Solar energy: the untapped resource
I read with encouragement a report in the Daily Graphic of October 1, 2015 indicating that 900 members of the Ghana Electrical Contractors Association had been trained in solar PV systems installation and maintenance. What a welcome news!!! Is Ghana finally turning its attention to a power resource that has been staring the nation in the face all along and yet has been overlooked for years?
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The current energy crisis has in a way helped to expose the weaknesses of the various efforts by government, businesses and individuals to address the problem of the power shortfall in the country. Policy makers have often mentioned solar power cursorily as one of the means to address the energy crisis that has wreaked havoc on the economy and eroded socio-economic advancement of the country.
A number of studies have been conducted to assess the impact of the crisis without any concrete decision in favour of solar energy development being taken. Consequently, despite the ove
Potential
Ghana, clearly, has a real potential for solar energy production. Not a single day goes by without the sun releasing its heat upon this land for almost 12 hours. Sunlight is an inexhaustible, reliable, free and abundant fuel and there is no fuel bill, no unpredictable price fluctuations and delays in the supply of any inputs. Even on cloudy days, the energy from the sun is not diminished. Its utilisation will reduce the high dependency on fossil fuels, oil, gas and coal and provide a regular source of power for the nation
Considerations
My aim herein is to draw national attention to the possibilities of solar power as an alternative source of energy and to stress the benefits that can be derived from this abundant and renewable power source for industry and households. Is solar power indeed an alternative power source for this country? And how will we benefit from it?
What type of research and analytical work ought to be undertaken to draw firm conclusions regarding the choices to be made? What type of policy options would be required to facilitate the country-wide adoption of solar energy as the best alternative source of energy?
There is the need for a comprehensive national approach to exploring this important resource and the urgent need for policy makers to shift from the current casual and ad hoc measures being adopted to address the energy crisis. Though this observation is not intended to fully respond to these questions, it will raise a number of issues which are obvious, and encourage concrete actions by the persons charged with providing electric power to households and industry.
Benefits
My recent exposure to solar power and its introduction to my home by a small-scale local enterprise has convinced me of the benefits this resource can provide and the urgent need for government or individuals to adopt a comprehensive policy to tap solar energy for domestic and business use. Homes and small businesses which invest in solar power can be assured of 24-hour power supply daily and be spared the discomforts and inconveniences of dumsor.
Fridges, freezers, televisions and fans can be operated throughout the day and lights turned on at night to make life more bearable. Any determined effort by government to assist in the full integration of solar into our energy mix, will go a long way to render complaints about power a thing of the past.
Current efforts to introduce solar power for some streets and traffic lights are noteworthy. Likewise, with the current improvements in the means of tapping solar energy, it is possible for it to supply virtually all the power needs of most households in Ghana in an environmentally friendly manner.
Requirements
The key prerequisite for the use of solar energy is readily available in Ghana because the country lies so close to the equator and is blessed with nearly 12 hours of sunshine each day. This will be adequate to provide enough power for most homes. With sunlight being abundant and ubiquitous, we clearly need to take advantage of this wonderful, God-given resource and not just perspire under its oppressive heat.
Simply put, solar power is sunlight collected and put into usable form. Solar energy can be tapped on almost all roofs. It is a modern means of generating electricity in a sustainable, renewable and economical way, as well as being environmentally friendly and clean.
A solar power system in the home is equivalent to installing a generator for which you never have to buy fuel, and which has very low maintenance requirements, with the added benefit of sparing neighbours the excessive noise. A solar system is an interconnected system of photovoltaic modules known as PV cells or solar cells.
These cells, when connected in a series, can charge a set of batteries that will store the energy till needed. Normally a device called an inverter is placed between the batteries and the final load, converting this energy into electricity that can be used to power lights and appliances.
One may ask about the number of solar panels that would be required to produce one kilowatt of power. The point here is that with the solar energy system, one can precisely and realistically determine the number of panels required to produce sufficient daily power for a home to minimise its dependence on the national energy grid.
Depending on the capacity of the panels, it is easy to estimate the amount of megawatts of solar power that can be generated by the installed system. I believe intensive installation of solar systems across the country can produce enough power to rival what the country currently gets from the Bui dam.
Output
How much power can a solar power system provide for a household? Each solar panel has a specific rating, such as 50W, 80W and 120W. These ratings are measured in Watts unlike the normal power requirements of most appliances which are measured in kilowatts. So the main question is how many solar panels are required for the home?
Assuming that a household requires 4kWh (kilowatt hour) per day, then based on 12 hours of sunlight per day and using 120W panels, about three panels will be required per household. By extrapolation with three solar panels per household, the provision of a solar power system for only 200,000 households can generate roughly 800 megawatts of electricity in the country. Just imagine the impact this could have on the country.
Costs
A quick inquiry about the cost of three solar panels, an inverter, four batteries, a controller and a support system gave an amount of GH¢15,000. Such a system can provide the energy needs of most homes and which could then conveniently reduce their dependence on the national grid. According to industry analysts, the cost of solar cells production is expected to decline over time, thus making solar systems even more affordable.
It takes only two to three days to install a good roof-solar panel system, and after commissioning, maintenance is hardly needed. Even for the sensitive components such as inverters, maintenance is hardly needed and the photovoltaic models have long performance guarantee of between 20 and 25 years.
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