Ghana’s utilities regulator, Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), has commissioned energy test meter laboratory at its head office in Accra, capital of Ghana.
The laboratory, which cost the Commission some $150,000, is equipped with state-of-the-art stationary reference meter test bench which can test up to five electricity meters simultaneously.
The facility has the capacity to test both single and three-phase meters.
Speaking at the commissioning of the facility, Executive Secretary of PURC, Mrs Mami Dufie Ofori said the energy test meter laboratory would help the Commission to improve on its monitoring of quality of service and also assess the integrity of meters used by regulated electric utilities.
She added that it would help the Commission to conduct insulation resistance test, high voltage test, creep/no load test, meter constant test, meter accuracy test, voltage variation test, frequency variation test and repeatability test.
Mrs Dufie Ofori, who recounted the difficulties the Commission had to go through using portable meter test equipment to undertake regulatory functions of resolving complaints bordering on meter accuracies and billing, expressed confidence that with the new laboratory, the Commission would be able to resolve such complaints promptly.
“It will ensure that energy meters being used by regulated utilities are efficient and fall within appropriate accuracy limit. Furthermore, it will enable the Commission to carry out random meter sampling tests and assert its independence and impartiality in carrying out its regulated functions.”
She commended the contractor, Alpha TND, an Indian company, for working hard despite the coronavirus pandemic to ensure that the project was completed.
Alpha TND Ltd is one of the leading product & solution providers in Power Transmission & Distribution Sector with its firm footprints in West Africa.
Alpha TND is an ISO certified company and has executed meter testing facility for ECG and NEDCo in Ghana, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso and Mali.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
