Securing a Sustainable Energy Future for Ghana, One Public Institution at a Time
When it comes to helping her colleagues better understand energy-saving tips and identifying energy-saving solutions, Deladem Ahiatrogah is up for the challenge.
Ms. Ahiatrogah is the Administrative Manager at Achimota Hospital in Accra, Ghana and with Power Africa’s support, in collaboration with Ghana’s Energy Commission’s (EC) Energy Efficiency and Conservation Unit, she learned how small changes in energy consumption can lead to big savings — and have a big impact.
Starting in 2022, Power Africa conducted walk-through energy efficiency audits at 20 government health facilities in Ghana and identified solutions that could save approximately USD $680,000 annually and reduce emissions equivalent to over 800 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles driven for one year. Power Africa and the EC assessed each facility’s energy usage, identified potential savings, and proposed solutions to reduce energy waste without compromising comfort and productivity. For example, Power Africa proposed the replacement of over 5,000 fans and over 3,000 air-conditioning units with more eco-friendly models to reduce fan energy consumption by up to 60 percent and air-conditioner energy consumption by up to 30 percent.
The walk-through audits complemented Ghana’s Energy Sector Recovery Program (ESRP), a government initiative which defined key actions required to return Ghana’s energy sector to solvency. One aspect is to address the increasing indebtedness of government ministries, departments, and agencies to power distribution utilities and promote efficient management of the energy sector by reducing electricity wastage, adopting greener energy solutions, and ensuring timely payment of electricity bills.
“The impact of the energy efficiency audit work will become evident as the recommendations outlined in the report are put into action, extending their benefits to households throughout the nation,” said Dr. Prof. Kwaku Appiah-Adu, Coordinator of the Energy Sector Recovery Program.
Achimota Hospital Takes the Lead
Since the audits, Ms. Ahiatrogah and the team at Achimota Hospital have continued the work of promoting energy efficiency and conservation and making sustainable changes.
Achimota Hospital’s management established a 16-member Energy Efficiency Champions Team, made up of representatives from five departments. The team works to implement no-cost energy-saving measures, monitoring, and reporting on energy use, energy efficiency informational events for staff, and identifying new energy-savings opportunities.
For her, being part of the hospital’s energy champion team means helping inculcate energy efficiency and conservation measures in the facility and set an example for other government facilities. The team put together and published colorful posters, placed around the hospital grounds, as well as helpful social media messages and videos, distributed via WhatsApp. She and fellow energy champions Eric Oware, a supply officer, and Peter Williams, an accounts officer, reinforce energy efficiency and conservation messages and follow up with weekly and monthly checks to various offices.
Elikplim Addipah, an anesthetist, is up for the challenge. The trainings and follow up equipped her with skills to promote energy efficiency, monitor usage, and advocate for behavioral change.
“I now understand the importance of effectively managing and utilizing energy resources, including using appliances and powering down unused gadgets. I will also educate my colleagues in various departments about energy conservation. By doing so, we aim to reduce our electricity costs and redirect our resources that will benefit our entire system,” says Ms. Addipah.
One of the challenges Achimota Hospital staff faced was that since the hospital operates 24 hours a day, many electronic gadgets and equipment were left on all the time. The team emphasized the importance of turning off electronic gadgets and equipment when not in use, especially during the afternoon shift when fewer people are in the office.
From not storing hot food in the fridge to ensuring consultation room doors stay closed, the energy champions at Achimota Hospital continue their energy saving actions. The team encountered challenges at first getting all the doctors and other staff on board, but their perseverance has paid off.
To quantify the impact of these initiatives, Power Africa installed a Power System Analyzer, which is an electrical instrument used to measure the flow of power in an electrical system, to monitor monthly electricity bill changes. The results showed that in one month, Achimota Hospital reduced their electrical energy consumption by 5.4 percent, which is about USD4,800 savings per year.
These savings would go to directly reducing the Government of Ghana’s energy bill to the distribution utilities, which the government has had difficulty paying for in full.
Building on this success, Power Africa collaborated with Ghana’s Energy Commission’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Unit, to train the hospital’s energy efficiency champions on how to calculate energy costs, identify more energy savings opportunities through procurement of equipment with higher energy efficiency ratings, and train additional hospital staff on efficient energy practices.
The success at Achimota Hospital has set a precedent for public institutions in Ghana. The Energy Commission and Ghana’s Energy Sector Recovery Program plan to replicate these efforts in the other 19 organizations where energy efficiency audits were conducted. Training on energy management and conservation techniques began in the Ministry of Defense and the 37 Military Hospital in 2023, and in the Nsawam Prisons in 2024. Energy efficiency audits were also conducted in these institutions in 2022, and it is anticipated that in the coming months the remaining 15 institutions will also receive training.
Power Africa continues to monitor and support Achimota Hospital’s progress and is actively collaborating with public institutions and international donor organizations to implement the full range of energy efficiency recommendations across more facilities to encourage a greener, more sustainable energy future for Ghana, one institution at a time.
Learn more about Power Africa’s work in Ghana
