Mr Isaac Okyere, General Manager of the Photon Energy said the Company is a subcontractor of RESOLAR ENERJI SISTEMLERI, a Turkish based Solar Energy Company, and believes that cheap power was the future of sustainable energy in West Africa.

“This was why the company decided to start its campaign of preaching the use of solar energy by the donation of the 15KW solar power to the ministry.”

Mr Okyere said with the use of renewable sources like the sun and wind, cost of production and eventually cost of energy to consumers would be low.

He said Photon Energy is a company built by young Ghanaian entrepreneurs, who believe that renewable energy through its installation, servicing and maintenance services, would offer jobs to thousands of Ghanaians.

Mr Okyere said the objectives of their existence in the country was to provide cheap power and create jobs to complement Government efforts, adding that, “since charity begins at home, we thought it wise that one of our initial installations should be a donation to a leading government institution like the Ministry of Information.”

“We hope this system provides power for the offices of the Ministry, backup battery to store excess power for use in non-sunny periods and a net reverse meter, which can feed excess power back into the national grid to net-reduce grid bills and assist in working for mother Ghana,” Mr Okyere said.

He said Government’s intention of moving all state facilities on to renewable energy platforms in 2018, should lead businesses and households to adopt renewable energy systems.

The General Manager said the usage of renewable energy will cut the cost of energy and help Ghana in its effort to fighting climate change.

Mr Mustapha Abdul Hamid, Minister of Information said, Government plans to embark on an MDA Solar Rooftop Programme from 2018 as part of its renewable and alternate energy drive.

He said the programme, dubbed: “Government Goes Solar” will ensure that, government institutions switch to renewable energy to reduce Government’s expenditure on utilities.

Mr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, the Minister of Information expressed gratitude to Photon Energy and was hopeful that the company could have future collaborations with Government to save the country energy cost.

Mr Joseph Cudjoe, a Deputy Minister of Energy, said Government through the Ministry of Energy was determined to leverage on the benefits of solar energy and expand its usage across the country.

He said the switch to solar power will mitigate the power crisis the country has been facing for the past four years, which has a general discontent amongst the populace

Photon Energy products for the Ghanaian people are in three packages, namely the retail packages of five to 10 kilowatts systems, Corporate packages of 10 and 50 kilowatts systems and Commercial packages, customized to the interest of large-scale customers.

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Source: GNA

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“If we want to do energy very well, competitively and affordably, then private sector should be in there, and should be given tax incentives on a long-term basis as well as all the support they need to deliver.”

Speaking at the re-branding and launch of a new logo for Strategic Security Systems in Tema, the former President noted that, it is important that private energy companies are encouraged to do more in ensuring that the country’s energy sector becomes very competitive.

Strategic Security Systems is a privately-owned energy company with a specialty in the manufacturing of solar panels in the African sub-region.

The re-branding, however coincides with the company’s 10th anniversary.

Former President Kufuor said if Ghana succeeds in developing its energy sector, it could even export power to Nigeria to earn more foreign exchange than it currently does in cocoa export.

“In West Africa alone, I understand there is an energy shortage of 40 gigawatts, and Ghana would make a lot of foreign exchange if it focuses just on Nigeria alone. This would even fetch more than the income on cocoa.”

Strategic Security Systems, which is worth over 50 million dollars, locally manufactures solar panels, and seeks to expand its base from 32 megawatts to 165 megawatts capacity.

The Chief Financial Officer of the company, Razak Adams, noted that the company is currently creating direct and indirect jobs for over 1, 000 Ghanaians, and called on the government to consider them in any solar-related contract as they have the capacity and ability to deliver to international specifications and standards.

Mr. Adams complained of cheap Chinese solar panels imported into the Ghanaian markets that attract zero-percent tax duties.

He said these Chinese products that have flooded the market are crippling the industry, and called on the government to take steps to address the situation else they could soon collapse the local industry, and subsequently affect employment.

The Chairman of the company, Francis A. Boating, noted that, the company in re-branding, is putting strategies in place to reach out to many Ghanaians to use solar as their alternative means of power supply.

“We have the capacity to deliver, and we hope government will make a lot of savings in choosing us to assist it in its solar-related programmes”

The Deputy Minister of Communications, George Andah, noted that government will continue to provide the necessary regulatory and legal enabling environment to support Ghanaian private sector businesses to enable them compete with their foreign counterparts.

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By: Elvis Washington/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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BPA is has already began processes for the setting up of a 250 megawatt solar plant in the Brong Ahafo Region to boost the country’s power supply.

The project which is situated at Carpenter in the Bole District has been estimated to affect farms of five farmers thus curtailing their source of livelihood hence the compensation.

[contextly_sidebar id=”87pPo71aW7AnmAFVzvTM9jUgb1qVZON1″]“An amount of GHc42, 276.96 has been released for the payment of compensation to five beneficiaries whose economic tree/crops are located within the area earmarked for the BPA’s Solar Project,” a statement sighted by citifmonline.com and signed by the Chief Executive Officer of Bui Power, Fred Oware stated.

The statement added that the payments will however be paid through the Land Valuation Division of the Lands Commission on Tuesday, August 29, 2017.

“BPA collaborated with the Land Valuation Division (LVD) to enumerate economic assets that were located within the 1000 acre parcel of the land earmarked for the solar project. The exercise is expected to be witnessed by the Chief of Carpenter, BPA officials, regional officers of the Land Valuation Division and members of the Carpenter community,” the statement added.

The Authority said the project will commence after the compensation payment.

There have been several calls for Ghana to adopt solar power following erratic power cuts in time past due to thelow water levels in the Akosombo dam which hither to provided less expensive hydro power for the country.

A number of interventions including solar energy were however used to augment the nation’s power supply.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post Bui solar project: Over GHc42,000 released for compensation appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

It has already installed a 42-kilowatt solar power system to provide uninterrupted power supply to its eye clinic.

[contextly_sidebar id=”DvwCklJv86xNS4Xa7wgXYMhEOAkyjaqG”]This was done with support from the Himalayan Cataract Project and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Dr. Joseph Akpaloo, the Chief Executive Officer, made this known at an end of year performance review meeting of the nation’s second largest referral facility, in Kumasi.

He spoke of plans to seek further assistance from other development partners to install additional solar power systems as part of the drive to achieve energy security.

He told the meeting that the hospital was improving its infrastructure, citing the phase two of the mortuary expansion project, renovation of the main theatre block and the dental clinic. The projects were implemented at a total cost of GHȼ774,469.59.

Dr. Akpaloo said it also spent GHȼ2 million from internally generated funds to purchase vital equipment for efficient service delivery.

These included mobile operating lamps, two operating tables for the ‘A1’ theatre, craniotomy sets for the neurosurgery unit, suction machines, dual head theatre lamps, patient monitors and electronic power drill and accessories for the trauma and orthopaedics directorate.

He put the amount spent on staff training and development during the period at GHȼ2,273,377.04.

Dr. Akpaloo renewed the appeal to the government to install a new oxygen plant at the facility, pointing out that, it required between 150 and 200 cylinders of oxygen a day.

This translates to an expenditure of about GHȼ300,000.00 every month. He reminded the heads of the various units to device appropriate strategies to improve performance and enhance the quality of service to patients.

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Source: GNA

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