The chairman of the parliamentary select committee on energy and mines Dr. Kwabena Donkor is calling for the amendment of the country’s building code to make it mandatory for new public buildings as well as private ones to incorporate solar energy in their planning.
Ghana currently has a 2 megawatts solar energy farm at Navrongo for the national grid on 3.4 hectres of land. The project is at the cost of about US$9m with a megawatt of thermal energy costing about US$1million.
Speaking to Citi Business News, Dr. Kwabena Donkor who is an MP and a former Deputy Energy Minister explained the need to have solar energy implemented on a large scale in the country.
“I am looking at a situation where we amend our building code and bylaw makes it compulsory for all new estate springing up and new public buildings to incorporate solar at least for basic lightening. Am also looking at a situation where all our JHS and hospitals in communities that are not connected to the national grid must have the solar lightening which will encourage teaching and learning.”
He further asked for a holistic approach to having solar energy implement on a large scale in the country.
“The future is going to be solar so that if we start using solar in its most cost effective way, so that when technologies improves we will just be adding to it and it want be a difficulty. My challenge is that we are following a fad and therefore going for all sought of grid connected solar which is not cost effective.”
Dr Kwabena Donkor said those who claim they want to do 150 megawatts and 200 megawatts of solar is not the most cost effective way have solar bearing in mind how much land area the 2 megawatts solar energy farm at Navrongo has occupied.
He therefore called for a holistic approach to implementing the country’s plan on solar energy plan which should augment the countries energy deficit.
