According to experts, over 30% of all energy used by cities is used in street lighting. Street Lighting has become one of the key necessities of our daily life activities, especially at night. However, it is one of the vampires in our energy use. Rising energy needs oblige investment in sustainable and clean energy production and use. As a social facility, street light is a key indicator of socio-economic development position of a country. Streetlights also play an important role in improving the general business and living climate of urban and peri-urban areas. Due to the high demand on the national grid, it is important to diversify the country’s energy system and supply. Such diversification would require energy efficient technologies and sources of energy that is independent of the national grid such as solar power. Ghana has a rising trend in street lights energy consumption. Using solar for Public Street lighting creates the opportunities to reduce grid energy demand, possible financial savings from reduced electricity use and reduce related GHG emissions. Other benefits for the Government include Energy conservation and efficiency (i.e., reducing operation hours, the number of lights and power). The possibility of harnessing the solar radiation to power streetlight is very viable since most parts of Ghana receive sunshine throughout the year. Rural areas that are currently not connected to the national grid could benefit from this technology and have them protected from dangers associated with darkness.

DEVELOPMENT OF A 20 MEGAWATT SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC

The organization in collaboration with Gigawatt Global – www.gigawattglobal.org – has received approval from the Ministry of Energy (Ghana) to develop a 20mw solar photovoltaic project at Wiowso in the Atwima Nwabiagya district of the Ashanti region. The project is fully funded by Gigawatt Global.