Ghana Launches Net-Metering Web Portal To Boost Rooftop Solar Adoption

Ghana has officially launched the National Net-Metering Web Application Portal under the Scaling Up Renewable Energy Program (SREP) to receive applications from residential consumers, small-scale businesses, and institutions seeking to adopt rooftop solar PV systems.

The user-friendly platform, activated alongside a subsidy scheme, supports Ghana’s goal of achieving 10% renewable energy penetration in electricity generation by 2030, excluding hydropower.

SREP is projected to contribute 13.5% of non-hydro renewable energy to the national mix, generate 111 GWh annually, mitigate 0.7185 million tonnes of CO₂-equivalent emissions, and create 2,865 construction-phase jobs—30% of which are targeted at women and youth.

Deputy Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Hon. Richard Gyan-Mensah, who represented the substantive minister at the launch, hailed the portal as a major milestone, noting its role in tracking installations nationwide.

Hon. Richard Gyan‑Mensah, Deputy Minister for Energy and Green Transition, in a group photograph with dignitaries after the launching of the Net‑Metering web portal.

“This user-friendly web portal will enable homes, businesses, industry owners, and public facilities to apply for smart net metering under the SREP for both existing and new captive renewable energy installations,” he stated, emphasizing stakeholder integration.

Hon. Gyan-Mensah, Member of Parliament for Gomoa West Constituency, urged utilities such as ECG and NEDCo to link the platform to their websites and activate the subsidies. He also cautioned against installing oversized systems to ensure smooth processing.

Acting Executive Secretary of the Energy Commission, Mrs. Eunice A. Biritwum, traced the evolution of net metering from a 2009 pilot to the present digital launch.

“Today, we stand at another defining moment—the launch of the National Net Metering Web Application Portal—which has been developed as part of the Net Metering Solar PV (NMPV) component of SREP,” she affirmed, crediting frameworks gazetted by the PURC in 2016.

She noted that the Commission will enhance the framework for nationwide rollout, building on the initial 37 meters and recent smart system upgrades.

African Development Bank (AfDB) Country Manager, Madam Eyerusalem Fasika, underscored the impact of a $27 million grant supporting SREP’s mini-grids and net metering for 59 communities.

“Nearly 2,900 jobs will be created during the construction phase—or are already being created—with 30% reserved for women and young people,” she highlighted, adding that 12,000 systems, including those for SMEs, are targeted.

Looking ahead, the Energy Commission boss said priority areas include the second phase of mini-grid deployment and the integration of clean cooking initiatives.

Switzerland’s Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Simone Giger, praised the May 2022 agreement between Ghana and Switzerland, noting that it fast-tracked the platform’s implementation.

“The platform will support document uploads, application tracking, approvals, monitoring of installed systems, reporting, and data management,” she emphasized, positioning it as a national database for solar adoption and job creation in PV installation.

The Managing Director of the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), Ing. John Okine Yamoah, pledged his company’s commitment to the success of the SREP project.

A representative of ECG also pledged the company’s support.

Partners including the AfDB, Climate Investment Funds, and SECO were commended for fostering transparency and scale.

 

Source: https://www.thinkenergymedia.com/