for AC or fan
Use of certain materials can cool the house. Bricks?
100% use of cement blocks may not be ideal for tropical buildings
2) Massive public education ie extensive awareness campaign on use and energy saving methods.
3) Production always to meet increasing demand is not sustainable.
KKO 11 years ago

Good piece, Kwesi,
Our leaders simply do not have foresight. They are only interested in filling state positions with their friends and cronies, mostly square pegs in round holes, as you rightly put it.

It will not requi ...
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Good piece, Kwesi,
Our leaders simply do not have foresight. They are only interested in filling state positions with their friends and cronies, mostly square pegs in round holes, as you rightly put it.

It will not require rocket science to solve Ghana's energy problems. The only problem is that thanks to Jerry Rawlings, we have a largely illiterate electorate that votes for complete idiots every four years!

The Physics Departments at UST and Legon have developed solar energy systems, made of local materials, for more than 25 years now. Those systems have been tried and tested on the two campuses. All that is required is for the state to take active interest in the systems and help roll them out nationwide.

In the UK, the government is assisting individuals to mount solar panels on their roofs. Any excess power that is generated by an individual home is bought by the state and put into the national grid, for distribution. In effect an individual can either take cost of his or her purchased power in cash or else it goes to offset the cost of installation. So an average household will pay off its installation cost in five to six years.

In Belgium where I visited two weeks ago, companies are now renting the roofs of warehouses and other large buildings, to generate electricity for sale. My illiterate grandfather used to rent out his barns and also cocoa drying sheds in bad years, to make money. That was sixty years ago. We are just paying good money for educated idiots to come on TV and radio to hurl insults instead of using their "small coconuts" to help society, and those are the people that get ministerial and ambassadorial posts. What a failed state!
Kweku Boateng Jnr. 11 years ago

Thank you Marcus. We are all complaining. Can, we who are interested in renewables for example solar, tidal waves, wind etc come together early next year and form an organisation to 'fight' to mainstream renewables? For exam ...
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Thank you Marcus. We are all complaining. Can, we who are interested in renewables for example solar, tidal waves, wind etc come together early next year and form an organisation to 'fight' to mainstream renewables? For example all the new SHS government is constructing now should include rooftop solar energy and biogas. Let's make renewables part of the 2016 elections campaign. Let's make solar energy as popular as cell phones. Just thinking loudly.
KWESI, thank you for the article. Is there any one with the 1968 energy report that a British Prof wrote for the NLC?
Forward with renewables.

MARCUS AMPADU 11 years ago

Minuah Kweku, I really like your suggestion of coming together to launch Ghana Renewables Consortium to research and see to the implementation of renewables in our country.

Let's contact Mr. Kwesi Atta Sekyi about our int ...
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Minuah Kweku, I really like your suggestion of coming together to launch Ghana Renewables Consortium to research and see to the implementation of renewables in our country.

Let's contact Mr. Kwesi Atta Sekyi about our intention.
Ama Serwah 11 years ago

Email sent: kwesiattasakyi449@gmail.com

Email sent: kwesiattasakyi449@gmail.com
francis kwarteng 11 years ago

Marcus,

You should be using this opportunity to promote your website.

Well, readers can visit CEFOSUA.COM.

Thanks.

Marcus,

You should be using this opportunity to promote your website.

Well, readers can visit CEFOSUA.COM.

Thanks.
Ama Serwah 11 years ago

Marcus Ampadu is wonderful. Well Done!

Marcus Ampadu is wonderful. Well Done!
Oheneba Fredua Okrontoh 11 years ago

Thank you for an insightful, well-written analysis of our energy situation.

If only we had leaders with energy (no pun intended), enthusiasm and political will to match the brilliance of its people at home and scattered ar ...
read full comment

Thank you for an insightful, well-written analysis of our energy situation.

If only we had leaders with energy (no pun intended), enthusiasm and political will to match the brilliance of its people at home and scattered around the world!
Ama Serwah 11 years ago

GH PPL LIKE MARCUS HAVE BRAINS!

GH PPL LIKE MARCUS HAVE BRAINS!
MENSAH 11 years ago

Ghana needs well-informed people like you to bring your views to the table always.
It looks like our politicians are not trying at all to help solve our power problems.
Your input and suggestions will help a lot,if they wou ...
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Ghana needs well-informed people like you to bring your views to the table always.
It looks like our politicians are not trying at all to help solve our power problems.
Your input and suggestions will help a lot,if they would abide by them.
God bless you for your time,care and concern for delivering such an important and informative,but exhaustive piece.
francis kwarteng 11 years ago

Mensah,

I perfectly agree with you.

Prof. Sakyi's essay is very exhaustive and insightful indeed.

I hope our policy makers pay close attention to his magnificent ideas.

Thanks.

Mensah,

I perfectly agree with you.

Prof. Sakyi's essay is very exhaustive and insightful indeed.

I hope our policy makers pay close attention to his magnificent ideas.

Thanks.
Ama Serwah 11 years ago

K A Sakyi next article:ideas emailed.

K A Sakyi next article:ideas emailed.

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Energy Deficit in Ghana - Matters Arising

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