Dumsor: Think solar - Kwame Jantuah

The government of Ghana has been told to place premium on solar energy generation as part of measures toward dealing with intermittent energy shortfalls.

An energy analyst and Chief Executive Officer of the African Energy Consortium, Kwame Jantuah, who gave the advice, noted that if past governments had thought of ushering the country into a solar energy-driven economy right from the beginning, Ghana would not be grappling with a power crisis.

“We have the sun, free of charge. Don’t you think, if, since 1992, we had gradually built up our solar capacity, at least, in the rural areas where they don’t have the wherewithal to pay affordable [rates]…,at least, there will be some kind of sense to what we are paying?” he asked.

He added: “If for nothing at all, electricity is not working or we have short generation, these micro grate (small-scale power grid that can operate independently or in conjunction with the area’s main) can light up different areas.

Ghana’s energy crisis has intensified. President John Dramani Mahama, during the Eid ul-Fitr celebration on Wednesday, attributed the problem to "sabotage in Nigeria", which is preventing the supply of crude oil to power thermal plants at home.

In Mr Jantuah’s estimation, however, if the government focused on solar, the problem would be eradicated completely. “Are we planning towards that (solar energy)? I want to see what the plan is because where there is no plan, the cost escalates,” he told local TV station TV3 on Saturday July 9.