Nearly eight years powering his home with solar: What Nazir’s experience says about Ghana’s energy future
When the electricity goes off at Nazir Ali’s home in Achiase in the Ashanti Region, the house keeps running. His solar installation powers the lights, fans, refrigerators and other appliances. The ECG connection is still active, but Nazir says he uses it mainly as a backup and relies primarily on the solar system. He has […]
In Achiase, Ashanti Region, Ghana, Nazir Ali has been relying on solar power since 2018 to keep his home functioning. Despite frequent electricity cuts, his solar installation provides electricity for lights, fans, refrigerators, and other appliances. He uses the electric grid mostly as a backup. Nazir installed the solar system himself, spending around $7,000 when it was still quite costly.
This investment has paid off, covering his electricity consumption for eight years. The system consists of 20 solar panels with a capacity of roughly 5.1 kWp, a 10 kWh battery bank, and a 5 kW hybrid pure-sine-wave inverter. It generates around 700 kWh of electricity monthly, powering various appliances. When the grid fails, the solar system continues to illuminate the area.
Although solar power is cheaper now, the initial cost remains a barrier for many households. However, Nazir suggests that households could start with solar panels and gradually add an inverter and battery as finances allow.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
