Northern Ghana to get solar PV systems

Wa, Nov. 19, GNA - Deprived communities in the Upper West, Upper East and Northern Regions that may not have access to electricity in the next five or more years will be introduced to solar PV systems, alternative source of energy.

Mr. Kwasi Agyenim Boateng, Marketing Manager of Wilkins Engineering Limited, said this during stakeholders' workshop on Tuesday at Wa. The workshop, which was organised by the Association of Ghana Solar Industries, was aimed at sensitizing stakeholders on the need to adopt alternative sources of energy apart from the national electricity grid. Mr Boateng said the use of the lantern poses serious health hazards to its users especially school children in deprived communities that mostly used lantern to study.

He also expressed worry that these children were expected to produce the same results as their colleagues in the cities who used electricity to study in order to gain admission into well established schools in the country.

Mr Boateng asked the participants to help promote the use of solar energy in their communities.

He said the effective use of solar energy could contribute to the success of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Mr Boateng said that the promotion of solar energy would improve maternal health care delivery and eradicate poverty and hunger in deprived communities. He said Assemblies could help promote this by allocating 10 percent of their energy expansion funds for the acquisition of solar energy. 18 Nov. 09