Dr. Lena Dzifa Mensah has contributed to the leaps in renewable energy technologies as she continuously innovates new pathways to tapping renewable energy from nature. Her research interest which includes hybrid energy systems, renewable energy resource assessments, and cross-cutting issues, renewable energy integration into food processing and optimization of manufacturing systems led her to become a fellow of The Brew-Hammond Energy Centre (TBHEC).
Dr. Mensah Has a BSc. (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, (2004), an MSc. In Manufacturing Engineering and Management from the University of Nottingham, UK (2007), a post graduate diploma in Engineering and Management of Manufacturing Systems from Cranfield University (2011), a PhD in Manufacturing, also from Cranfield University, UK (2011). She also holds a certificate in Introduction to Green Economy from United Nations Institute for Training and Research, Geneva, Switzerland in 2013 and a Certificate in Renewable Energy Financing from Frankfort School of Finance and Management, Germany.
Dr. Lena’s academic excellence is not her only strong suit for her exceptional performance in her education and research field but also, her personality as modest, receptive, liberal, tolerant, hardworking and loyal. This made her a suitable candidate to coordinate numerous projects of which some are still running.
The projects she has so far coordinated as a fellow of TBHEC include, the Solar Export Potential Study, Solar Export Strategy, both funded by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Energy Efficient Rural Food Processing for Enhanced Livelihoods (Re4Food), (funded by DFID and EPSRC) and the Upgrading Education and Research Capacity in Renewable Energy Technologies (UPERCRET), which is funded by The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD). Collaborative partners for these projects include, the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, The Norwegian University of Science and Technology, New Castle, University, UK,
These projects were done in collaboration with partners including the United Nations Environment Programme, Practical Action Consulting (PAC), Environmental Foundation for Africa (EFA), Stellenbosch University, South Africa, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), NJALA University, Sierra Leone.
Currently, Dr. Mensah is a lecturer at the Mechanical Engineering Department KNUST. She serves as a member of the Advisory Board of the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, and the Office of Grants and Research, KNUST and as Coordinator for the MSc and MPhil. Renewable Energy Technologies Programme and the PhD in Sustainable Energy Technologies. She is also the College of Engineering Coordinator for the Professional Masters suit of programmes which include options in Industrial Operations, Energy Systems, Building Services and ICT.
She is a reviewer for the Elsevier’s Journal of Food Control, Emeralds British Food Journal and KNUST’s Journal of Science and Technology. She is also a moderator for affiliate institutions of KNUST, and the National Board for Professional and Technical Examination. She is a Corporate Member of the Ghana Institution of Engineers (MGhIE) and the American Society of Engineering Management (ASME). The commitment of Dr. Mensah is warmly felt by the Centre, and all Fellows appreciate her contributions Renewable Energy Technologies.