Energy Ministry supports banks to fund home solar systems
The Ministry of Energy has advanced a stimulus package for selected community and rural banks to provide loans and subsidies to remote rural households to facilitate the purchase of solar home systems and lanterns.
The solar systems are from accredited companies in the country.
Dr Joe Oteng Adjei, Minister of Energy, announced this in an address read for him at the launch of the Christian Rural Aid Network (CRAN) energy project at Hohoe, aimed at providing 144 remote communities in Northern Volta with solar lighting products.
Dr Oteng Adjei explained that the project is to towards bridging the energy gap between the rural and urban communities and to ensure a universal access to electricity by 2020.
Energy in Common and Impact in Energies, American firms and Women and Youth Survival Foundation Programme (WAYSFOP), a local organisation are partnering CRAN in the solar project to sell 20,000 lighting systems through micro loan facility to off-grid remote communities.
He said about 2,317 households have already benefited from the stimulus facility since its inception in 2009 with the North Volta Rural Bank being one of the anchor banks.
Dr Oteng Adjei indicated that these modest efforts were achieved through support from the governments of Japan, Spain and the World Bank.
He disclosed that the Ministry has provided a total of 343 solar lighting systems, including solar vaccine refrigerators and streetlights in 106 remote rural health facilities.
On national grid electrification connectivity, the Minister said more than 4,000 communities have benefited already with about 800 more communities to be connected and access pegged at 70 per cent.
Dr Oteng Adjei said that lack of energy power was an impediment to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), affects standards of education and the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) advancement.
He stressed that standards are crucial in the energy enterprise and urged CRAN to liaise with the Energy Commission to ensure that the quality of their products conformed to national benchmarks.
Dr Oteng Adjei commended the partners in the solar light project and expressed the hope that clients would adhere to the repayment plan to ensure sustainability of the scheme.
Nana Kumessy Bonsy, Jasikan District Chief Executive, who spoke on behalf of beneficiary districts in the catchments area, said the project exemplified the government’s public-private partnership on the development agenda.
Dr Patrick Agbesinyale, Executive Director of CRAN, said this outfit, which operates in rural and semi-urban areas in the Volta, Central and Western regions had been committed to poverty reduction, social development programmes, sponsorship, micro-finance and advocacy programmes since 1993.
He said CRAN believes solar energy was a better and viable alternative to providing a cheaper, safer and more environmentally friendly solution than kerosene lanterns and other forms of light.
Dr Agbesinyale said the solar project, which was piloted at Nkwanta District revealed that only 16 out of 311 communities were connected to the national grid, stating that CRAN is poised to halve this number in 18 months.
He declared CRAN would collaborate with the government in replicating the project throughout the country and appealed to the media to play effective advocacy roles.
Mr Damson Mawuena, Chief Executive Officer of WAYSFOP, said the solar products manufactured by Barefoot Power; an Australian firm has a lifespan of between two years and 20 years and cost between GH¢ 60 and GH¢ 683 with the capacity to charge mobile phones.
He said health facilities, including Koni and Tinjase clinics and some hospitality entities have benefited from the products in the pilot area.
Mr Mawuena said solar lighting systems in the long-term are cost effective despite the initial high cost, adding, “Solar is a worthwhile investment that should be embraced by all.”
Mr Brian Whitesides, representative of Energy in Common, said his Company had the wherewithal to provide quality solar systems from its long research findings which were capable of reducing emissions as far as Climate Change was concerned.
Togbega Gabus VI, Paramount Chief of Gbi Traditional Area, said solar lighting systems had come at the most opportune time in view of escalating electricity bills and erratic power supply, calling for their embracement.
Source: GNA