Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Energy Minister, has pledged his Ministry's support to the 2021 Energy Commission's Senior High Schools' Renewable Energy Challenge.

He said the Ministry would donate 20 pieces of light-emitting diodes (LED) streetlights to all the six participating schools in the final contest.

The participating schools are: Mfanstiman Girls Senior High School; Mamfe Methodist Girls Senior High School; Accra Technical Training Centre; Gyaama Pensan Senior High Technical School; Acherensua Senior High School; and Navrongo Senior High School.

Dr Opoku Prempeh stated this on Thursday at the 2021 Energy Commission's Senior High Schools' Renewable Energy Challenge in Accra.

The Challenge, which was organised by the Energy Commission, forms part of the Seventh Ghana Renewable Energy Fair.

The second edition of the Energy Commission's Senior High Schools' Renewable Energy Challenge had Mrs Samira Bawumia as the special guest of honour.

Dr Opoku Prempeh said: "This Challenge is yet another unique and innovative programme that the Energy Commission has introduced into its flagship programme, the Ghana Renewable Energy Fair."

He noted that one of the responsibilities of the Commission under The Renewable Energy Act, 2011 (Act 832) was to promote the efficient use of electricity and renewable energy resources through public education, training and regulation of entrepreneurs in the sector, and facilitating the mainstreaming of renewable energy and energy efficiency technology issues into the curriculum of educational and training institutions including secondary, technical and tertiary level institutions.

He said in line with the aforementioned responsibilities, the Energy Commission had collaborated greatly with the Ghana Education Service in several areas to improve upon the standards of training and certification in the energy sector.

Dr Opoku Prempeh noted that one of such was the development of a curriculum for the training and certification of electrical wiring professionals in Ghana.

He said the Electrical Wiring Training and Certification Programme sought to create a network of highly skilled electrical professionals who provide services according to accepted national standards to ensure energy efficiency and safety of lives and property.

Dr Opoku Prempeh said about 10,599 electricians and inspectors had been certified from inception to date.

He said the Commission, with the support of Energy Ministry, would continue to engage with the Ghana Education Service and all other stakeholders to continue to uphold the standards and quality of service provided for by industry players.

He therefore, admonished the Energy Commission to collaborate with the private sector, notably the industries to come up with a road map on how these projects could be developed further for the benefit of the whole nation.

He urged the sponsors and partners in project to increase their sponsorship packages so that the prizes earmarked for this year would be enhanced going forward.

He said, he would ensure that the winning team in the 2021 Energy Challenge paid a courtesy call on the Presidency.

Mr Oscar Amonoo-Neizer, Executive Secretary, Energy Commission, said the participating schools in the Energy Challenge were presenting innovative projects that they had conceived and developed in their schools, using locally available materials.

"We as Energy Commission, are delighted to be promoting research and development in our secondary schools by transforming ideas and concepts into actual projects," he said.

"We are very much interested, in shifting from the era, where science education is conceived to be "chew, pour, pass and forget" to the demonstration and application of the knowledge acquired in the classroom."

He noted that this would lead to the development of challenge solving projects in the country.