A smart village will be set up for the 2017 Institute of Electricals and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) PES Power Africa Conference.
The IEEE smart village is a group that stimulates social enterprise by providing renewable electrical systems with start-up training and ongoing support to help poor energy-deprived communities globally to build energy towards sustainable prosperity.
Ghana will host the 2017 edition of the IEEE-PES Power Africa Conference under the theme: ‘Harnessing Energy, Information & Communications Technology (ICT) for Affordable Electrification of Africa.’
The four-day conference will be held at the Ghana Institute of Management & Public Administration (GIMPA) Executive Conference Centre (GECC) from Tuesday, Friday 27 to June 30, 2017.
According to Dr Eric Kuada, chairman of the local organising committee (LOC), last year’s conference saw attendees from over 30 countries, however, this year’s edition will have members and non-members from Africa and around the globe in attendance.
Participants are expected from the academia, telecommunication companies, technology companies, electric utility companies and energy industries who will benefit from design of sustainable business models for energy access, optimisation of national policy efforts in promoting investment in renewable energy, how to build micro-grids, among others.
The conference will feature presentations from international and national professionals on wide range of issues, including power delivery regulations, investments and policies.
The conference will also feature a technical programme consisting of workshops, tutorials, plenary sessions, poster and oral presentations to highlight innovations and challenges facing the power and energy industry in Africa.
According to the LOC chairman, the youth, students and future power and energy entrepreneurs will not be left out, as a package has been made to cater for them in their participation.
They will learn and benefit from tutorials on how to build micro-grids and critical engineering thinking skills, network with US professors and learn about graduate programmes in the USA, networking and global organisation for mentoring and careers and engage in a network to power the youth country in Africa.
Speakers selected for the conference have years of practice and experience in the power and energy sector.
They include Bokar Ture – Solektra-Akon Lighting Africa, Tobiaz Bischof-Niemz – Head of Energy, CSIR South Africa and Ing Samuel Boakye Appiah, Electricity Company of Ghana.
As part of the conference attraction is an exhibition which will be held concurrently for interested stakeholders, companies, entities, individuals to showcase their various initiatives, innovations, technologies, products and achievements in the power and energy sectors.
Registered IEEE members and non-members are to register now at sites.ieee.org/powerafrica to take advantage of low rates.