Ghana: GSTS Crowned Southern Zonal Champion Of SHS Renewable Energy Challenge

25th August 2022

162

The Southern Zonal Competition of the third edition of the Energy Commissions’ Senior High Schools Renewable Energy Challenge ended on Saturday with the Ghana Secondary Technical School (GSTS) from the Western Region beating other competing schools to be crowned the winner.

GSTS won with a total of 80 points.

Presenting a project on ‘Tescan Smart Solar Oven’, the team representing the school explained how the environmentally friendly prototype device meant for the hygienic preservation of food, was designed and developed using local materials.

In all, eight schools participated in the zonal competition under the theme: ‘Clean Cooking and Food Processing Using Renewable Energy Technologies’.

The participating schools were awarded marks based on project ideas, innovation, environmental and social impact, objectives and challenges, why the implementation of the novelty is important and its relation to renewable energy.

The participating schools took home a plaque, certificates, branded T-shirts and some souvenirs provided by the Energy Commission, organisers of the Challenge, with support from the Ghana Education Service (GES).

Yaa Asantewaa Senior High School (SHS), representing the Ashanti Region, placed second with 79.3 points, while Kpedze SHS (Volta Region) finished third on 74.2 points. Both were presented with certificates and souvenirs.

The first three schools have all qualified for the grand finale of the competition, which aims at promoting the efficient use of renewable energy resources and technologies.

Other participating schools were the Presbyterian Boys’ SHS (Greater Accra Region), Bueman SHS (Oti Region), Mfantsiman Girls’ SHS (Central Region), Mamfe Methodist Girls’ SHS (Eastern Region) and St Joseph SHS (Western North Region).

Executive Secretary of the Energy Commission, Ing Oscar Amonoo-Neizer, explained the rationale of the programme, stating that the Challenge aims at promoting creative thinking and providing mentorship to young and brilliant students.

The Challenge highlights various competitions by students in the second cycle institutions and provides a platform for the exhibition of their innovative projects.

“It is vital that we eliminate the ‘Chew, pour, pass, and forget’ phenomenon in the educational system of Ghana and promote the practical application of theoretical knowledge.

Ing Amonoo-Neizer said one unique thing about the challenge is that the good projects would not end upon the shelves.

“There is an arrangement with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Clean Cooking Alliance (based in the USA) to provide mentorship to the winning projects, and other equally good ones to develop and improve on them to become commercially viable. One likely legacy of this competition is that, in future, some schools are going to hold patent rights to technologies that will be a major source of income to them,” he said.

In a speech read by the Director of the Commercial Services Department, Mr Pascal Kanbonnabah, on behalf of the BPA CEO, said, “BPA is happy to join forces again with the Energy Commission, together with other partners, to sponsor the SHS RE Challenge.”

To further advance the development of renewable energy in the country, Mr Kanbonnabah said, “BPA is collaborating with the University of Energy and Natural Resources, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, and the Berlin Technical University of Germany DAAD to undertake capacity building and Research in renewable energy for students, lecturers and professionals in the RE sector.”

Ms Olivia Serwaa Opare, Director, Science Education Unit of the GES, affirmed the resolve of the authorities to advance science, technology, engineering and mathematics education.

This, she said, was critical to nurturing the needed future scientists capable of spearheading Ghana’s development agenda.

The programme was sponsored by GIZ, an international development organization, Clean Cooking Alliance, Volta River Authority, Bui Power Authority and French Development Agency (AFD).