WA PRODUCES SOLAR LAMPS (PAGE 22, AUGUST 13, 2010)

WHAT started four years ago as a small-scale project at the Wa Polytechnic in the Upper West Region has now become a beacon of hope for students of this institution which is the youngest polytechnic in the country.
The project was to train the students in assembling solar lamps for deprived communities in the region.
Through the collaboration of Cooper Union in the United States, three communities, namely Tampala, Nambey and Bazing are benefiting from this highly innovative technology. Interestingly, the lamp christened “socialite” is almost wholly made up of local materials.
Beside the electronic parts which are imported, the rest are local materials. It consists of a medium tampico container, a universal hair relaxer container while the handle is made from a Phoenix bicycle spokes.
The reflectors in the lamp are made of the silver-plated portion of Milo tins.
“It is also to get rid of dirt from the environment hence the decision to make the lamp as environmentally friendly as possible. It does not cause any greenhouse effect,” said Mr David Berger of the Cooper Union.
For now, the highly subsidised lamp costs GH¢30 but beneficiaries deposit GH¢10 while the rest is spread over a period of time with a charge of GH¢1 on monthly basis.
Mr Berger told the Daily Graphic that the solar lamp system is designed for recharging for one week, adding that there is a solar system established in the communities which was used for recharging the batteries that last four years.
He said so far the source of funding had been through grants from the United States, adding that Ghana’s Ministry of Energy was interested and was considering financing the project in selected communities in the region.
Mr Berger said there were plans to develop adapters to recharge the lamps in the near future.
A lecturer at the Wa Polytechnic, Mr Charles Ntiamoah Yeboah, commended Cooper Union for supporting the project.
He expressed the hope that when fully embraced by the government, it would go a long way to complement the power needs of the people.
Mr Ntiamoah Yeboah further praised the students of the polytechnic for their co-operation which made the project a success.