Alternative Energy Sources in Ghana – The Case of Solar Photovoltaic

The Renewable Energy (RE) landscape in Ghana has received considerable attention over the last few years. Much of this attention is the result of the on-going energy crisis, chiefly, the rising cost of supplying power to meet domestic and commercial demand in the country. Lost government revenues from businesses as many reduce operations, and overall public dissatisfaction with the governments’ management of the energy sector has given further impetus to discussions about renewable energy. Though Ghana remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels, the country, given proper investment, and research and development could harness energy from renewable sources such as solar, wind, biomass and hydroelectricity. These renewable energy sources would help Ghana diversify its energy sector and improve its energy security. This major research paper adopts a case study methodology to critically explore renewable energy projects in the West African subregion namely, Ghana. The paper focuses on a pilot project that seeks to electrify five local police outpost in the Greater Accra Region using photovoltaic cells, and uses that analysis to understand better how to expand the renewable energy sector in Ghana.