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Candles cost more than solar energy
Accra, July 12, GNA - A bunch of candles to lighten up homes
will end up costing Ghanains more money than the use of
solar panels in the country, Professor Yaw Owusu, a Ghanaian
energy expert based in the US said on Thursday.
He said "Once you set your solar
panels, 20 to 30 years to come, you pay nothing because the
source of energy which is the sun is free."
According to the professor, Ghana's energy crisis could be
over with a commitment on the part of government, corporate
bodies and individuals to switch to solar system because
solar energy is far less expensive than what people have
been made to believe.
Briefing the media in Accra, Prof. Owusu a lecturer in the
Florida State University said; "let us not sell to ourselves
that solar energy is expensive because economies of scale
make things cheaper."
He called on government to critically assess the issue and
redirect its subsidies to the use of solar systems for the
ordinary Ghanaian because once installed, the operational
cost was almost zero.
Professor Owusu said if every Ghanaian would include in
their expenses solar equipment where with the use of an
inverter power could be switched from solar to the national
grid, a lot more money could be saved for other
developments.
Prof. Owusu however, noted that it was important to have a
hybrid of solar and wind energy. This, he explained that, in
the day time the energy from the sun and wind could be
tapped for use in the night.
He said the potential for Africa is marvellous since the
continent has the greatest sunshine in the whole wide world.
"we are blessed with the Sahara Desert which when the energy
in the sun is well tapped will serve the entire continent of
Africa," Prof. Owusu said.
GNA
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