It is time to adopt renewable energy

President John Dramani Mahama last Thursday announced in his State of the Nation Address new initiatives  that will result in the setting up of 200,000 rooftop solar systems for solar energy this year.

President Mahama indicated that the government intended to fund the solar project with a proposed adjustment of the Energy Fund Levy on Petroleum Products from Gp0.05 to Gp1.0, “part of which will be used to establish the Renewable Energy Fund.” 

The Daily Graphic sees these steps taken by the government to incorporate solar energy into the country’s power base as very laudable, especially at a time that the overdependence on hydroelectric power has left us groping in the dark.

We believe that it is time for us, as a country, to diversify our energy sources by opting for solar and wind energy, among other renewable energy sources.

The sun, which is a key factor in solar energy provision, shines in the country all year round, while Ghana has also got the potential for wind energy to beef up its energy needs.

What we need now is a clear policy guideline on renewable energy sources in general, and especially the national requirements for installing, generating and distributing solar energy in residences, business establishments and also for commercial purposes.

After dealing with our initial phobia as a country on the initial cost of the installation of solar panels, we still lack clear policy guidelines for the excess solar power that will be generated by individuals, or even businesses that may want to go for solar energy to cut down on the cost of production.

We believe that such excess solar power should be fed into the national grid for distribution to consumers in need but there should be clear guidelines on how that will be done and the price at which the power will be sold.

 Also, to encourage more individuals and estate developers to opt for solar energy, we believe that the government must grant some tax exemptions on the panels and other components which would have to be imported, since they are not manufactured in Ghana.

We urge the Energy Commission to make public the right specifications of solar energy components that are needed for various purposes.

This will streamline the use of solar energy in the country and weed out miscreants who would want to capitalise on the high demand for solar energy to bring in inferior and fake components. 

Although wind energy has not gained as much root in the country as solar energy,a few individuals are using it.

We therefore ask the Energy Commission to ensure that we, as a country, get it right from the beginning so that we do not find ourselves in any situation that we will find very difficult to deal with later.

Wind energy requires wind turbines, just as solar energy requires solar panels and other components. While we advocate the use of solar and wind energy, we also ask that the appropriate methods of disposing of any components that can no longer be used are also considered.

Opting for renewable energy will also provide employment for the country’s teeming unemployed youth in the installation and servicing of the components used to generate the two forms of energy.

We urge the government to put in place plans for training of the requisite human resource so that once we go into full gear, nothing will send us back.