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Kumasi Poly to establish Centre for Renewable Energy

The Kumasi Polytechnic has secured a $500,000 funding from the Skills Development Fund (SDF) of the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) for the establishment of its Centre for Renewable Energy.

It has also acquired 20 acres  at Pease near Kuntunase in the Bosomtwe District to build the centre (to be completed by 2016).

The polytechnic is providing a matching fund of GH¢700,000 in cash and kind.

The centre would be used to train personnel in renewable energy. It is a collaboration between the Kumasi Polytechnic, Energy Commission, Arizona State University and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP Risoe) with funding from SDF of COTVET. 

Speaking at the stakeholders meeting on the establishment of the centre, the Rector of the Kumasi Polytechnic, Professor Nicholas N.N. Nsowah-Nuamah, said the greatest challenge facing the nation in harnessing the huge renewable energy potential was the lack of a skilled workforce equipped with the right tools to design and fabricate indigenous innovative technologies that could utilise the country’s renewable energy potential.

Renewable Energy Law

He said the passage of the Renewable Energy Law opened a world of opportunities for direct investment into renewable energy and energy efficiency areas which were hitherto considered unattractive.

Prof. Nsowah-Nuamah noted that the ability of the country to take full advantage of the potential in the renewable energy sector, “in terms of job creation, contribution to household income and Gross Domestic Products (GDP) will depend, to a large extent, on how well artisans and graduates are trained in this sector to take advantage of the opportunities it offers.”

The Head of Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency and Climate Change at the Energy Commission, Mr Kofi Agyarko, said the country had taken delivery of some net meters for test running before its full deployment at the beginning of next year.

Net metering is a policy designed to foster private investment in renewable energy where institutions that have invested in renewable energy are credited for their contributions to the national grid.

He said the policy was to serve as an incentive for institutions to go into renewable energy production and reduce the pressure on the national grid.

Currently, he said, some agro-processing companies were using renewable energy generated mostly from waste for their plants.

When implemented, he said, these companies could offset their electricity consumption by the contribution of excess from their plants onto the national grid.

Energy efficiency

According to him, the energy efficiency standards and labelling regulations LI1815 passed in 2005 are to ensure energy efficiency and save consumers money and ensure that the country does not become a dumping ground for second-hand goods.

The Project Co-ordinator of the centre, Mr Edem Cudjoe Bansah, said the centre would comprise four laboratories, namely solar, wind, bioenergy and energy efficiency and a workshop.

He said it would also have a well-stocked library, training and conference rooms with state-of-the art teaching aids.

It is estimated that 200 artisans and local businesses in the area of renewable energy and energy efficiency would be trained as part of the project.

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