Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko is waging a massive campaign for solar energy as the country battles to solve its power crisis.
As a result, all residential and non-residential facilities of all ministries, department and agencies are to be powered by solar, the minister said.
He made this known at the launch of a Solar PV system at the German Cooperation House in Accra, Thursday.
While congratulating the German government for championing renewable energy and for pursuing the solar agenda he was quick to add that he is personally committed to the solar programme.
“In me you have a convert, simply because my own residence is simply converted to solar so that when the light go off it is only my residence in the neighbourhood that has light and nobody hears any sound of generators. It is all on the roof.
“I believe at the personal level in the importance of solar energy as an energy source,” he stated.
According to him, it is not only cheaper in producing solar power but it is cost effective as well.
“Today it is possible to generate solar energy at less than 60 pesewas a kilowatt hour, compared to what is paid the utility to generate similar power for us [Ghanaians],’ he said.
According to him, there is already a solar program at the Ministry of Energy since 1999 which has generated some156 kilovolts of power contributing 13%-18% of the building’s energy needs.
Boakye Agyarko said that action alone has saved the ministry of energy some 7,000 cedis a month, or 90,000 cedis annually, the equivalent of 20,000 dollars a year.
He said the ministry is going to leverage on the benefits of solar energy and expand its usage across the country.
“We intend to go further. We intend to step on the accelerator and make sure that we do even more than we are doing now.
“It is against this background that we intend to expand the solar programe to cover residential and non-residential facilities, ministries, department and agencies,” he said.
The switch to solar power will mitigate the power crisis the country has been going through for the past four years which has seen businesses collapse, job losses and general discontent amongst the populace.
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