In the first week of March 2023, the project team met in Ghana for the closing workshop and visited the field sites. At the end of this month, the EnerSHelF project will end after four years of cutting-edge interdisciplinary research on improving and disseminating marketable PV-based energy solutions for health facilities in Ghana. The closing event was successful in disseminating the research results to relevant stakeholders.
The workshop started with presentations by the principal investigators of EnerSHelF – giving a short introduction to the project and welcoming the participants from academia, media, governmental agencies, industry, sectoral associations, health facilities, and international donors. It was followed by two parallel sessions and a moderated panel discussion with representatives of the project, the Ministry of Health, and the Ghana Health Service.
During the parallel sessions, the different work packages presented their research findings. One session aimed at technical considerations while the other targeted strategic considerations. A comprehensive report on the closing event will be published later on this website. You can also have a look at our policy briefs to learn more about project results.
The workshop ended with a panel discussion. Thhe discussion addressed a wide variety of questions, considerations, and issues surrounding the sustainable electrification of health facilities. Overall, the workshop was a huge success with fruitful discussions and possibilities to disseminate the insights generated by EnerSHelF. The workshop created an avenue for stakeholders to not only learn about the various working packages but also to identify opportunities for using the results obtained. Taking into consideration the feedback received, the researchers will communicate to the donor the local needs and potentials for future collaborations.
Traveling to Kologo
After the workshop, the project team split up. One group travelled to the north of Ghana to visit the Kologo Health Centre, where EnerSHelF installed a PV-Hybrid Container at the beginning of the project. Here, they met with the Municipal Chief Executive of Kassena Nankana Municipal, Hon. Joseph Adongo. Adongo welcomed the team and expressed its gratitude to the research team for the work carried out in the Municipality.
Thereafter, the delegation members visited Naba Clifford Asobayire V, Paramount Chief of Kologo Traditional Area, to acknowledge the support from the community for the EnerSHelF research activities. Finally, the team was welcomed at the Kologo Health Centre, to communicate the research results and look at the operation of the PV-solar system installed by the project. Among the participants of the event were Hon. Joseph Adongo, Nana Clifford Asobayire, the Municipal Director of the Ghana Health Service Mr Benson Azure, the landowner of the ground of the health center, numerous members from the community, other traditional leaders, and employees of the healthcare facility.
While the others travelled back to Accra to reach their flights to Germany, Prof. Katja Bender followed the invitation of Prof. Kennedy Alatinga to present the EnerSHelF project and its results at the Faculty of Planning and Land Management (FPLM) at the SD Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (SDD UBIDS) in Wa. Here, they also had the chance to discuss future areas for collaboration with faculty members – building on the EnerSHelF project activities.
Travelling to Kumasi
The second group travelled to Akwatia after the workshop in Accra. Here, they inspected all PV systems and measuring equipment, which were running smoothly, and handed the equipment over to KNUST (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology). Fortunately, the SDH (St. Dominic´s Hospital in Akwatia) administrator Fr. Abban agreed on letting the University of Applied Science Cologne use the hospital site for future weather mast and electrical as well as PV measurements.
On Thursday, the project team had the honour to follow an invitation by the Bishop of Koforidua. He expressed his thanks in EnerSHelF’s work and his interest in using it for future PV projects. The following day, the EnerSHelF team held a joint lecture for more than 200 students on the project at Accra Technical University (ATU), which was rewarded by a lot of applause. After that, the MIGUEL tool was handed over to the engineering teaching staff at ATU. We are very confident that it will be used for teaching and projects in the future. You can download MIGUEL here.
The organizers of the workshop and the EnerSHelF project team wish to extend their sincere gratitude to the research partners, the Cologne Institute for Renewable Energy (CIRE) at the University of Applied Sciences of Cologne (THK), the Institute of Geography at the University of Augsburg (IGUA), the Reiner Lemoine Institute, the West African Science Service Center on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL), the University of Development Studies (UDS), the Brew-Hammond Energy Centre (TBHEC) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), the Faculty of Planning and Land Management of the Simon Diedong University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (SDD-UBIDS), the Industry Partner WestfalenWIND Beyond, the Knowledge and Network Partner the European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI ), all the participants for their presence and their contributions, and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) for the financial support.