RENEWABLE ENERGY MANAGEMENT

1. RENEWABLE ENERGY MANAGEMENT Presented by KWABENA ATTA KISSIEDU Managing Director Takoradi Renewable Energy Limited (TREL) 26th February, 2014

2. INTRODUCTION The world today faces a wide range of challenges with respect to energy management The critical ones being universal electrification especially in rural areas There has been rapidly increasing demand for sustainable energy resources in the past decade

3. INTRODUCTION CONT’D • Two powerful forces that are shaping the global energy agenda; • The need to address the energy access deficit to end energy poverty • The need to transform the ways we produce and consume energy towards cleaner and greener patterns • Key to both challenges is to provide sustainable energy for all • Energy that is cleaner, more efficient, modern and affordable

4. INTRODUCTION CONT’D • The Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative was launched by UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon in 2011 • It calls for mobilizing action from all sectors of society to support three interlinked objectives to be achieved by 2030: • Providing Universal access to mordern energy services; • Doubling the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency; • Doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix

5. INTRODUCTION CONT’D • Renewable energy has received significant attention in recent years in terms of the following potentials that comes with its implementation; • helping countries become less dependent on energy imports • create jobs • contribute to technological innovation • mitigate climate change • contribute to generating prosperity.

6. INTRODUCTION CONT’D Renewable Energy Management is generally how effectively and efficiently we use energy that comes from resources which are continually replenished on a human timescale such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, geothermal heat and biomass.

7. INTRODUCTION CONT’D • Combining Geospatial technology with Smart Grid technology, improves efficiency, reliability, economics and sustainability of production and distribution of electricity • GIS coupled with GPS is uniquely positioned • to analyze and monitor these processes to make certain that renewable power generation sites are optimally sited, • that the power that is generated is delivered efficiently.

8. INTRODUCTION CONT’D • GIS technology plays a key role in the smart grid strategy by • analyzing grid use and demand and • aiding in the automation of grid response. • The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a space-based satellite navigation system that provides location and time information in all weather conditions, anywhere on or near the Earth where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites.

9. INTRODUCTION CONT’D • Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs) have proven to be the sustainable energy solutions in view of the declining supply of non-renewable resources • They include but not limited to the applications of • Biomass Fuel Sources • Solar Photovoltaic (PV) • Solar Water Heaters (SWH) • Wind/Electric Turbines • Biogas Generators

10. INTRODUCTION CONT’D • In Ghana, RETs have held promise for the Nation’s development for many years but efforts to make the promise a reality has not generally been successful • Sudden interest in RETs as a possible alternative to our dependence on the grid, arise in times of Energy Crisis such as; • Prolonged drought in the catchment areas of the Volta Dam • World oil prices increase sharply • This interest wanes as rapidly as the crisis is resolved

11. INTRODUCTION CONT’D • Ghana is a developing country with abundant renewable resources • Resources remain untapped due to • Lack of political will or • Lack of investor interest in the sector • Investor interests is beginning to grow, resulting in few private investors like Takoradi Renewable Energy Limited (TREL)

12. INTRODUCTION CONT’D • TREL is a wholly owned subsidiary of the African Renewables Group • We are into the biomass markets and are extracting large mass of under tapping rubber plantations and transforming them to usable forms to feed thermal plants in Europe. • Mission: To connect Africa to the green energy economy

13. INTRODUCTION CONT’D • In Ghana, TREL aims to work with counterparties in Africa that have access to large biomass inventories. • The objective is to release the value embedded in the underutilized biomass by; • developing local power generation projects or • exporting the biomass in the form of wood chips or pellets to international markets.

14. INTRODUCTION CONT’D • The Government of Ghana recently commissioned a two million-dollar two megawatt(2MW) – solar power plant at Navrongo in the Upper East Region • The Solar power will be expanded to 2.5 megawatts to become the largest in Africa apart from Cape Verde • His Excellency, President John DramaniMahama, during his inaugural speech reiterated the Government’s desire for private sector participation in the energy sector • Demand for energy had reached a point that the private sector would have to compliment the efforts of government

15. INTRODUCTION CONT’D • The solar power project, is in line with the VRA plans to focus on national policy on renewable energy of wind and solar as the most environmentally friendly methods of electricity generation. • It was initiated in 2010 and aimed at developing 160 megawatts of installed renewable energy capacity over a period of five years.

16. CHALLENGES IN SUSTAINING RENEWABLE ENERGY • Difficulty in Generating Large Quantities Of Electricity • Reliability of Supply • Dependence On Fossil Fuel • Public Attitude and Acceptance • Equipment Breakdown

17. RENEWABLE NATURAL RESOURCE SUSTAINABILITY AND MANINTENANCE • Strategies involved in managing and sustaining renewable energy plants include: • Educating the general public to know and accept these concepts of the people on the importance of renewable resources. • Enacting multiple laws and executive orders defining requirements for the use of renewable energy. Example; Bali Action Plan from 2007 • Scaling and Timing are very important in dealing with renewable energy plants

18. ADVANTAGES OF RENEWABLE ENERGY USE • Reduction in Global Warming and Climate Change • Sustainable • Less Maintenance • Improved Public Health and Environmental • Quality • Jobs and Other Economic Benefits • Revenue for the Country • Stable Energy Prices

19. RECOMMEDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS The key to the most cost-effective use of renewable energy systems is the matching of the energy services that you require with the capacities and characteristics of available technologies and systems.

20. RECOMMEDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS • Access information such as; • The initial costs of supply and installation • The operating and maintenance requirements (even renewable energy systems need to be maintained) • The levels of service which are offered from suppliers • Assess your real energy service needs • Innovative financing and business models

21. RECOMMEDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS • Substitute or expand your range of energy supplies to utilise these more effectively, e.g. using solar cooking than electricity. • Start to increase your overall use of renewable energy to reduce your use (and dependence) on non-renewable energy supplies. • Monitor (and then manage) your consumption and the costs of this consumption (including social and environmental costs if you feel up to it) on an ongoing basis.

22. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION