Mandate and Functions

The Ghana Energy Commission and Ghana Electrical Contractors Association (GECA),have endorsed made in Ghana cables and advised the ublic to purchase them for their own safety.

The two bodies gave the endorsement in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Koforidua during a seminar to sensitise members of the GECA on the introduction of new guidelines and bye-laws to regulate the industry.

Officials at the two organisations said the local cables have been tested and proven to be of good quality.

Mr Victor Owusu, Public Affairs Officer of Energy Commission, who spoke on the wiring certification guidelines, said it looked at three issues including who qualify to undertake electrical wiring works, how it should be done and what materials to be used as well as sanctions to ensure that the criteria are adhered to.

He said the new guidelines, would ensure that certified professionals would be issued seals, identification cards and electrical installation certification by the Energy Commission.

Mr Owusu said the documents would be demanded by the utility distributor before connecting a customer to a service.

Electrical contractors shall have registered numbers traceable to each professional in the field to ensure that all households are wired by a competent person with quality materials to prevent any mishap.

Mr Joseph Walker, National President of GECA, said for a long time electrical wiring had been without any regulation and the introduction of the guidelines is timely.

The Energy Commission (EC) has released the results of the Electrical Wiring Certificate Examination which it conducted last June.

The Energy Commission (EC) has stated that from February 24, 2015 electricians without certificates would be prevented from undertaking electrical wiring of buildings in the country.

According to the Com-mission, the ban would ensure that only qualified electricians undertake electrical wiring projects in the country.

Victor Owusu, Public Affairs Officer, EC, who dis-closed this to BUSINESS GUIDE at an award ceremony in Accra, said the Commission was seeking to fully enforce the Electrical Wiring Regulations, 2012 (LI 2008), explaining that offenders of the law would be liable to a fine of 250 penalty units (equivalent to GH¢6,000) or two years’ imprisonment or both.

He said the law also seeks to protect life and property by ensuring that electricians avoid shoddy electrical wiring to avoid fire outbreaks.

“Following the passage of the electrical wiring regulations, government has directed that ECG should not connect any house, any government building or institution to the national grid unless they produce certificate to indicate that they have gone through all the provisions under the regulations before they are connected,” Mr. Owusu said.

He said qualified electricians, who have not writ-ten the exams and issued with certificates would also not be allowed to wire any facility.

Mr. Owusu said the EC would deploy Certified Electrical Wiring Inspectors who would check and approve the electrical wiring of a building before the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) would connect power to that facility.

He said the Commission would continue to educate the general public to engage the services of good and certified electricians.

Mr. Owusu said electricians would also be advised to sit for the exams in order to get the certificates to operate.”

The Commission has awarded certificates to 372 electrical wiring practitioners, who passed the electrical wiring certification examination.

Out of the total number, 14 individuals received industrial certificates, 113 had commercial wiring certificates and 218 received domestic electrical wiring certificates from the Commission.

The Energy Commission in collaboration with West Africa Clean Energy and Environment (WACEE) organized the first ever Ghana Renewable Energy (RE) Fair in November 2015 to educate the general public on Renewable Energy Technologies.

The three-day Conference and Exhibition attracted over 1,900 people with 33 companies exhibiting.

This year, the 2nd RE Fair comes off at the Accra International Conference Centre in partnership with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and in collaboration with the Ministry of Power.

The Renewable Energy Fair which will take place from the 9th to 11th of August 2016 from 8am to 5pm daily. It’s a three-day Conference that will run concurrently with the exhibition.

The objective is to create a platform for the promotion of renewable energy sources. It will bring together various stakeholders of energy and enhance consultation between the private sector, donors and financiers, decision makers and consumers.

It will also serve as an opportunity to learn about how to cut down energy costs, the advantages of using renewable energy at our homes, offices and institutions, and the benefits of choosing energy efficient appliances. Furthermore, it will create an avenue for people to get their renewable energy and energy efficiency questions answered.

The theme for this year’s event is “Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency: Accelerating Energy Access and Security”.

Some interesting attractions at this year’s fair include various renewable energy exhibits like a Solar Market Place, a field trip to Ghana’s Foremost Mini-Grid Site, Improved Cookstoves Festival, Research Hub, Energy Efficiency Hub and more.