A 200 kilowatt photovoltaic solar power for the Crop Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-CRI) at Fumesua in the Ashanti Region has been inaugurated.
The GH¢1 million project was the brain child of the Director of the Institute, Dr Stella Ama Ennin, who was going on retirement.
The project was commissioned last Thursday, which coincided with her 60th birthday.
Dr Ennin noted that, the Institute used to receive very high electricity bill but everything has now been brought under control.
“Since 2014 the Institute started paying its bills, it was quite difficult as there was increasing their indebtedness to the electricity company,” she said.
“Out of about GH¢1.87 million for 2015-2017, we were able to pay GH¢1.6 million and it was at this point, coupled with frequent power cuts that, the idea of the solar system was nurtured,” she added.
The installation of the system in May 2018, she said, had seen monthly electricity bill dropping to between 30 and 50 per cent per month.
She recognised government’s intervention in reducing electricity tariff in general in 2018 but appealed to government for a complete waiver of the remaining 50 per cent electricity cost for the Institute and the CSIR to ensure efficient running of laboratories and equipment.
According to Dr Ennin, the system is generating excess power into the national grid and that the Institute was currently consuming just a fraction of the generated power.
“Our source of power is green energy which is renewable and environmentally friendly,” she noted.
She commended the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for their support.
Dr Abu Sakara Foster, Chairman of the Board of Directors of CSIR-CRI, praised Dr Ennin for contributing positively to the Institute and called on others to emulate her legacy.
FROM KINGSLEY E.HOPE, FUMESUA
