Institute of Engineering receives solar PV system
A 10-kilowatt grid-tied solar PV system has been donated to the engineering centre of the Ghana Institute of Engineering (GhIE) in Accra.
The system is expected to generate a minimum of 40-KWh of energy daily which would save the GhIE office at least 40 units of electricity usage each day.
The donation was made by a Chinese solar energy company, Chint, in association with its Ghanaian partners, Process and Plant Automation (PPA).
Rationale
The Regional Manager of Chint in charge of Africa and West Asia, Mr Gary Gan, said the gesture formed part of the company’s corporate social responsibility.
“The company has a programme dubbed “Turn on the Love” where we identify an institution and support them with equipment or items to boost their work,” he explained.
Mr Gan said the installation of the solar system would help enhance the operations of the engineering centre to reduce the cost of electricity bills it paid monthly.
Over the years, he said Chint, which was also a manufacturer of electricity-related equipment, supplied high quality electrical management solutions to many parts of the world.
“It is our intention to devote more attention to institutions and companies in Ghana,” the manager added.
Solar energy
The Chief Executive Officer of PPA, Mr Kweku Asmah, stressed the need for institutions and companies in the country to switch to solar energy because of its affordability.
He said PPA, although an electrical company, was also an expert in the installation of solar systems and had installed many of them in different parts of the country, adding that in January 2019, the company would install a 2MW-solar PV in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.
Gratitude
The Ag. Executive Director of GhIE, Mr Kwabena Agyapong, expressed gratitude to the two companies for supporting the development of the institution.
He said the introduction of the solar system at the centre would not only boost the work of engineers but would also help to reduce money spent on power.