By Morkporkpor Anku, GNA
Dawhenya (GAR), Oct. 15, GNA - Yingli Namene West Africa Limited, Solar Energy designing, developing and Installation Company, in partnership with Ecoligo, has commissioned a 401 kilowatts solar systems for the Central University campus at Miotso, Dawhenya.
The system, which cost 445,000 euros, is to cut the University’s electricity bills and also increase the contributions of renewable energy in the energy mix.
Professor Bill Buenar Puplampu, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, speaking at the Commissioning, said the cost of electricity in terms of the standard grid had been overwhelming, “we are spending over a million cedis worth for power in a year.”
He said initial data from their partners indicated that they would be saving something in the region of 40 per cent year-on-year.
He said for a private university that gets money from nowhere except from the fees of students and their founders, making these savings on their electricity consumption would greatly impact the activities of the University.
The Vice Chancellor said what the University had to do was to provide the land and the necessary administrative system to make sure that the system was put in place.
“We also did some investment around $50,000 for this thing to be done, but for the plant itself, Ecoligo provided the crowd finance, sourcing all the funds for the project, while pay later with a 15-year timeline,” he added.
Mr Seth Mahu, the Deputy Director in Charge of Renewable Energy at the Ministry of Energy, commended the leadership of the University for its demonstration of being one of the first privately-owned tertiary institutions to incorporate renewable energy technology, particularly solar energy into its electricity supply.
He said it was the commitment of the Ministry to promote the penetration of the Renewable Energy sources into the National Energy mix.
He said it was the policy of government to create the enabling environment for the private sector to drive the development of the Nation.
Mr Frederick Kenneth Appiah, Chief Programme Officer in Charge of Renewal Energy at the Energy Commission, commended the University for taking this great step to "green" the university.
He said the Commission as a technical regulator and promoter of renewable energy and energy efficiency had put up the necessary regulatory and licensing framework, which guided companies that want to engage in a commercial activity in the renewable energy space.
He said the Commission was also keen in promoting the use of renewable energy technology as Ghana was blessed with abundant solar energy.
Mr Firmin Nkaleum Ngassam, the Managing Director of Yingli Namene West Africa, said the facility was a split and installed on two sites.
He said they were particularly excited that Central University extended its foresight into the supply of energy to meet its needs and this would help reduce cost and allow for increased investments in infrastructure to accommodate more students.
He said it would also reduce carbon dioxide emissions and make the campus friendlier to students and staff.
Madam Emma Patmore, the Marketing Manager, Ecoligo said the company covered upfront cost of the solar system, funding each project through the Ecoligo investment crowd finance platform in Germany.
She said they also manage the installation and maintenance of each system, in collaboration with their technical partners like Yingli Namene.
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