Energy Fund Levy to be invested in Solar energy – President Mahama

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Mr John Dramani Mahama, the President of the Republic has said the Energy Fund Levy on Petroleum products would be used to support the Energy sector to deploy 200,000 rooftop solar systems to save the country about 200MW of power daily.A woman holds 03 July 2007 in Accra a wa

He said this on Thursday while delivering the State of the Nation?s Address in Parliament.

?It is proposed to fund this with an adjustment of the Energy Fund Levy on Petroleum Products from Gp0.05 to Gp1.0, part of which would be used to establish the Renewable Energy Fund,? he said.

He also said the government had planned to introduce an ancillary service charge of Gp1.0 per kWh of electricity transmitted, part of which would be used to support the solar photovoltaic system.

Mr Dramani Mahama noted that a number of solar, wind, tidal wave and biomass projects were being pursued as part of the government?s commitment to fully incorporate renewable energy into the supply mix.

He said the African Plantations Limited project under which thousands of hectares of eucalyptus trees are being planted as fuel wood would eventually generate one hundred and twenty megawatts of power for the nation.

He also said it would provide employment opportunities for farmers and technicians.

?We are also working on a proposal that would make solar power available for micro enterprises operated by barbers, hairdressers, dressmakers and other such micro entrepreneurs whose businesses have been hit by the present power challenges,? he noted.

Mr Mahama indicated that the solution would also be available for residential consumers.

He suggested that by following the simple tips published by the Energy Commission and the Public Utilities and Regulatory Commission, the nation can lower electricity bills significantly as a way of power conservation.

He commended the Energy Commission for the successful start of the Refrigerator Energy Efficiency Project under which the Commission is replacing old refrigerators with new energy efficient ones for households at a discount.

?In Ghana, on average, refrigerators consume more than one thousand, two hundred (1,200) kWh/year. If you consider that almost 30% of households in Ghana have a minimum of two refrigerators, then a lot of energy can be saved,? he said.

Mr Mahama noted that the government and energy sector have started the conversion of CFL bulbs to LED bulbs.

He said in many areas, solar powered LED street lights have been installed and it has the potential to reduce consumption of power by lighted bulbs by up to 60%.

He also said the LED bulbs last longer, in some cases up to15years.

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GNA

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