You created dumsor! Yes, you and everyone else!

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Samson 9 years ago

Wow, wise words indeed. You are right, dumsor is here to stay unless we change our attitude.

Wow, wise words indeed. You are right, dumsor is here to stay unless we change our attitude.
Wrong 9 years ago

Dumsor was created because all the Presidents misuse our money and they did not plan ahead.

Dumsor was created because all the Presidents misuse our money and they did not plan ahead.
Jo Alaa 9 years ago

Some section of Ghana's population hate to read such wise and thought provoking articles like this. All they care about is to blame government, insult personalities and offer no tangible alternatives. I congratulate the write ...
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Some section of Ghana's population hate to read such wise and thought provoking articles like this. All they care about is to blame government, insult personalities and offer no tangible alternatives. I congratulate the writer for this patriotic and honest writing
NANA BONSU 9 years ago

Alaa, NDC raised expectation with the lies of a 90 solution. They should have told the truth during the campaign.

Alaa, NDC raised expectation with the lies of a 90 solution. They should have told the truth during the campaign.
K Fosu 9 years ago

Guess what? Dr Wirreko-Brobby, holds a Ph.D in solar science from one of the best universities in the world.He sits in Ghana doing "bugger-all" with that doctorate. In Kufuor"s infinite wisdom,the best position he could offer ...
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Guess what? Dr Wirreko-Brobby, holds a Ph.D in solar science from one of the best universities in the world.He sits in Ghana doing "bugger-all" with that doctorate. In Kufuor"s infinite wisdom,the best position he could offer him in his NPP govt was CEO of Kwame Nkrumah"s Hydro-Electric Dam.A project NPP forefathers classified as "vanity project" in the sixties.Not content with his "oxymoronic/pointedly foolish" decision, he {Kufuor} went further by appointing Wirreko-Brobby as chairman of Ghana@50. He wasted more than 20 million dollars of our meagre resources in importing expensive cars for diplomats in celebrating Ghana@50.This money he could have been used to establish a solar research centre at KNUST to propel us into the solar age.The same hopeless solar engineer is the first person to complain about dumsor in Ghana. What bloody hope is there? Ms Fynn, kindly read a bit about Nicolas Tesla, who single-handedly revolutionised the use of electricity through out the world.And guess what? he was a poor Serbian with a diploma from a polytechnic. Individuals can also play their part in making Ghana a better place.
Nana 9 years ago

Very true. Individuals can also play their part in making Ghana a better place. If you follow Ms Fynn on her fb page, you will see this is something she encourages and has always maintained- that the government cannot do it a ...
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Very true. Individuals can also play their part in making Ghana a better place. If you follow Ms Fynn on her fb page, you will see this is something she encourages and has always maintained- that the government cannot do it alone
H.K.Yeboah 9 years ago

Ones bitten, twice wise so all must learn and do the right think.

Ones bitten, twice wise so all must learn and do the right think.
asonaba kofi 9 years ago

simple things. common sense but we don`t seem to do anything about them. just politicising and whining about it. no matter who comes to power, if we don`t change our attitudes the situation will be the same.
as usual this ar ...
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simple things. common sense but we don`t seem to do anything about them. just politicising and whining about it. no matter who comes to power, if we don`t change our attitudes the situation will be the same.
as usual this article will receive few comments because it`s not political, and there is no room for insults. we need to get our priorities right.
KT 9 years ago

And also illegal connections. I hope the government and all of us will adhere to this writing. Thank you.

And also illegal connections. I hope the government and all of us will adhere to this writing. Thank you.
Truth 9 years ago

"Mum is watching tv, her phone is charging. Ewurama is in her room playing music and on her charging computer chatting to Kwame on skype in Yankee. Kofi is ironing and Dad". You're trying to make sense of something but not c ...
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"Mum is watching tv, her phone is charging. Ewurama is in her room playing music and on her charging computer chatting to Kwame on skype in Yankee. Kofi is ironing and Dad". You're trying to make sense of something but not completely. This is 2016. it's the government that has not planned well for us. No 2 ways about that.

Nana 9 years ago

If they haven't planned well.... who voted them in? is it not 'the people' and individuals again? When they presented you with their manifesto, did people as the right questions? The how, when and the after monitoring process ...
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If they haven't planned well.... who voted them in? is it not 'the people' and individuals again? When they presented you with their manifesto, did people as the right questions? The how, when and the after monitoring processes?
Truth 9 years ago

I agree with you on this one Nana

I agree with you on this one Nana
Sena 9 years ago

Must you always compare Ghana to failed states like Nigeria? You may be Nigerian, but that doesn't mean you must compare us with the worst. How about comparing us with Argentina, South Africa, Algeria, orIndonesia? Stretch yo ...
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Must you always compare Ghana to failed states like Nigeria? You may be Nigerian, but that doesn't mean you must compare us with the worst. How about comparing us with Argentina, South Africa, Algeria, orIndonesia? Stretch your research beyond the obvious horror story in Africa and see whether we couldn't learn a thing or two from those who have gotten it right in our quest to end dumsor once and for all.
Nana 9 years ago

Is that her job to do that or the government and the minister of power? They need to do their job and research about the success stories. Read the article carefully. hence the government was mentioned in it. They have the re ...
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Is that her job to do that or the government and the minister of power? They need to do their job and research about the success stories. Read the article carefully. hence the government was mentioned in it. They have the resources and if they want to create success stories, the funds coming through needs to be channelled in creating what we want, plus people changing their habits too. And for your information, she is Ghanaian.
K Fosu 9 years ago

Despite having abundant natural resources at its disposal (including coal and gas), Indonesia has difficulty to supply enough electricity to its people and businesses. Robust economic growth over the past decade has given ris ...
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Despite having abundant natural resources at its disposal (including coal and gas), Indonesia has difficulty to supply enough electricity to its people and businesses. Robust economic growth over the past decade has given rise to increased domestic demand for electricity but the country has not been able to adequately meet demand resulting in frequent blackouts and in one of the lowest electrification rates (the percentage of Indonesian households connected to the nation's electricity grid) in the region (about 80.4 percent at end-2013).

This means that about 20 percent of the total Indonesian population (consisting of about 250 million people) has no access to electricity yet and as Indonesian demand for electricity grows by approximately 8.4 percent per year (higher than the annual growth rate of electricity generation) the electrification rate can worsen if no further investments in the country’s power or electricity industry occur.

State-owned Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN), which is tasked to supply electricity to Southeast Asia’s largest economy, expects that the nation's electricity demand will rise to 207 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2014 from 189 TWh in 2013. By 2022, the figure will rise to 386 TWh (nearly doubling from the current figure).

To overcome the electricity problem, the Indonesian government allowed independent power producers to produce and sell electricity (to PLN) in Indonesia since 2009. However, the largest electricity producer is still PLN, generating about 75 percent of electricity in Indonesia. Similar to Pertamina (the nation’s state-owned oil producer), PLN is heavily dependent on government subsidies to survive as it is obliged to sell electricity below the cost of production.

Recently, PLN said that Java and Bali (both are important islands from an economic point of view) can be hit by a power crisis in 2016 as the electricity reserves margin would decline to 16 percent (far below the 30 percent level which is considered safe). Currently the reserves in Java are about 27 to 28 percent.

This electricity supply problem in Indonesia is the reason why big companies prefer to establish their own power plants, particularly in Java and Bali, to safeguard future electricity supplies. Smaller companies, however, cannot afford such investments and are susceptible to blackouts which harm their businesses.

The decline in electricity supply in Indonesia is partly caused by a delay in operation of new power plants. Several projects that have been delayed are the 2x1,000 megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant in Batang (Central Java), the 1,000 MW Indramayu power plant (West Java) and three plants in South Sumatra that would supply electricity to Java and Bali.

Coal is targeted to form the fuel source for 66 percent of total electricity generation by 2022 from 52 percent currently. As a consequence domestic coal consumption in Indonesia is expected to rise to 151 million metric tons in 2022 from 82.9 million metric tons in 2014.
Ben 9 years ago

I am enthused by your passion in tackling the dumsor crisis. I think we can also argue for making solar power generation by the individuals and institutions cheaper. Government can by removing the tariffs

I am enthused by your passion in tackling the dumsor crisis. I think we can also argue for making solar power generation by the individuals and institutions cheaper. Government can by removing the tariffs
kobby-Kintampo South 9 years ago

An excellent piece of writing. Hope we all begin to change our attitude. All is not lost yet.

An excellent piece of writing. Hope we all begin to change our attitude. All is not lost yet.
NANA BONSU 9 years ago

The campaign promise to end it in 90days raised expectation. They informed us it could be done in a very short time and that the other Party didn't care.
Sure consumption has gone up, we should also refrain from dishing out ...
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The campaign promise to end it in 90days raised expectation. They informed us it could be done in a very short time and that the other Party didn't care.
Sure consumption has gone up, we should also refrain from dishing out promises we don't intend to keep.
$tan Lokko 9 years ago

I just want to know. Because in Dagbon u can't be called NAA if u r not installed as a chief and even if u were named after a NAA, you can only be call Naatogma. Meaning namesake of NAA. Almost all my Akan friends are Nan ...
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I just want to know. Because in Dagbon u can't be called NAA if u r not installed as a chief and even if u were named after a NAA, you can only be call Naatogma. Meaning namesake of NAA. Almost all my Akan friends are Nana why???
Marcus Ampadu 9 years ago

It is time that Ghanaians need to get into their heads that electricity and water are not free, they have costs. The more you make use of them, the more you have to pay for their use.

Common sense would dictate that one h ...
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It is time that Ghanaians need to get into their heads that electricity and water are not free, they have costs. The more you make use of them, the more you have to pay for their use.

Common sense would dictate that one has to use the less expensive incandescent bulbs - the energy-efficient alternatives - compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) & light emitting diodes (LEDs).

Then there are those who don't switch-off their lights.

Just waiting for the day our nation would turn to using renewable sources of energy; that would spell the end of dumsor,

Sankofa 9 years ago

Yes, we must put our minds to the problem of dumso and find long-lasting solutions.

This is better than indulging in the blame game and moaning.

What are our universities and research institutions doing? What are our th ...
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Yes, we must put our minds to the problem of dumso and find long-lasting solutions.

This is better than indulging in the blame game and moaning.

What are our universities and research institutions doing? What are our think-tanks doing? The media should initiate the public discussion.
Peter G. 9 years ago

Very good. I visited Ghana in the 90's, and experienced it then. Our leaders need to be honest and sincere educating the public about how we got here, and what we need to do individually and collectively.Rather than playing p ...
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Very good. I visited Ghana in the 90's, and experienced it then. Our leaders need to be honest and sincere educating the public about how we got here, and what we need to do individually and collectively.Rather than playing playing politics with the situation.We all need attitude adjustment if a change is to come, for good.
K Fosu 9 years ago

The Australian town that wants to get off the grid.
23 August.Australia

It's hard to locate on a map, but a new plan to disconnect from Australia's power grid is bringing a surge of attention to the village of Tyalgum, wr ...
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The Australian town that wants to get off the grid.
23 August.Australia

It's hard to locate on a map, but a new plan to disconnect from Australia's power grid is bringing a surge of attention to the village of Tyalgum, writes Royce Kurmelovs.
The 300 residents of Tyalgum, set among the rolling hills near the Queensland-New South Wales border, are fond of saying their town is "beautiful 24-7".
Soon, if all goes to plan, this little town in a region famed for its alternative lifestyle could be the first place in Australia to get off the electricity grid and keep the lights on 24-7 using 100% renewable energy.
The idea was hatched in September 2014 by local entrepreneur Andrew Price, a 10-year veteran of the renewable energy industry who runs the company Australian Radio Towers.
"Why off the grid? Why not?" Mr Price tells the BBC.
"The power is cheap, it is reliable and currently solar is about as green or renewable as anything else on the market today. Taking an entire town off the grid also makes a statement to the country that this can be done and that it should be done."
While Tyalgum may be an unlikely place to wind up at the forefront of a renewable energy revolution, there are several reasons why it is well suited to the project, the plan's proponents say.

Firstly, sustainability issues are close to the town's heart, Tyalgum has been locked in an ongoing battle to stop fracking in the region and community support for environmentally friendly projects runs deep.
The town also happens to lie at the very end of the electricity grid, meaning it can be disconnected without disrupting energy supply to neighbouring communities.
Then there's Tyalgum's economic makeup - the town is reliant on tourism and there are few stable jobs, so electricity bills hit locals hard.
According to Mr Price, the 300 people of Tyalgum collectively spend A$700,000 (£406,000, $534,000) a year on electricity, with 55% of that going to maintain the poles and wires.
'A social licence'
The project to take the town off the grid has attracted A$15,000 in government funding so far.
Kacey Clifford, who helps lead the project, says maintaining and deepening community support over the long term will be vital in making the project viable.
"It was important to get the community to back the concept before we developed the solution," Ms Clifford says. "I think they refer to it as getting a social licence.
"It just seemed like the right way to do it, rather than just turning up with authority and providing the solution."
Installation of the solar systems, complete with panels and battery storage, is expected to begin in October.

Solar energy systems will be granted to property owners across the town through a lottery. They will then pay a portion of the money they save on electricity into a fund which will be used to install systems on the other 120-odd homes in town.
Building the infrastructure needed to take the entire village off the grid is expected to cost A$7m.
A feasible endeavour?
The town also needs permission to cut the cord - there are regulations that govern the way power is generated, distributed and sold in the existing power grid.
Tosh Szatow is director of energy management firm Energy for the People and wrote the feasibility study for the Tyalgum Energy Project. He says meeting regulatory requirements is "easier than what people think".
"The regulators have been held up as a problem with big projects like these, but really it is coming up with a sensible plan that keeps the regulator happy," he says.
"All the regulator cares about is the price of energy the customer is getting and things like security and reliability."
Independent energy consultant Craig Froome agrees that issues such as regulation, battery storage and negotiating ownership of the connecting wires are not problematic enough to sink the project.

"People are hesitant in doing anything until they see it working somewhere else. You need someone to take the initiative and do it," he says.
"In all honesty, it would be good to have a demonstration site that actually proves decentralised distribution will actually work. Can you actually take areas off the grid?"
But even if the project stops before reaching off-grid status, it won't be a total loss, Ms Clifford says.
"We don't see a risk at any point if we were to stop because people still have solar on their roof," she says.
"Our strategy is that we're going to put as much solar on roofs as we can, as many batteries that we can, have that infrastructure sitting there and then go to Australia and say we have all this stuff in play, what are you going to do about it?"
"It's guerrilla warfare in the renewable energy industry."

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You created dumsor! Yes, you and everyone else!

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