The Government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Mines and Energy is committed to improving the national energy infrastructure and market in Ghana. This report presents the results of a survey and analysis of household energy use and appliance ownership in Ghana. This work, with the collaboration and support of the Government of Ghana, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USAID, the Alliance to Save Energy, and the Energy Foundation of Ghana is expected to support legislation requiring minimum energy performance standards for home appliances. Refrigerators, room air conditioners, and lighting, which together account for the bulk of residential energy use, are the initial targets for regulation. The time is now for Ghana to act and take a leadership role in promoting energy efficiency in the region. With so many reforms taking place in the energy sector, appliance energy performance standards can only enhance the ability of the Ghanaian economy to move ahead in the next decades.
Preliminary findings indicate that implementing a European-type minimum energy performance standard for refrigerators could result in savings up to ¢107 billion by 2010 (US$50 million) for consumers, and reduce carbon emissions over the same period by 230,000 tonnes. A 10% savings in energy consumption for room air conditioners could save residential consumers nearly ¢18 billion (US$8 million) and reduce carbon emissions by 38,000 tonnes. For lighting, saving 10% of the residential load through policy and regulation would translate into ¢13.8 billion (US$6 million) in consumer savings and that is only counting urban customers. The carbon reductions would amount to 24,000 tonnes. More study is recommended.