The Energy Center has concluded this year’s series of short courses in renewable energy technologies.
The courses were run from 26 – 30 May 2014 for Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Systems Design and Installation, and Wind Energy Technologies (concurrently) and from 2 – 6 June 2014 for Biofuels Technology and Economics and Biogas Systems Design and Construction (also run concurrently).
In all 68 participants from Ghana, Nigeria, The Gambia and Ethiopia were trained, including 13 female participants. TEC provides special discount to encourage female participation in its training programmes.
This year the Center also hosted students from the Morehouse Pan-African Global Experience (MPAGE) programme. MPAGE is a programme hosted by the Morehouse College, USA and is designed to allow participants to experience contemporary cultures of African heritage shaped by different geo-political settings in a global world.
The Solar PV training session was led by Mr Isaac A. Edwin who heads the Solar Energy Applications Laboratory (SEAL) at KNUST. Participants were taken through various aspects of Solar Photovoltaic Technology including - Solar radiation resource assessment; System Design (Load Assessment, PV array sizing, charge regulators, battery bank, cabling, etc); Installation, System maintenance and Management; Economic Assessment of PV projects. Please click here to download a copy of the course outline.
The Wind Energy Technologies Course took participants though: Theory, Analysis, Design and Applications of Wind Power Technology; Wind Resource Assessment; Introduction to the RETScreen Software in Wind Power Technology; and Construction of small/micro wind turbine. This course was delivered by Messrs Emmanuel Osei and Eric Essandoh (Fellows of The Energy Center). Please click here to download a copy of the course outline.
In the Biogas course, Dr Elias Aklaku (a Fellow of The Energy Center) and Mr Andreas Ahrenbog (a GIZ
Technical Attaché) to participants through: Introduction to Biogas Technology, Biogas Plant Design Parameters, Site visits and exposure to WASAZA Fixed Dome Design, Site visit and exposure to CAMARTEC Fixed Dome Digester; Gas Piping Techniques, etc. Please click here to download a copy of the course outline.
The Biofuels course was led by Dr Moses Mensah of the Department of Chemical Engineering at KNUST. Participants were taken through: General introduction to biofuels and feedstocks, Chemistry of Biofuels, Practical production sessions, Economics of Biofuel Production, Environmental Impacts, etc. Please click here to download a copy of the course outline.
Participants expressed gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the training programme.
View picture from the various sessions: Solar PV, Wind Energy, Biofuels, Biogas.
Currently over 350 participants from more than 20 African countries have benefited from training programmes by The Energy Center. At the closing session, Mr. David A. Quansah, Coordinator of Short Courses urged participants to continue building on the foundation they had received, since renewable energy is a key component of current and future energy systems.