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The African Center for Energy Policy (ACEP) has registered a low patronage of renewable energy (RE) among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), depriving them of the benefits of technology.
ACEP has observed that around 89% of SMEs depend on conventional energy sources and 11% choose fuel generation as their main source of energy. For a secondary source of energy, 60% depend on diesel power generators while only 5% use renewable energy sources. 35% did not have a backup power source.
This was made known to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in a Zoom presentation on Tuesday by Policy Leader – Climate Change and Energy Transition, ACEP, during which he presented the findings of a survey conducted on how SMEs in Ghana they had adopted RE in their work.
Mr. Charles Gyamfi Ofori observed that this lack of interest in ER adoption is the result of high investment cost, limited credit, weak government incentives, and limited knowledge of renewable energy technologies.
He indicated that regulations on net measurement had not yet been developed. In addition, there were high registration and renewal fees for licenses, and rigid permit bureaucracies that discouraged SMEs from using renewable energy.
Other hurdles he cited include “The absence of market data on renewable energy, the lack of information available on demographic areas of opportunity to help shape strategies and inadequate information on renewable energy initiatives.”
There is also limited knowledge about the impact of renewable energy on environmental sustainability, said Mr. Ofori.
The Policy Leader said there were opportunities for ER adoption by SMEs because renewable energy technology (solar and wind) was getting cheaper, there was the advantage of net metering, growing local capacity for installation and management of RE systems in Ghana, and the contribution of RE to environmental sustainability.
Mr Ofori observed that electricity was essential for SME operations to power their manufacturing, processing and packaging machines, and for administrative and data management operations, therefore, “access to an energy supply Reliable and affordable is essential for SMEs to apply technology to their operations. “
“However, self-generation options primarily with diesel generators, solar plants and other forms of renewable energy technologies have not only proven to be stable and cheaper in the long term, but also contribute to environmental sustainability,” he said.
In another presentation, CalBank’s Corporate Relations Manager, Mr. Abraham Djani, set the tone for Green Financing at CalBank, which explored financial options for SMEs and renewable energy providers in the ER adoption process.
Mr. Djani indicated that there were numerous financial opportunities for companies, SMEs and individuals in green financing. “CalBank understands the environmental and social benefits of going green and is therefore committed to playing an active role in the transition from non-renewable energy to green energy,” he reported.
Mr. Djani said that CalBank PLC was therefore a partner that was willing to collaborate with its clients to grow, adding: “We care about the environment; Let’s cooperate to save it for our mutual benefit. “
The Executive Director of ACEP. Mr. Ben Boakye, in an opening comment before the presentations, noted that there was a need to create “a space where regulators are willing to listen and provide the necessary information that eliminates the bureaucracies faced by industries to ensure that they really we can provide options for people on what technology they want to adopt. “
Mr. Boakye announced that the advancement of the renewable technology economy would open up an entirely new market and avenues of employment and opportunities to develop the technologies locally.
