REVIEW OF INSUFFICIENT POWER SUPPLY AND EFFORT TO PROMOTE RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES IN GHANA. A RESEARCH PROJECT TOPIC ON MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
ABSTRACT
Ghana has been experiencing erratic power supply for few years now. The objective of this study was to find out the causes of low power production in the country, reasons hindering the use of available renewable energy resources, and to suggest solutions in achieving a clean and sustainable energy (power) generation to meet the country’s increasing energy demand.
This study was a qualitative research. Information in this study was retrieved from reliable sources that have similar interests in finding solutions to Ghana’s power challenges. The statistics was first hand information retrieved from reports, articles and journals from major power production sectors in Ghana and the world.
The results of this study demonstrated that apart from hydro, Ghana has very high solar and wind energy potentials that could be used to generate large scale electricity, enough to compensate the increasing demand of electricity power if proper and effective measures are taken.
Keywords – Hydropower, erratic power supply, sustainable energy, Power de-mand, and peak demand.
INTRODUCTION
A hundred years have passed since the time when man lived in the world of darkness where there is no direct source of light instead of the sun during the day and the moon and stars during the night. Then along came fire and everything changed. People begun to love fire and its usage but also dreaded its dangers. Since then, many discoveries and its inventions were made that involved electricity which has become an essential part of our daily lives. Due to radical change in technology, people have become more and more dependent on electricity and its uses. Electricity is important because it helps make our lives easier. It is the lifeblood that flows through our electronic gadgets making them work.
In today’s world, nearly every aspect of our lives depends on using energy. Our access to safe and reliable energy enables our society and economy to work, grow and prosper. Therefore, one must understand how energy drives our economy, what it costs and how several organizations are working to solve energy poverty around the world. The energy industries are changing as they adapt to broader issues, such as the growing population, climate change, government policies and new technologies such as smart meters and grid.
