Gov’t must encourage solar energy use

Madam Sohua Alhassan, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) WEPIS Solar Company, has appealed to government to extend support to expand the introduction of solar projects in the country to benefit the vulnerable.

She said electricity and kerosene constitute the main sources of energy for power generation in the country, with an estimated sixty percent of all households in Ghana using kerosene for lighting.

She said that several health hazards are associated with the use of kerosene lamps -- causing burns and deaths from open flames, eye problems from weak light, as well as smoke causing lung diseases.

Madam Alhassan in an interview with the B&FT said most communities in the country lack access to power generation due to financial constraints, adding that it is expensive to connect electricity any one place to the deprived areas.

She therefore called on government to focus on solar energy to enable the nation benefit from its enormous economic benefits.

The CEO, who is a beneficiary of the Camfed Innovation Bursary Programme, said lack of government commitment to fund the solar organisations in the country has been retarding progress -- because the use of solar energy does not require water or other heavy equipment, only the natural sun God has given to man.

The solar energy when patronised will help conserve more energy for industrialisation. She reiterated that though it’s expensive due to the gadgets used, this can be reduced when government shows interest to fund the technology to produce more for the nation.

She stressed that her outfit intends employing more of the youth to reduce the unemployment rate as well as produce more to feed the nation and conserve energy, but cannot produce the necessary amount due to lack of funds to embark on the initiative.