TIG Post

Tag: Solar

  • Ghana unveils initial stage of Africa’s largest rooftop solar power project

    Ghana unveils initial stage of Africa’s largest rooftop solar power project

    Ghana launched the initial phase of its 1000 megawatts rooftop solar project on July 25, 2024, aimed at supplying power to companies in the free zone enclave.

    When fully completed, this solar project will become the largest in Africa and the second largest globally, facilitating companies’ access to the European market (EU). The operational system is expected to generate 24,750 MWh of clean, stable, and sustainable electricity annually.

    Mr. Seth Mahu, the Director of Renewable Energy at the Ministry of Energy, informed the Ghana News Agency that the rooftop project holds significant importance, as it will boost the nation’s renewable energy capacity to over 200 megawatts of installed capacity, accounting for 4.2 percent.

    “From where I sit at the Ministry, I know that between the years 2024 and 2035, the country will attract not less than two billion dollars in investment in that sector,” he said.

    “In the last decade, the cost of solar has dropped, making it cheaper to produce electricity from solar than from other plants. If this trend continues, the cost of production will reduce, which will scale down the unit price of products.”

    The Director of Renewable Energy pointed out that the initiative will help lower the nation’s carbon emissions as per the nationally determined contributions and promote ‘green’ manufacturing, which is a prerequisite for the EU market.

    Mr. Mahu said the project would provide different levels of sustainable jobs over the next 20 years, which would help grow the economy.

    “Solar is now very competitive. The advent of the battery energy storage system is addressing unstable power in the solar sector,” he said.

    Helios Solar Company (Helios), a division of LMI Holdings, owns the solar rooftop project that will deliver 16.82 megawatts of power to Helios and its affiliates.

    The cutting-edge solar system is financed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) as part of a comprehensive $30 million clean energy and water agreement with LMI Holdings, aimed at fostering job creation and promoting greener, more sustainable, and competitive industrial growth in the country.

    The Ghana Energy and Investment Plan indicates that the nation is poised to play a significant role in the energy mix.

    The plan predicts that solar energy could constitute the bulk of capacity, exceeding 150 gigawatts by 2060. However, it also notes that this swift expansion of solar capacity will need substantial technical, financial, and policy support to streamline and expedite project development.

  • Largest African rooftop solar plant commissioned at Tema

    Largest African rooftop solar plant commissioned at Tema

    Minister of State at the Ministry of Energy, Herbert Krapa, has officially inaugurated Africa’s largest rooftop photovoltaic solar plant, located at the Tema Free Zones Enclave.

    This facility which generates 16.8 megawatts of electricity represents a major advancement in renewable energy.

    The $17 million project, developed by Helios Solar Energy—a subsidiary of LMI Holdings—spans 100,000 square meters. During the commissioning, Mr. Krapa inspected the installation atop the three-story building and activated the plant.

    He praised Helios Solar Energy for their contribution towards the government’s goal of enhancing the renewable energy sector. The project, funded by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), was entirely executed by Ghanaian engineers and technicians.

    Mr. Krapa emphasized the project’s role in supporting the government’s vision of integrating 10% renewable energy into the national energy mix by 2030.

    He highlighted the importance of private sector involvement in meeting these targets, stating that while government funding is available, the primary financial support should come from private enterprises.

    He also noted the project’s broader impact, including the creation of sustainable jobs, the reduction of CO2 emissions, and the introduction of advanced skills and technologies to young engineers.

    Additionally, he pointed out that it would contribute to lower energy costs for industries, thus enhancing the competitiveness of the manufacturing sector.

    Mr. Krapa underscored that the solar plant aligns with the government’s national energy transition framework, which aims for a net-zero pathway by 2060. This framework, recently launched by the president at the UN General Assembly, outlines numerous projects required to achieve the set goals.

    In conclusion, Mr. Krapa expressed pride in the achievement and encouraged further collaboration between the private sector and government to drive the nation’s renewable energy agenda forward.

  • Meet Salamatu, Dakota and Afia, Ghana’s Solar ‘grandmas’ powering communities in Ghana

    Meet Salamatu, Dakota and Afia, Ghana’s Solar ‘grandmas’ powering communities in Ghana

    Three remarkable women, Salamatu, Dakota, and Afia, fondly known as the “Solar Grandmothers,” are lighting up their communities by harnessing the power of the sun. 

    These inspirational women have become the driving force behind a sustainable energy revolution, bringing hope and power to previously underserved areas.

    Armed with resilience and a commitment to make a difference, these grandmothers have embarked on a journey to bring solar energy to their communities. 

    They joined two other women to successfully electrify 150 households in their off-grid communities, and are championing a renewable energy revolution.

    The ‘solar grandmothers’, five in five villages in the region, received training in Barefoot College in India, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through the Global Environment Facility Small Grant Programmme (UNDP GEF-SGP). The Barefoot College trains rural women to install and maintain solar lighting and power in their villages.

    Overcoming the Odds

    Traditionally, Dupari, Zikpuri and other communities without electricity in Ghana mostly use kerosene lanterns to light their homes.

    “When they selected us to go to India, we were afraid because we have never travelled abroad before. Our biggest fear was that we only speak our local language and haven’t been to school, so going to school in another country sounded odd”, Dakota noted.

    With the desire to light-up their homes and communities, Dakota, Salamatu, and Afia took up the challenge to honour the confidence the communities reposed in them by selecting them. They embarked on the “unknown” journey with the hope of exchanging darkness with light in return.

    Leaving their region and country for the first time in their lifetime, the women joined other women from different countries at the Barefoot College for a six-month practical training in applied solar technology. Given that they have no formal education, they were taught with sign language and color-coded circuits to build solar-powered lamps and chargers, and to install solar power in their communities.

    “Everyone is happy with us because we have connected several homes to electricity. It is such a great joy to have light, charge our phones, watch TV, and do other basic things with the power”, Salamatu stated.

    Solar grandmas powering communities in Ghana

    Why older women solar engineers?

    The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 calls for gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls at all levels. In line with this, the UNDP GEF-SGP solar power initiative falls under a bigger forest conservation project. This project prioritizes women empowerment with different initiatives including women dry season vegetable farming and shea butter processing.

    Moreover, women are the focus of solar power projects that Barefoot College runs. They believe that men and young people are likely to migrate from their village in search of other opportunities after training. Older women, on the other hand, have their roots in the communities and mostly remain to serve.

    “We have been installing solar power for houses who need it and maintain it. Maintenance mostly requires change of fuse or batteries”, said Afia.

    The women have since imparted the knowledge particularly to their children who support them with the installation.

    Solar grandmas powering communities in Ghana

    ‘I trained my youngest son who used to help me but now he is gone to school in the city. He supports when he comes for vacation”, Salamatu added.

    Ghana’s electricity access rate per World Bank’s 2021 data, stands at 86.63 percent, with 74 percent of rural residents and 95 percent of urban residents connected to the electricity grid. Though Ghana’s electricity access is said to be the highest in Sub Sahara Africa, there is the need to bridge the remaining gap, particularly the rural-urban divide.

    The success story of the ‘solar grandmothers’ is an inspiration and can be replicated. The use of solar energy in the communities is contributing to the reduction of fossil fuel use and pollution. It is estimated that about 3,000 litres of kerosene that were consumed monthly by the people, have been replaced with solar lights. Not only is this healthier for the people in the communities but also good for the planet. Moreover, mobile phones usage has increased, and school children are able to learn in the evening with the solar light.

    To lift out remaining communities living in the dark, public-private partnerships remain critical. This way, we can unlock more investments to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.

  • John Mahama advocates for investment in Ghana’s power sector

    John Mahama advocates for investment in Ghana’s power sector

    Investors should focus on the enormous opportunities in Ghana’s power sector, according to former president John Mahama’s persuasive arguments.

    He says Ghana has a better chance of becoming the power export center of West Africa if the industry receives the proper funding.

    On Monday, October 23, Mahama gave a speech at an international business forum hosted by the Ghana-Canada Chamber of Commerce in Alberta, Canada.

    He said, “There is space for investment in power. We have seen a lot of investment in power when we liberalised the sector,” he added. “We allowed independent power producers, so several firms have invested in generating plants to produce both for Ghana and export to neighbouring countries.”

    “We also have the potential in renewables, mainly solar, wind is not very viable because we are close to the Equator and so solar is the main thing.”

    “I guess if we could export sunlight, we could export some to Alberta, and so there is potential for a lot of solar power. Ghana is also an oil-producing country, we produce crude oil and LNG,” Mahama added.

  • Solar trees may eventually be able to charge vehicles

    Solar trees may eventually be able to charge vehicles

    In the UK, solar-powered metal trees with a seven-meter canopy may soon be found in parking lots and retail centres.

    The structures were created by British startup SolarBotanic Trees as a power source for charging electric vehicles (EV). They will catch the sun’s energy through nano photovoltaic “leaves” and may store it in a battery inserted beneath the tree’s trunk. Before starting commercial production at the end of the year, the company recently finished a half-scale prototype of the gadget and is now planning to develop and test a full-size version.

    In the UK, EV charging infrastructure is rapidly growing, with more than 40,000 public charging points installed by the end of April 2023, up 37% from the previous year, according to ZapMap, an EV mapping service. But this still does not keep up with demand, with the UK’s Climate Change Committee estimating that 325,000 charging points will be needed by 2032 to support the growing electric fleet.

    “There’s a massive shortfall of (charging) infrastructure in this country, so we are looking to work hand in glove with the EV infrastructure providers,” says Chris Shelley, CEO of SolarBotanic Trees. He adds that the company has already received its first order of 200 trees from the Raw Charging Group, a supplier of EV charging infrastructure, which plans to incorporate the trees as part of its network of charging sites rolled out across the UK and Europe.

    A number of companies already offer solar-powered carports, which stretch over car parking spaces and look like a bus shelter topped with solar panels, but there is a lack of aesthetically pleasing solutions, says Shelley. Solar trees, forms of which have previously featured in Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay development and more recently at the Sustainability Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, can offer just that, he says.

    But while Dubai’s 18 energy trees are collectively covered in almost 4,000 square meters of solar panels and rotate throughout the day to follow the sun’s arc, SolarBotanic Trees – which will stand around 4.5 meters (15 feet) tall – are more space-efficient so that they can be more easily added to public spaces. Shelley says the solar dome simultaneously provides shade and appeals to luxury hotels, shopping malls, corporate head offices and business parks that want a premium and visible product that shows off their green credentials.

    SolarBotanic Trees are likely to cost between £18,000 and £25,000 ($22,000 to $30,000), considerably more than a conventional solar panel source. They will have a power generation capacity of five kilowatts, which is typical for a standard chargepoint according to Energy Saving Trust (EST), a UK organization specializing in low carbon solutions. With this power output it would take almost seven hours to charge a car with a 50 kilowatts battery from 20% to 80%.

    “This speed of chargepoint is more suited to when a vehicle is idle for a longer period,” says Rachel Swiatek, program manager of transport at EST, adding that “there are lots of different chargepoint types and power outputs on the market and each is suited to a different type of use.”

    The startup is also looking to design a smaller and more affordable version, at 3.2 kilowatts, which Shelley says is likely to cost between £10,000 and £15,000 ($12,000 to $18,000). This model would be suited to university campuses, shopping malls, town centers and other locations and could be used for several applications, from smartphone and laptop charging to LED lighting or electronic advertising. Shelley notes that he is also exploring creating a solar tree solution for powering electric scooter charging hubs.

    Each tree will be equipped with an AI-driven energy storage and power management system that can link multiple trees to form local microgrids, or can connect a tree to the national grid, so that any excess energy produced can be fed back into the mains supply. It also means the tree can continue to charge during the night, or on dark winter days when there is no sunlight, by tapping into the grid for power.

    However, to reduce the reliance on the grid, the startup is also planning to integrate a battery storage system in the tree trunk, so that any excess energy during the daytime can be stored for use at night.

    SolarBotanic Trees has raised £340,000 ($420,000) and is looking to start a funding round at the end of the year following trials of the full-scale prototype. By 2025, Shelley wants to be building at least 1,000 trees a year.

    The company will build its first trees in the UK, says Shelley, before looking to expand across Europe and North America.

  • German government commits 37.8 million euros for Solar Power development—Ambassador

    The German government has so far committed a total of 37.8 million euros towards the development of the first utility-scale PV Plant in Ghana.

    Mr Daniel Krull, the German Ambassador to Ghana, announced this during the commissioning of the photovoltaic Plant at Kaleo in the Nadowli-Kaleo District on Tuesday.

    A Spanish Company, Elecnor S. A. built the Solar Plant at Kaleo for the Volta River Authority with funding from the German Development Bank (KfW) implementing the project.

    Ambassador Krull said Germany remained a major bilateral provider of development cooperation funds for Ghana, especially in the energy sector with the current portfolio amounts to over 700 million euros.

    He said after the completion of all sections of the PV Plant at Kaleo and Lawra, more than 30,000 people could be supplied with reliable green electricity.

    The Ambassador said the photovoltaic Plant at Kaleo was because of the excellent cooperation, long-standing, great and trusting relationship between Ghana and German governments.

    He said it is the hope and wish of the German government to see this trusted cooperation be extended into the field of green hydrogen and derivate production in Ghana.

    The German Ambassador said the photovoltaic Plant was an important step toward achieving the ambitious goals of the renewable energy master plan of Ghana.

    “The commissioning of the plant shows that the expansion of renewable energies in Ghana is technically and financially feasible in times of galloping energy costs.

    “These renewables are the most promising source for an independent and climate-friendly and affordable energy supply”, Mr Krull said.

    Ambassador Krull said the power sector had made remarkable progress in recent years, as the government had provided access to electricity to a large part of the population thereby creating opportunities for the economic growth of the country.

    He said the operations of the PV systems could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 30,000 tons of carbon dioxide each year, which translates to the emissions of 60,000 Ghanaians.

    Source: GNA

  • SunPower Innovations ready to partner govt to deliver solar energy

    An indigenous firm, SunPower Innovations, has said it is ready to partner the government to produce and deliver solar energy to businesses and communities in Ghana.

    According to the founder and the Chief Executive Officer, Ernest Amissah, it is time for the government and other development funding institutions to partner indigenous companies like SunPower Innovations to expand their operations, a situation he believes will lead to enormous job creation.

    Speaking at the opening ceremony of a one-megawatt off-grid solar system for Special Ice Factory manufactured by indigenous firm SunPower Innovations, Mr. Amissah said the “government wants to do 1D1F, but I ask myself, everybody is saying we are over generating. But if you build 250 factories, where are you going to get that energy from? If you build one oil refinery, where are you to get the energy from? When you build one gold refinery, where are you going to get that energy from?”

    “You want to integrate bauxite, where are you going to get that energy from?”

    “So, I think we have to shy away from saying; we have expensive PPAs, negotiate the expensive PPAs, but at the same time open the market for renewables to come in and take over the energy generation for the up and coming industries.

    “And I think it will be a bigger change in the economy of Ghana.”

    Director of Renewable and Nuclear Energy at the Energy Ministry, Wisdom Ahiataku-Togobo said the construction of the first phase of a 50-megawatt solar PV plant to be hybridised with the 400-megawatt Bui Power Authority, has commenced.

    The first 10 megawatts is expected to be connected to the national grid by the end of September, while the remaining 40 megawatts will be completed by December this year.

    According to him, the move will not only boost the energy capacity of the nation, but also diversify the sources of power.

    Since its inception, SunPower Innovations has installed more than seven megawatts of Solar PV capacity and have undertaken major installations at shop centres, banks and financial institutions, educational institutions and dozens of commercial projects in Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

    Source: Class FM