TOWARDS UNIVERSAL ENERGY ACCESS: GHANA AND THE

LAUNCH OF THE SUSTAINABLE ENERGY NETWORK GHANA

(SENG)
WORKSHOP REPORT

MAY 15th, 2013

Contents
1

Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 3

Highlights from the Meeting ......................................................................................................... 4

2.1

Opening Plenary ......................................................................................................................... 4

2.2

Session I .................................................................................................................................. 5

2.4

Session II ................................................................................................................................. 7

2.5

Session III ................................................................................................................................ 8

2.6

Presentations on the Way Forward towards Universal Energy Access ............................ 10

2.7

Presentation on Renewable Energy Feed-in-Tariffs in Africa ............................................. 11

Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 11

Appendix 1: List of Attendees .............................................................................................................. 12

Appendix 2: Meeting Agenda Copy.......................................................................................... 15
Appendix 3: Speaker bios..18

ii

Introduction

A day's workshop was organized by the UN Foundation, US Department of State, UN

Development programme, the World Future Council, and the African Renewable Energy Alliance
(AREA) in conjunction with KITE on Wednesday, 15th May, 2013 at the M Plaza Hotel in Accra. The
programme was to provide a platform for the review of Ghana's Sustainable Energy for All Action
Plan, deliberation of community needs and emerging opportunities in the sector, and the
challenge of financing and reaching low income and isolated communities sustainably and
affordably. It was also to serve as the platform for the launch of the Sustainable Energy Network
of Ghana (SENG). The programme began at 0900 hours and was attended by 73 participants (See
Appendix 1 for the participant list). A copy of the agenda is also available in Appendix 2 of this
report. Below is a detailed report on deliberations made.

Highlights from the Meeting

2.1

Opening Plenary

Mr. Ishmael Edjekumhene, Director of KITE and Interim

Coordinator of SENG, welcomed the participants to the function
and recounted the purpose of the gathering. A minute silence
was observed in honour of Prof. Abeeku Brew-Hammond after
which Ms. Aneri Patel, Senior Associate of Energy Access, UN
Foundation was invited to provide an overview of the
Sustainable Energy for All Initiative and the Energy Access
Practitioners Network. She explained that the sustainable
energy initiative was launched by the UN Secretary General with
the focus of garnering commitment from governments, civil
society and businesses to achieve the objectives of ensuring
universal access to modern energy services, doubling the global
rate of energy improvement in energy efficiency and doubling
the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.

In achieving these, the UN foundation launched the Energy Access Practitioner Network (EAPN)
in 2011 which aims at catalyzing energy service delivery at the country level. She indicated that
the Sustainable Energy Network of Ghana (SENG) was to be the first country affiliate of the
EAPN, and encouraged all workshop participants to take up membership. Mr. Ansgar Kiene,
Secretary General of the African Renewable Energy Alliance (AREA) then followed with a brief
overview of AREA. He explained that AREA served as a global platform for the exchange of
information and discourse across diverse sectors (policy, business, academia/civil society) for the
accelerated uptake of renewable energies towards enabling sustainable development in Africa. It
plays a catalytic role in promoting knowledge transfer and international cooperation in
sustainable energy.
Concluding the session, Mr. Ishmael Edjekumhene, Interim Coordinator of SENG, made a brief
presentation on SENG. Touching on the origin of SENG, he explained that it had evolved from the
Clean Energy Network (CEN); a loose network formed to promote clean energy systems in
Ghana. This transition was to properly express its overall goal which was sustainability. He
explained that following from its vision and objectives, the network had taken critical steps in
ensuring its relevance by developing and endorsing a constitution and a website (to be launched
by Mid-June). Also the process of registering the Network had been initiated and was to be
completed before Mid-June. The current membership stood around 86 in total, and he
encouraged individuals and institutions to take up membership. He further noted that since the
SENG was not financially supported currently, it intends embarking on an aggressive financial
campaign to meet this challenge. Finally, he indicated that being a country affiliate of the EAPN,
all SENG members were intrinsically members of the EAPN.

2.2

Session I

A four member panel, consisting of Mr. Wisdom Ahiataku-Togobo, Director, Renewable Energy,
Ministry of Energy; Mr. Raffi Balian, Senior Advisor for Renewable and Bio-energy, US State
Department; Dr. Nii Darko Asante, Director, Technical Regulation, Energy Commission; Mr. Frank
Wouters, Deputy Director-General, International Renewable Energy Agency. The panel was
moderated by Dr. Ben Hagan, a former Director of the Institute of Industrial Research of the
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (IIR-CSIR) and the consultant who led the
preparation of SE4All Action Plan for Ghana.
Report on Ghana's progress: It was indicated that although Ghana's energy access target year is
2020, the current directive from the presidency was the achievement of universal energy access
by 2016. The main challenge however was reaching communities which are distant from the
national grid as well as difficult to access. It was noted that significant efforts had been made in
getting solar PV systems and other similar systems to these communities.
A major achievement of the country (Ghana) was the passage of the Renewable energy law,
although aspects of the regulatory instruments for Feed-in-tariffs were still being worked on by
the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, and this accounted for why not much publicity had been
undertaken on this. Also, data was being collected on potential wind speeds in the country as
well as a biomass resource assessment in progress. Ghana had also become a member of the
global alliance of improved cookstoves and further established local branch in the country. The
achievement of sustainability particularly in energy, however, was noted as requiring concerted
efforts and a tripartite cooperation between governments, civil society and the private sector. A
national champion institution would also be crucial in championing the cause of sustainable
energy, with a holistic approach which looks at how ongoing projects connect to each other.
Ghana's Action Plan: It was noted that Ghana had been a leader in the energy sector on the
continent (also first country in the world to present sustainable energy action plan) and it was
crucial that this be capitalized on and the position maintained. A major strength of Ghana's
country action plan was that it had been developed from already existing home grown initiatives
and these initiatives had been brought into visibility by the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All)
programme. Moreover, international support was available particularly from the United States
5

which is committed to the attainment of the goal of sustainable energy. Learning from the
progress of other countries such as Brazil and China which had made great strides in on- and offgrid energy access was encouraged as well as from research from the Innovation and Technology
Centre of Bonn. There was also a call for the tendering in of proposals for a grant for sustainable
energy related projects available from the International Renewables Energy Agency (IRENA).
Issues Arising: It was revealed that currently no overt communication strategy was in place for
renewable energy, although specific aspects and issues are communicated to specific people
when necessary. This would however be developed in the course of time. Also work was being
done by the Global Alliance Clean Cookstoves on the standardization of improved cookstoves.
Efforts had been made in creating an enabling environment for biomass energy production in
Ghana through the enactment of the Renewable Energy law to enforce obligatory purchase of
energy produced through this means by energy suppliers, so private sector initiatives are
welcome.

2.3

Official Launch of the Sustainable Energy Network of Ghana

The Interim Coordinator, Ishmael Edjekumhene made a brief presentation on SENG, recounting
its vision, mission and its intended role in facilitating Sustainable Energy for All in Ghana. He
thanked the UNDP for facilitating the launch of the Network and invited remarks from the high
level officials present. The relevance of Ghana's involvement in the Sustainable Energy for All
initiative was touched upon, citing that the 72 percent energy access attained by the country was
almost wholly based on the grid and also with low productivity from energy use. It was noted
that there was a crucial need to create partnerships between civil society and government as well
as mainstream gender issues into sustainable energy projects in order to achieve goals set. The
deputy minister of Energy and Petroleum, Hon. John Jinapor, indicated that the Network had the
Ministry's full support and they were on hand to provide any assistance needed. The United
States Ambassador to Ghana, His Excellency Gene A. Cretz commended the SENG initiative and
expressed that promoting job creation and projects in the energy industry was a top priority of
6

the US government. The Sustainable Energy Network of Ghana (SENG) was then declared
launched by Ms. Ruby Sandhu-Rojon, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident
Representative on behalf of the invited officials present.

2.4

Session II

A four member panel consisting of Ms. Faustina Boakye, Executive Director of Ghana Alliance for
Clean Cookstoves; Mr. Samuel Adu-Asare, Consultant, Ghana Energy Development and Access
Project; Ms. Gifty Asmah, founder/Executive Director of Daasgift Quality Foundation; Nate Heller,
West Africa Director of Impact Energies and moderated by Ms. Aneri Patel, United Nations
Foundation, discussed issues on how awareness of energy technologies and participatory
community development improved. Below are the key outcomes of the discussion:
Financial Barrier: The main challenge in the adoption of clean energy technologies was identified
as the price of the products. Also, there is lack of confidence in the longevity of products which
make clients loath in investing in them even though they would save over time. Microfinance
institutions and strategies provide one means of overcoming this challenge for end users. Also
'pay as you go' strategies could be adopted as a means of removing the challenge of initial capital
outlay as well as training of technicians and possibly clients to provide maintenance services in
order to reduce the perceived risk. Attention was also drawn to the fact that education is very
critical in achieving the switch to new and cleaner technologies as the effect of old habits and
traditions need to be overcome in order to introduce new technologies particularly in rural

communities. This would also make significant impact by altering the fundamental values of the
people and thereby encourage investment in cleaner energy. In so doing it may be necessary to
regulate the standard of technologies produced/imported into the country to generate and
maintain the element of trust from the people.
Improving Cookstove Access: The main challenge here is the inability of local manufacturers to
scale up production. This was especially challenging because there were few cook stoves
varieties designed to cater for the needs of rural communities and as such there was the need to
support local manufacturers to scale up production of these stoves for communities as well as
institutions. Behavioural changes also need to be facilitated through the creation of awareness
and education in order to encourage the adoption of cook stoves. The cost of purchasing these
products also limits the degree of adoption by communities. Collaboration between local
producers and foreign suppliers was encouraged in order to facilitate the development of local
production centres. Although learning has occurred amongst manufacturers resulting in more
appropriate designs, more consultation needs to be done with the people at the design stages.
Role of key Stakeholders: The central responsibility for government/civil society and other
stakeholder institutions was cited as largely in the area of providing mass education and
sensitization as well as financial support to actors in the industry. Development partners could as
well assist with analyzing and assimilating ongoing projects so as to facilitate the creation of a
master plan/programme for energy sustainability. Furthermore, in order to make meaningful
inroads in clean energy adoption, communities need to be sensitized on the non-political nature
of sustainable energy projects.

2.5

Session III

A seven member panel consisting of Mr. Daniel-Alexander Schroth, African Development Bank;
Mr. Philip Liverpool, Commercial Director, Kosmos Energy; Mr. Musa Salah, Regional Account
Manager, International Organizations, Ecobank; Mr. John Wasielewski, Principal Advisor for
SE4All financing initiative; Mr. Steven Duodu, Technical Director, Energy Foundation; Mr. Suraj
Wahab, CEO, Toyola Energy Ltd; Mr. Frank Yeboah Dadzie, Project Manager, ARB Apex and
moderated by Mr. Paolo Dalla Stella, Sustainable Development Analyst, UNDP, led a discussion
on the Challenges and Opportunities in Identifying and Financing RE Projects. Below are the key
outcomes of the discussion:

Private Sector Involvement: It was explained that promoting renewable energy in Ghana
requires focusing on both the local and foreign market to build the sector. Private investment
was however dependent on how potential revenues compare to estimated costs. Thus the main
barrier here was finance which required close collaboration with the banking sector in order to
overcome and a significant potential for this existed particularly in the area of Feed-in-Tariffs.
There exists also a need to mitigate the risks to the financial sector through the use of mitigating
instruments such as partial risk guarantees and renewable energy payment agreements to
provide assurance to the financial sector. It was noted that one major challenge of investors is
identifying a matured bankable project with proper documentation and scale. Thus there was a
need for an allied coordination of projects and possibly the development of a master action plan
with a holistic approach in order to generate the needed support. Interest from the private
sector was described as tremendous, but requiring an enabling environment to facilitate it and a
clear regulatory framework to operate in.
Opportunities for Collaboration: An important factor in engaging the two sectors was the need
to equip the private sector especially the financial sector with knowledge of the renewable
energy industry. This would be crucial in developing and offering the long term financial products
required by the sector. Thus the financial sector needed to be engaged more in sustainable
energy programmes and workshops. Insurance companies could also collaborate with banking
institutions by financing loans for renewable energy projects so as to relieve banks of large risks.
Attention was however also drawn to the fact that in order to make significant impact, higher
risks may need to be borne by financing bodies and development partners since many potential
clean energy entrepreneurs (local informal artisans) existing need financial support with the
initial capital outlay in order to take off, citing the case of Toyola Ghana which was funded
without the requirement of collateral.
Issues Arising: It was explained that the current target of 50 megawatts in renewable energy was
not significant enough scale to venture into local manufacturing of renewable energy
technologies. This could however happen along the line as demand grows and the market
develops and thus the country could inculcate this into its plans. Evidence however shows that
Africa could make significant headway in renewable energy within a short period of time if
scaling up occurred and as such there was need for commitment from government and
practitioners on the ground. Also, progress in terms of the organization of groups and networks
in the sustainable energy industry was an important step towards generating financial support
from financial institutions. The development partners at the meeting explained that due to the
need for accountability and transparency, some degree of conditionalities on providing financial
support will have to be maintained. They however assured the meeting participants of their
continuous support for sustainable energy related projects.

2.6

Presentations on the Way Forward towards Universal Energy Access

A brief presentation on the relationship between

gender and energy was made to participants by Dr.
Sabina Anokye Mensah, CEO of Anomena Ventures
and Ghana Gender and Energy Network. The
importance of mainstreaming gender issues in
sustainable energy project planning and
implementation was particularly highlighted. She
explained that gender equality was a key driver in
the delivery of energy services in developing
countries because providing women and men with
access to productive resources has significant
implications for growth and poverty reduction and access to modern energy affected women
and men differently. Therefore it was crucial for policy makers, planners, governmental and nongovernmental organizations and academia be brought together to be sensitized on gender
mainstreaming in energy project planning and implementation to facilitate the attainment of
sustainable development in the energy sector in Ghana.
Mr. Chris Munteanu, CEO of Deng Ltd presenting on
the next steps towards universal energy access,
explained that more effort and finance would be
required for the electrification of the remaining 25
percent of the country as these consisted mainly of
remote communities, and this needed to be borne
in mind with the fact that donor aid may be
dwindling due to the ongoing financial crisis. In that
vein, conditions for financial support needed to be
reviewed within the country as the local cost of
capital is almost double what it is abroad. Financial
institutions may also need to consider investing in
reliable companies with reliable management instead of depending solely on bankable projects.
He also noted that there was a need for some form of regulation on RE technology to ensure that
end users acquire a good experience which would generate trust, although this would be difficult
due to ECOWAS rules on trade across borders. It was emphasized that Ghana's role as leader in
the energy sector on the continent needed to be preserved so as to remain in contention for
financial support from development partners as well as exploit export opportunities in
Renewable Technology.

10

2.7

Presentation on Renewable Energy Feed-in-Tariffs in Africa

A brief presentation was made by Mr. Ansgar Kiene, Africa Director of World Future Council, on a
study conducted on Renewable Energy Feed-in-Tariff (REFiT) policies and their potential for
socio-economic development in Africa. Lessons from the study indicated that for REFiTs to be
successful there needed to be:

High level political support

Broad Stakeholder Engagement (across diverse sectors)

Enabling Environment

Key recommendations included:

Engaging Stakeholders in Design Process

Design Content

Must be in the context of local

development plans

Factor Grid Issues

Enable Cost Sharing

Ensure Cost Recovery

Development of Enabling Environment

He concluded that energy was an but an enabler of development not the final solution, many
policies and technologies play a role in achieving sustainable development. As such REFits
needed to be integrated into the wider development strategy.

Conclusion

Mr. Ishmael Edjekumhene, Interim Coordinator of

SENG, on behalf of the organizers of the event,
represented by Ms. Aneri Patel and Mr. Ansgar
Kiene, expressed gratitude to the workshop
participants for their participation in the day-long
event. He also thanked the organizers for providing a
platform for the launch of SENG. He indicated that
the task on hand was a difficult one and required a
coalescing of efforts in order to ensure that goals
and plans are properly implemented. The
programme was officially closed at 1800 hours.

11

Appendix 1: List of Attendees

No.

Name

Organization

1.

Joyce Oteng Bosomprah

Ministry of Energy and Petroleum

2.

Matia Vianello

UNDP/PAC

3.

Helen Morton

UNDP/PAC

4.

Raffi Balian

State Department

5.

Hentzmarc

D.O.S

6.

Lauren Zieglar

State

7.

Frank Wouters

IRENA

8.

N.D.K. Asante

Energy Commission

9.

Frank Adabre

North Lite Solar Ltd.

10.

Sarah Dedei Agbey

SNV-Ghana

11.

Humu-Anniebeini

P.C

12.

Deborah Gyamfi

J n J Services Ltd.

13.

Dorothy Adjei

Energy Commission

14.

Dr. Sabina Anokye Mensah

Anomena Ventures/ GEDA-Ghana

15.

Frank N. Aggrey

Rural Energy

16.

Senyo T. Drake

Seli Technologies

17.

Dinah Dotse

HATOF

18.

Gifty Asmah

Daasgift

19.

Samuel Adu-Asare

Association of Ghana Solar Industries (AGSI)

20.

Nate Heller

Impact Energies

21.

Edem Senanu

Africa 2000 Network

22.

Nana Darko

Trade Works

23.

Wisdom Togobo

Ministry of Energy

24.

Musa Sallah

Ecobank

25.

Alex Kwame Donyinah

Green Earth Consult

26.

Hon. John A. Jinapor

Deputy Minister for Energy

12

27.

Nana Asante Frempong

Solar 4 Ghana

28.

Alex Nii Armah Hayford

Tenant Resources and Advisory Centre

29.

Ishmael Ayanore

Ministry of Energy

30.

Nicholas Djan

JnJ Services Ltd

31.

Alberta Oteng

Ministry of Energy and Petroleum

32.

Kwasi Gyeabour

Barefoot Power

33.

George Ansah

KITA

34.

Roderick O. Ayeh

MF Consultant

35.

Engr Florence Senki

Omatek Ghana

36.

Babatunde Kehinde

Omatek Ghana

37.

Emeka Uzowuihe

Omatek Ghana

38.

E. K. Kyei

Toyola Energy

39.

Suraj Woheb

Toyola Energy

40.

Mary Dawson

EnD-I Osam Environment and Energy Consultancy

41.

Nana Darko Cobbina

Proforest

42.

Chris Munteanu

DENG, CEO

43.

Mahamud M. Mutaka

M.Cube Engineering ltd

44.

John Yeboah

ECREE

45.

Samuel Adoboe

GIZ, Ghana

46.

Benedicta Samey

YVE-Ghana/Ghacco

47.

Henry Yaw Mallet

Sharp Eye Media ltd

48.

Stephen Kansuk

UNDP

49.

Eugenia Forson

Tradeworks co. ltd

50.

Kwame Jantuah

Africa Energy Consortium

51.

Anthony Obeng-Sarfo

Solar4Ghana ltd

52.

Sharif Touray

DLA PIPER(US) LLP

53.

Elizabeth Karascre

Real Opportunities Network

54.

Zainab Mahena

US Embassy

13

55.

Lamptey Lord

US Embassy

56.

Kassim Hussein

Greener Impact International

57.

Faustina Boakye

GEDA/ Ghana Alliance for Cookstoves

58.

Lovans Owusu-Takyi

SNV-Netherlands Dv Corp

59.

Benjamin Nana Addo Donkor

Don Boafo Ventures

60.

Dr. Essel Ben Hagan

Accra Institute of Technology

61.

Sherrie Thomps

Gobal Resolve Africa

62.

Paolo D. Stella

UNDP

63.

Cecilia Ama Anderson

Global Children Action Network

64.

Emil L. Ankomah

Global Children Action Network

65.

Frank Y. Dadzie

ARB Apex Bank

66.

Dr. Kwame Ampofo

Resdem Consulting Ltd

67.

A. A. Prosper

Energy Commission

68.

Joseph Senyo Kwashie

Community and Family Aid Foundation

69.

Christopher Agyekumhene

KITE

70.

Stephany Lawson

KITE

71.

Paula Edze

KITE

72.

Ishmael Edjekumhene

KITE

73.

Ansgar Kiene

AREA/WFC

74.

Aneri Patel

UN Foundation

75.

Mirela Comaniciu

Symbion Power

76.

Kent Healy

US Embassy

77.

Donald Hertzmark

US Dept of State

14

Appendix 2: Meeting Agenda Copy

Towards Universal Energy Access: Ghana and the Launch of the

Sustainable Energy Network Ghana (SENG)
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
M Plaza Hotel
Borstal Avenue (near Indian High Commission), Roman Ridge| Accra | Ghana

8:30 AM

Arrival

9:00 AM

Opening Plenary
Welcome, introductions and overview of the Sustainable Energy for All
initiative and the Energy Access Practitioner Network
Aneri Patel, Senior Associate, Energy Access, UN Foundation

9:10 AM

Introduction of the African Renewable Energy Alliance (AREA)

Ansgar Kiene, Secretary General, AREA

9:20 AM

Introduction of the Sustainable Energy Network Ghana (SENG)

Ishmael Edjekumhene, Interim Chair, SENG Secretariat

9:30 AM

Session I: Sustainable Energy for All and Ghana's Country Action Plan
Moderator:
Dr. Ben Hagan, Director, Institute of Industrial Research (CSIR)
Panelists:
Wisdom Ahiataku-Togobo, Director, Renewable Energy, Ministry of Energy
Raffi Balian, Senior Advisor for Renewable and Bio-energy, US State
Department
Dr. Nii Darko Asante, Director, Technical Regulation, Energy Commission
Frank Wouters, Deputy Director-General, International Renewable Energy
Agency (IRENA)

15

11:00 AM

*Official launch of the Sustainable Energy Network Ghana*

Remarks by high-level officials
U.S. Ambassador to Ghana, His Excellency Gene A. Cretz
Ms. Ruby Sandhu-Rojon, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident
Representative
Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Minister of Energy, Ghana (Invited)
Dr. A.K. Ofosu-Ahenkorah, Executive Secretary, Energy Commission
Ghana
Ishmael Edjekumhene, Interim Chair, SENG Secretariat

11:45 AM

Lunch

1:00 PM

Session II: Improving awareness

participatory community development

on

energy

technologies

and

Moderator:
Aneri Patel, Senior Associate, Energy Access, United Nations Foundation
Panelists:
Faustina Boakye, Chairperson, Ghana Alliance for Clean Cookstoves
Samuel Adu-Asare, Consultant, Ghana Energy Development and Access
Project
Gifty Baaba Asmah, Founder/Executive Director, Daasgift Quality
Foundation
Nate Heller, West Africa Director, Impact Energies
2:15 PM

Coffee break

2:30 PM

Session III: Challenges & Opportunities in Identifying & Financing

Renewable Energy Projects
Moderator: Paolo Dalla Stella, Sustainable Development Analyst, UNDP
Speakers:
Daniel-Alexander Schroth, Energy Specialist, African Development Bank
Philip Liverpool, Commercial Director, Kosmos Energy
Musa Salah, Regional Account Manager, International Organisations,
Ecobank
Commentators:
John Wasielewski, Principal Advisor for SE4ALL financing initiative
Steven Duodu, Technical Director, Energy Foundation
Suraj Wahab, CEO, Toyola Energy Ltd
Frank Yeboah Dadzie, Project Manager, ARB Apex Bank
16

4.00 PM

The way forward and next steps towards universal energy access in
Ghana by 2030:
Moderated by Ishmael Edjekumhene, Interim Chair, SENG Secretariat
Remarks by:
Sabina Anokye Mensah, Chief Executive Officer, Anomena Ventures &
Ghana Gender & Energy Network
Chris Munteanu, CEO, Deng Ltd

4:45 PM

Closing Remarks
Ishmael Edjekumhene, Interim Chair, SENG Secretariat

5:00 PM

Powering Africa through Feed-in Tariffs Advancing Renewable

Energy to Meet the Continents Electricity Needs
Briefing session on new study: Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariff (REFiT)
policies provide great potential for socio-economic development in Africa
Ansgar Kiene, Africa Director, World Future Council

17

Appendix 3: Speaker Bios

Workshop Moderator
Mr. Ishmael Edjekumhene
Director, KITE
Interim Chair, SENG
Mr. Ishmael Edjekumhene is currently the Director of KITE. Mr. Edjekumhene joined KITE in 1999
as a Projects Officer. Mr. Edjekumhene has been involved in the development and/or execution
of several development-related research projects thereby contributing substantially to the body
of knowledge being generated within KITE. He has in addition been managing the KITE office in
Kumasi as well as being a member of the KITE Management Committee since 2003. He has thus
been involved in the decision making processes of the organization and the direct supervision of
the day to day operations of project and non-project staff. Mr. Edjekumhene has also
represented KITE at several international, regional and national fora/conferences notably among
them are the 2008 Washington Renewable Energy Conference and the 6th Conference of Parties
(COP 6) in Hague, the Netherlands in 2000.
Mr. Edjekumhenes current research interests include ensuring the provision and preservation of
energy public benefits such as access, energy efficiency, renewable energy and environmental
protection in a reformed energy sector, mainstreaming of energy in national development
programmes and climate change with emphasis on the monetization of carbon. He holds a
Masters degree in Economics (Public Policy) from the University of Hull, UK and Bachelors degree
in Land Economy (with first class honours) from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and
Technology, Ghana. He is married to Rita and blessed with three kids Awura Ama, Nana Osei
and Oheneba.
Session I: Sustainable Energy for All and Ghana's Country Action Plan
Dr. Essel Ben Hagan (Moderator)
Director, Institute of Industrial Research (CSIR)
Dr. Hagan is the Associate Dean of Research at the Accra Institute of Technology and a
Consultant with over 25 years of experience in renewable energy and energy efficiency,
specializing in energy technologies and policy. He has consulting experience in West, East and
Southern Africa including Angola, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal,
Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. His professional experience includes roles as i) Consultant to United
Nations Environmental Program (2013) on the Development of Regional Efficient Lighting
Strategy for the ECOWAS Region; ii) Consultant to the ECOWAS Regional Centre for Renewable
Energy and Energy Efficiency (2012) on the Development of Regional Renewable Energy Policy
of the ECOWAS Region; iii) Principal Consultant to Energy Commission, Ghana and UNDP (2012)
on the Preparation of Country Action Plan for Ghana on Sustainable Energy for All; and iv)
International Consultant to the UNDP (2012) on the Rapid Assessment and Gap Analysis on
Sustainable Energy for All in Gambia. Dr. Hagan is a Fellow and Past President of the Ghana
Institution of Engineers (2007-2008). In 2004-2011, he was the Director of the CSIR-Institute of
Industrial Research, Ghana that conducted research and development as well as demonstration
18

of improved technologies to support small and medium-scale industries in Ghana. In 2005-2010,

Dr. Hagan was a regular Visiting Scientist on the Demand-Side Energy Policy Research Project at
the Energy Analysis Department, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California,
Berkeley, USA.
Wisdom Ahiataku-Togobo
Director, Renewable Energy, Ministry of Energy
Mr. Ahiataku-Togobo has a BSC degree in Physics and Mathematics from the University of Ghana,
Legon in 1988; and an MSC degree in Renewable Energy from the University of Oldenburg,
Germany in 1998. He also has a post graduate certificate in Investment Appraisal and Risk
Management from Queens University, Kingston Canada in 2003. He started his career in the
renewable energy sector in 1989 and has, over the years, developed his skills and capacity in the
implementation of renewable energy programmes for rural energy access. He has very rich
experience in the management and application of various renewable energy technologies for
decentralised electrification in off-grid location for sustainable development. He is currently the
Director of Renewable Energy at the Ministry of Energy Ghana. Prior to this, he was the
Renewable Energy Expert for the World Bank Ghana Energy Development and Access Project
(GEDAP) from May 2008 to November 2010. He has also served as the Project Coordinator for
the UNDP/EC Household Energy Programme in Ghana from January 2006 to February 2008. Mr.
Togobo is a visiting lecture and has a number of publications, articles and reports on rural energy
and sustainable development to his credit.
Raffi V. Balian
Senior Advisor for Renewable and Bio-energy, US State Department
Mr. Balian is a Senior Advisor for Renewable Energy at the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of
Energy Resources. He represents the United States at the Global Bioenergy Partnership and the
International Renewable Energy Agency. Most recently, Mr. Balian was a part of the climate
change team and served as policy advisor on Europe and renewable energy issues to the Special
Envoy for Climate Change. He has previously served as a Pearson Congressional Fellow in the
office of U.S. Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand of New York. Mr. Balians overseas assignments
included serving as Cultural Affairs Officer in the U.S. Embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria and as Deputy
Chief of the Economic / Commercial Section of the U.S. Embassy in Damascus, Syria. Prior to
joining the U.S. State Department, Mr. Balian was a home builder and real estate entrepreneur in
the Washington, DC metropolitan area. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and
received his Master of Science degree from the London School of Economics and Political
Science.
Dr. Nii Darko Asante
Director, Technical Regulation, Energy Commission
Dr. Asante is a Chemical Engineer with over 20 years experience in energy management and
optimisation. In his current role, he heads the four core divisions of Ghanas Energy Commission
which deal with the development and enforcement of regulations in the electricity, natural gas
and renewable energy sectors, the promotion of Renewable Energy, and the development and
execution of initiatives to promote the efficient use of energy. Following the launch of Ghanas
Country Action Plan on Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL), Dr Asante is also leading the Energy
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Commissions activities in coordinating the refinement and implementation of the Action Plan. Dr
Asante was previously the Technology Manager of the Energy Optimisation business of Aspen
Technology Inc., where he developed tools and implemented solutions for Energy Management
and Optimisation at Petrochemical plants all over the world.
Frank Wouters
Deputy Director-General of IRENA
Frank Wouters was appointed Deputy Director-General of the International Renewable Energy
Agency (IRENA) in September 2012. He possesses over 20 years of international experience in the
field of renewable energy. Mr. Wouters previously held several senior management positions in
leading organizations and institutions in the fields of renewable energy and sustainability,
including Evelop International BV, The Netherlands; Sol Holding AG, Germany; NICE International,
The Gambia; and TDAU University of Zambia. Before he joined IRENA he served as the Director of
Masdar Power, a developer and operator of renewable power generation projects, where he was
responsible for projects representing enterprise value of more than $3bn in Asia, Africa and
Europe. Mr. Wouters has worked throughout his career with a wide variety of stakeholders,
including the private sector and government officials at the highest levels. He has supported
sustainable energy policy in many countries and recently played a lead role in the formulation of
Abu Dhabis renewable energy policy. He is regularly invited as a speaker at international
conferences and high-level meetings. Mr. Wouters holds a Masters degree in Mechanical
Engineering from Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands.
Session II: Improving awareness on energy technologies and
development

participatory community

Aneri Patel (Moderator)

Senior Associate, Energy Access, United Nations Foundation
Aneri helps manage the Energy Access Practitioner Network, a 1200+ member network of off-grid
energy professionals around the globe and leads the Network's Africa work. She has extensive
on-the-ground experience in Bangladesh, India, and Uganda providing clean energy solutions for
the low-income market. In South India, she started a business that created the first supply chain
for solar lanterns, water filters, and improved cookstoves to a market of 90,000 rural
households. She has recently founded a non-profit social enterprise called ENVenture and serves
as its Executive Director; ENVenture is an international fellowship program for young social
entrepreneurs to work on energy access. She also has experience working with carbon finance
for cookstove projects in Africa. She has a Masters in Environment and Development from the
London School of Economics and Political Science and a BA in International Studies from the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Faustina Boakye
Chairperson of the Ghana Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (GHACCO)
Faustina is a Gender and Communications Specialist with 25 years of experience. She has a
Masters of Professional Studies (MPS) degree in International Development from Cornell
University in Ithaca, NY, USA, post graduate diploma in Communications and a B.A. in English
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from the University of Ghana and certificates in Community Development Leadership by Women,
Advocacy and Citizen Engagement from the Coady International Institute in Canada and Local
Governance and Rural Decentralisation from the Centre for Development Innovations of the
University of Wageningen in the Netherlands, Networking and Photography.
Through the Gender and Energy Network, Ghana (GEDA) Faustina generated so much interest in
energy issues and became a member of many high level international groups, where she has
effectively contributed through the Working Group of the Practitioner Energy Network of
Sustainable Energy for All of the UN Foundation, Partnership for Clean Indoor Air (PCIA), Working
Group of the Gender Coordinating Committee and Gender and Empowerment COP of Global
Alliance for Clean Cookstoves. Also a member of the Women's Major Group of Commission on
the Status of Women (CSW) and the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) preparation
on Rio +20 Summit, the ECOWAS High Level Energy Forum, that saw the launch of the ECOWAS
Energy Plan, the Ghana Country Plan for UN Sustainable Energy for All, the presentation of the
Global Energy Status Report, Energy Access (Accra October 2012), and a Member, Women
Organizing for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management (WOCAN), an
International Network on gender and development.
Mr. Samuel Adu-Asare
Consultant, Ghana Energy Development and Access Project
Mr. Adu-Asare has been working in the energy sector for over twenty years. He began his career
in 1992-2001 as an Associate Programme Officer at the National Energy Board/Ministry of Energy
(now the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum). He was part of the team that worked with the then
Energy Policy Adviser to established the Social Impact Assessment Unit (SIA) where gender
issues were seen as key in energy project development and management and were
mainstreamed in research and policy considerations at the Ministry of Energy. He left the Ministry
of Energy in 2001 as a Senior Programme Officer to the Energy Commission where he served in
the Planning and Petroleum Departments he continued to mainstream research in impact
assessment in a regulatory organisation. Due to his tenacity and resilience to work, Mr Samuel
Adu-Asare was appointed as the Secretary to the Technical Committees of the Energy
Commission by the Executive Secretary. He left the Energy Commission as a Principal Programme
Officer to the private sector and worked as a country manager with Global Sustainable Energy
Solutions-Ghana, a Renewable Energy Consultancy firm and an affiliate of Global Sustainable
Energy Solutions-Australia, from 2007-2009. Within these periods, Mr. Adu-Asare also served as
the Secretary to the Association of Ghana Solar Industries (AGSI) and worked tirelessly with the
President to build an industrial association in the country to champion the cause of promotion of
solar energy in Ghana. From 2010 to date, Mr. Adu-Asare has been the Consultant for the AGSI
under the World Bank GEDAP Solar Component project and has been responsible for the
development and execution of a market outreach plan.
Mrs. Gifty Baaba Asmah
Founder and Executive Director of Daasgift Quality Foundation-FNGO
Gifty is one of the pioneers who are championing the course for the recognition of Small
Microfinance Institutions in Ghana. She recognizes the key role microfinance play in energy
access. She was a founding member of and the past Interim Vice Chairman of the Ghana
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Association of Microfinance Companies (GAMC) .She has immense knowledge and experience in
the Ghana Microfinance sector and Rural Banking, and has participated in several microfinance
and Energy conferences/workshops, both locally and internationally. She is a member of Global
Alliance for Clean Cook stoves, Ghana Alliance for Clean Cook Stoves, a Steering Committee
Member of Africa Renewable Energy Alliance (AREA), UN Foundation Practitioners Network,
Ghana Solar Industry (AGSI) and Association of Financial NGOs (ASSFIN). She holds a
Postgraduate Diploma in Management and Administration and an intermediate certificate from
the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ghana. a certificate holder in Community Development
and Risk Management issued by MDI-New Hampshire University/GHAMFIN and a pioneer of the
MDI/GHAMFIN/GIMPA Programme; Diploma Certificate holder in Strategic Management issued
by GIMPA. She is a member of the International Professional Managers Association (IPMA) as
well as the Chartered Institute of Administration and Management Consultants (CIAMC-GH).
Prior to founding DQF, she worked with a reputable rural bank (Ahantaman Rural Bank) in Ghana
for twelve years and rose to the rank of a Deputy General Manager. Her rich experience and
knowledge in microfinance issues and practices has shaped DQFs mission and vision into the
innovative organization it is today. Gifty was the proud Winner of 2011 Most Influential Woman In
Power Award for her role she is playing in energy access through microfinance.
Nate Heller
West Africa Director, Impact Energies
Nate has 14 years of experience in international development, a majority of that in West Africa.
For seven of those years he has been building innovative distribution channels for low cost
products. He is fluent in French and Senegalese Wolof, conversational in three others and has a
Masters from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and an MBA from
Yale University.
Session III: Challenges & Opportunities in Identifying & Financing Renewable Energy Projects
Paolo Dalla Stella (Moderator)
Sustainable Development Analyst, UNDP
Paolo received a Bachelor and a Masters in Development and International Cooperation at the
University of Bologna. His Masters thesis was on the Decentralization of natural resource
management in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. He has worked for the Permanent Mission of
Italy to the UN in NYC, Legambiente in Rome, and finally joined UNDP Ghana Country Office in
2010. As Sustainable Development Analyst, he supports the implementation of programmes
related to energy and environment, in particular climate change, disaster risk reduction, energy
efficiency and renewable energy.
Dr. Daniel-Alexander Schroth
Principal Energy Specialist, African Development Bank
Daniel is Principal Energy Specialist in the Energy, Environment and Climate Change Department
of the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the coordinator of the Sustainable Energy for All
(SE4All) Africa Hub hosted by the AfDB. Daniel has extensive experience in energy policy. Prior to
joining the AfDB he worked for several years for the European Commission in both headquarters
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and the field, for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London and in the
private sector. Daniel holds a PhD and Masters in International Relations from the University of
Cambridge, and a business degree from Reims Management School and the European School of
Business Reutlingen.
Philip Liverpool
Commercial Director, Kosmos Energy
Philip Liverpool is the Commercial Director of Kosmos Energy Ghana HC, a role which includes responsibility
for dealings/negotiations with Joint Venture partners and Government. Prior to that he worked for Shell
International, initially in technical roles and in the latter half of his career he worked in Business
Development, focusing on Asia Pacific, the Former Soviet Union, the Middle East and Africa. Philip holds an
MSc in Applied Geophysics, from Technische Universiteit Delft.

Musa Salah
Regional Account Manager, International Organisations, Ecobank
Musa is responsible for relationship management with the United Nations organizations across
the 32 countries where Ecobank is present. He obtained his BA from Legon in Ghana, MSc at
Surrey, UK and post graduate diploma at Fordham (NY) USA. Worked with the United Nations in
NY, Ethipia and Nigeria from 2003-2008. He loves to play Tennis.
John Wasielewski
Principal Advisor for SE4ALL financing initiative
John is an advisor to financial institutions, emerging market funds, governments and foundations
on mobilizing private forms of investment financing for a wide range of development efforts.
John was the founding Director of the Office of Development Credit (ODC) at USAID, which
promotes the U.S. government's use of credit in connection with efforts to encourage local
private-sector lending for SMEs, infrastructure finance, energy projects, housing, and urban
services globally. Under his leadership, USAID issued over 250 guarantees mobilizing upwards of
$3 billion of local capital in 64 countries over 13 years. More recently, John assisted the Danish
and Spanish Governments and the African Development Bank in establishing The African
Guaranty Fund (AGF), a new vehicle to stimulate lending to SMEs across Africa. He is now an
external advisor to the AGF.
Steven Duodu
Technical Director, Energy Foundation
Steven holds a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the Higher Institute of
Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Varna, Bulgaria and Part 1 of Institute of Chartered
Accountants, Ghana. He is an Associate Member of Ghana Institution of Engineers, Institution of
Electrical Engineers, U.K and Association of Energy Engineer, USA. He has experience in 33kV,
11kV and low voltage distribution networks project supervision and management.
Suraj Wahab
CEO, Toyola
Suraj is the Founder and CEO of Toyola energy, an improved cookstoves manufacturer in Ghana.
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Suraj began training with Enterprise Works (a USAID-sponsored NGO). In June 2006, Toyola
Energy Ltd. was legally registered with core operations in Accra, Ghana. Toyola won the Ashden
2011 International Gold Award.
Frank Yeboah Dadzie
Project Manager, ARB Apex Bank
Frank Yeboah Dadzie holds an Mphil in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and is an expert in
off-grid and grid connected solar design, installation, business and project development and
financing. He began his career in renewable energy as a trainer at the Deng Solar Training Centre,
Accra and then was engaged as a consultant/Advisor for the Free Energy Foundation
(Netherlands) to assist in implementing the Solar Now project in Ghana which helped in the
creation and strengthening of renewable energy businesses in Ghana. Since 2008, he has served
as Project Manager for Ghanas biggest off-grid Solar Project which is aimed at financing solar
systems for remote deprived rural dwellers through an innovative microfinance system
supported by the Rural Banks under the ARB Apex Bank. The project has so far financed over
14000 solar systems to the poorest households of Ghana. The project ends in November, 2013.
He has a number of conference presentations and publications to his credit including a
publication on off-grid solar financing in the Africa Energy Yearbook 2012.
The way forward and next steps towards universal energy access in Ghana by 2030
Dr. Sabina Anokye Mensah
Chief Executive Officer, Anomena Ventures & Ghana Gender & Energy Network
Dr. Sabina Anokye Mensah is the Chief Executive Officer of ANOMENA Ventures, an organization
that concentrates on the production and dissemination of improved stoves based in Tema,
Ghana. She is also the National Focal Person for the Gender and Energy Network in Ghana, which
works on mainstreaming gender concerns into energy projects. Additionally, she is the National
Focal Person for Voices of African Mothers, which aims at peace building among women at the
grassroots level. She has travelled extensively around the world as resource person at various
fora including Resource Person in the Global Gender and Climate Alliance TOT workshop in Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia, Nairobi, Kenya, Resource Person in Institutional Gender Mainstreaming and
mainstreaming gender concerns into energy projects at the national level. A published author,
she has covered a wide range of topics including the development of biofuel extraction
technology at the village level in Ghana, and the use of jatropha oil in agro-processing machines
of rural women.
Chris Munteanu
CEO, Deng Ltd
Mr. Munteanu is the CEO for DENG Ltd. He is an expert in International Business, particularly in
the field of Renewable Energy and sustainable integration of RE into developing economies.
After more than 20 years of experience in working with research labs and engineering companies
(such as Bell Labs, Foster Wheeler, HP and DENG), Chris has become a passionate advocate for
sustainable energy and an active investor in the field of Solar Energy in particular. He has
conducted business in more than 30 countries, and is a firm believer in educational and
technological development being an integral and necessary pre-requisite for social and economic
advancement. He is one of the founders of DSTC PV training centers, a founding member of
AGSI (Association of Ghana Solar Industries) and an active investor in several companies. Mr.
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Munteanu holds degrees in Mathematics and Physics from the National College Mihai Viteazul
(Bucharest, Romania) and University of Texas (Arlington, TX) and sits on the board of several
technology companies in the US and Africa.
Briefing session on new study: Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariff (REFiT) policies provide great
potential for socio-economic development in Africa
Ansgar Kiene
Africa Director, World Future Council
Ansgar Kiene worked as an International Media and Communications Manager in Dsseldorf and
London for eight years, developing media strategies and advertising campaigns for major
corporations, such as Canon Europe. During this time, he took sabbatical leave to travel around
Africa with his wife for one year. Before joining the World Future Council in October 2007, he was
the European Campaign Coordinator at the Food First Information and Action Network (FIAN)
International Secretariat in Heidelberg working on the Human Right to Food. Prior to this, Ansgar
prepared the Civil G8 Dialogue 2007 and coordinated the G8-NGO-Platform for the German NGO
Forum on Environment & Development in Bonn. He also coordinated the European Energy
Revolution Tour at Greenpeace Germany in Hamburg. Since March 2010 Ansgar runs the Africa
Liaison Office in Johannesburg, South Africa.

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