Accra Girls' SHS gets 5KW solar power

The Chief Executive Officer of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Mr Mohammed Adjei Sowah, has commissioned a 5kw solar power generating system for the Accra Girls Senior High School.

The project, which forms part of the Assembly's efforts to build a smart, sustainable and a resilient modern city, is being executed by the European Union Energy Initiative Partnership Dialogue Facility (EUEI PDF) in collaboration with the European Commission, six EU member states and Econoler, a world leader in efficiency.

Under the project, 112 new LED light bulbs would be provided to replace old existing bulbs in the school to reduce energy consumption by 50 per cent.

Mr Sowah, in an opening remark, said the school was chosen because it is one of the only two all-female senior high school under the Assembly, adding that, this would help the school reduce cost on energy.

"Accra Girls should not in the near future, be paying electricity bills for lighting, this will go a long way in making extra resources available to the school to augment the Free SHS policy introduced by H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's government," he said.

He said the EU Energy Efficiency Project is targeted at supporting the AMA to become more efficient in its use of resources, as well as position the Assembly as a responsible corporate citizen.

He urged management of the school to ensure regular maintenance of the plant as scheduled by the installers.

Mr Sowah also thanked the EU Project team, Kumasi Institute of Technologyand Environment (KITE), Energy Commission and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development ( MLGRD) for their support, and appealed to corporate institutions and donor communities to continue supporting the AMA in the roll out of its initiatives.

The Mayor later donated 40 pieces of 240 litre waste segregation bins on behalf of the Assembly to kick start its new initiative christened, "Green Senior High School ".

The Project Manager of EUEI PDF, Silvia Escudero, on her part, said the general objective of the project was to create an enabling environment to implement an energy efficiency strategy and action plan.

She stressed the need to cultivate and adopt habits to reduce energy waste in the country in order to improve energy consumption.

She disclosed that under the project, AMA would be supported to build its capacity to conduct energy audits on their buildings, develop recommendations for energy efficiency and renewable energy inventions, to optimise energy use.

The headmistress of the school, Mrs Joice Akolatse, on behalf of the school, thanked the Mayor for the project and was hopeful that the plant would help reduce the numerous bills on electricity.

The EUEI PDF is a multi-donor facility supporting developing countries and regions in enhancing and implementing policies, market development approaches and in building the capacity needed to accelerate progress in the energy sector.

The EUEI PDF has over the years, developed innovative approaches and practices and more than 80 projects in over 21 countries. It has effectively disseminated knowledge amongst wide range of energy practitioners and policy makers.