Econoler Completes 6 Years of Work on the Ghana Power Compact
With a visit by senior Econoler expert My K. Ton to Ghana in late May to inspect the brand new Ghana Air Conditioner and Refrigerator Test Laboratory, Econoler completed 6 years of work on the Ghana Power Compact, a $316 million program financed by the US Government through the Millenium Challenge Corporation (MCC).
Left to right: Mr. Sylvester Ayayee, Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) – Mr. Francis Akpaloo, Ghana Standards Authority – Mr. My K. Ton, Econoler – Ms. Oona Nanka-Bruce, WSP
According to the MCC’s Acting VP for Compact Operations, the Ghana Power Compact that officially ended on June 6, 2022 combined “infrastructure investments with an ambitious and innovative investment in policy and institutional reform, a focus on climate change through advancing energy efficiency programs, and inclusivity in the power sector targeting opportunities for women and female STEM students”. Among many other investments, the Ghana Compact funded the two largest capacity power substations in Ghana plus two additional primary substations.
Since 2016, a consortium of firms led by WSP provided broad-ranging technical support for the implementation of the Ghana Compact. As a key consortium partner, Econoler was entrusted with providing advisory support and implementation oversight for the Energy Efficiency/Demand-Side Management (EE/DSM) component of the Compact. As part of the Ghana Compact, the MCC invested more than $25 million to strategically advance energy efficiency programs to reduce electricity demand, conserve today’s energy resources, and prepare Ghana to address the challenges of a changing global climate.
Econoler provided a wide array of support services to advance the MCC’s and the Ghanean Government’s energy efficiency goals that included strengthening the existing standards and regulations to reflect new technology, retrofitting high energy-consuming appliances in government institutions, replacing streetlighting with energy-efficient bulbs, building energy auditing capacity in three technical universities, and piloting an energy-efficiency school curriculum module.
The new Ghana Air Conditioner and Refrigerator Test Laboratory was one of the key achievements of Econoler’s support to this program. The first energy efficiency testing lab for appliances in West Africa, it was inaugurated in December 2021 by Ghana’s Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry Michael Okyere Baafi, and US Ambassador to Ghana Stephanie Sullivan. The lab is located at the Ghana Standards Authority.
The building, laboratory equipment, and newly trained personnel give the Ghana Standards Authority the capacity to test the energy performance of room air-conditioning systems and refrigerators prior to importation, ending Ghana’s reliance on third-party certifications conducted abroad. It positions Ghana as a regional leader for enforcing energy efficient appliance standards. This laboratory supports Ghana’s efforts to enforce its energy efficiency standards and regulations, curtail the importation of sub-standard, high energy consuming appliances, and reduce power consumption and related carbon emissions.
Econoler wishes to congratulate and thank all its partners and employees, past and present, who contributed their expertise, competencies, and dedication to the successful implementation of this long term project: My K. Ton, Normand Michaud, Luc Tossou, Bradley Abbott, Laurent Kossivi and Raoul Davine. Thank you all for a job well done!