A scene during the commissioning
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Mohammed Adjei Sowah, has commissioned a-five kw solar power generating system for the Accra Girls’ Senior High school.
The project, which forms part of the assembly’s efforts to build a smart, sustainable and a resilient modern city, is being executed by the European Union Energy Initiative Partnership Dialogue Facility (EUEI PDF), in collaboration with the European Commission, six EU member states and Econoler, a world leader in efficiency.
Under the project, 112 new LED lights bulbs will be provided to replace all existing bulbs in the school to reduce energy consumption by 50 percent.
The mayor of Accra, in an opening remark, explained that the school was chosen because it is one of the only two all-female senior high schools under the assembly, adding that this would help the school reduce cost on energy in the school.
“Accra Girls’ should not in the near future be paying electricity bills for lighting, this will go a long way in making extra resources available to the school to augment the ‘Free SHS’ policy introduced by H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s government,” he stated.
He said the EU Energy Efficiency Project is targeted at supporting the AMA to become more efficient in its use of resources, as well as position the assembly as a responsible corporate citizen.
Mr Adjei Sowah urged management of the school to ensure regular maintenance of the plant as scheduled by the installers.
He also thanked the EU Project team, Kumasi Institute of Technology and Environment (KITE), Energy Commission and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) for their support, and appealed to corporate institutions and donor communities to continue supporting the AMA in the roll out of its initiatives.
The mayor later donated 40 pieces of 240-litre waste segregation bins on behalf of the assembly to kick start its new initiative christened ‘Green Senior High School’.
The Project Manager of EUEI PDF, Silvia Escudero, said the general objective of the project is to create an enabling environment to implement an energy efficiency strategy and action plan.
Madam Escudero stressed the need to cultivate and adopt habits to reduce energy waste in the country in order to improve energy consumption.
She disclosed that under the project, AMA would be supported to build its capacity to conduct energy audits on their buildings, develop recommendations for energy efficiency and renewable energy inventions to optimise the energy use.
The Headmistress of Accra Girls’ Senior High School, Joice Akolatse, on behalf of the school, thanked the mayor for the project, and was hopeful that the plant would help reduce the numerous bills on electricity.
The EUEI PDF is a multi-donor facility supporting developing countries and regions in enhancing and implementing policies, market development approaches and in building the capacity needed to accelerate progress in the energy sector.
For over 10 years of existence, the EUEI PDF has developed innovative approaches and practices in more than 80 projects in over 21 countries and seven regions and effectively disseminated knowledge amongst wide range of energy practitioners and policymakers.