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Upgrading Education and Research Capacity in Renewable Energy Technologies

Background

UPERCRETs Project MeetingThe Brew-Hammond Energy Centre, TBHEC, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, KNUST, and her partners in Norway, the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), and The Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, Alesund, are undertaking a project dubbed, Upgrading Education and Research Capacity in Renewable Energy Technologies (UPERCRETs). The project is hosted by KNUST, and was lunched on the 24th of July, 2015, by the then Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, Professor Willian-Otoo Ellis. The project is coordinated by Dr. Lena Dzifa Mensah, a Fellow of TBHEC and a Lecturer of the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

 

Objective

The goal of the project is to develop the capacity of KNUST staff to sustain the on-going masters’ programme in Renewable Energy Technologies, hosted by the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The project has enrolled seven (7) PhD students in Sustainable Energy Technologies. Three (3) have graduated and three (3) more will be graduating in December. Two of the PhD candidates are women. Two additional women have also received funding support from the project this academic year. The project also provided an opportunity for one (1) Research Fellow of the Centre to undertake a Post-doctoral fellowship at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) in Norway. The project has made special provisions to enhance female participation in the Masters in Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs) and PhD Sustainable Energy Technologies (SETs) programmes.

To ensure the sustainability of the project and sponsored programmes, a seven-member Advisory Team has been instituted comprising members from different segments of the energy sector value chain, who meet annually to review the programme content, and make an input into research topics. The UPERCRETs project is funded by the Norwegian Development Cooperation Agency (NORAD), with a NOK 8.5 million (approximately US$ 1.3 million) grant, under its initiative for collaboration in Energy and Petroleum (EnPe) education and research, and will run until December 2020.

 

Funding

The UPERCRETs project is funded by the Norwegian Development Cooperation Agency (NORAD), under its initiative for collaboration in Energy and Petroleum (EnPe) education and research. 

 

Key Facts

  • The project value is NOK 8.5 million (approximately US$ 1.3 million).

The project implementation team include the following:

 

PhD Researchers

The project is training PhD students in Sustainable Energy Technologies.

Click on the links below to view profile and publications of the PhD researchers.

 

Project Outreach

  • WISTEM GH 2019

 

List of Equipment

  • ​​​​​HPC Workstation
  • AC/DC Clamp Meter
  • 3 Phase Power Analyzer
  • Vane thermo Anemometer
  • Psychrometer
  • Airflow Meter
  • Tachometer counter
  • Temperature and Relative Humidity Meter
  • Angle Finder
  • Stainless Steel Protractor
  • AC/DC Clamp Meter
  • Biogas Analyzer

 

Contact Person

Dr. Lena Dzifa Mensah, Coordinator, UPERCRETs Project