The Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) has disclosed that some 1,000 households across the Accra-East and West areas of the Greater Accra Region will have their electronic gadgets and appliances assessed to ensure that they are energy efficient.
In addition, a total of 18,000 energy efficient street lights are also to be installed to replace existing high-energy consuming street lights.
This forms part of efforts to save more than 30 to 70 percent of energy consumption and enhancing security in those areas.
The Energy Efficiency and Demand Side Management (EEDSM) project, is one of six major projects under MiDA’s Compact II programme.
An amount of US$25.4 million from its Compact Funds has been dedicated for this intervention.
The move, according to MiDA, is to significantly reduce peak demand in electricity, ensure adequate supply for all and reduce investment in expensive additional generation.
This is to allow electricity supply to be expanded to meet the increasing demand in a timely, sustainable and low-cost efficient way.
Mr. Sylvester Ashong Ayayee, EEDSM Project Manager disclosed this at a media briefing on June 7, in Accra.
He said the project will carry out some key activities, which will include the development and enforcement of standards and labels, improvement in energy auditing, demand side management and infrastructure, public information and educational programmes.
“We want to educate all households that use gadgets and appliances to conserve power by using energy-efficient appliances,” he stated.
According to Mr Ayayee, MiDA intends to establish three energy-auditing centres in some selected tertiary institutions in a bid to build capacity for energy auditors.
This is to help manage and reduce the wastage in the energy consumption systems of these institutions and various households.
“Most government institutions, we know, have energy managers but they do not have energy auditors and we need to train more of such professionals in the sector,” he added.
He said six facilities; Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, the University of Ghana, the Department of Urban Roads, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education had been earmarked for retrofitting to replace their existing high-energy consumption.
“We will rewire these buildings, change air conditioners and install solar rooftops to safeguard power supply,” he explained.
He urged the Ministry of Education to include energy conservation models in the educational curricular as part of plans to educate and train young people in the sector.
The Millennium Development Authority says it is poised to embark on a vital public sensitisation campaign to create awareness on the need to conserve power.
By Mawuli Y. Ahorlumegah
