The fourth edition of the National Senior High Schools Renewable Energy Challenge has ended with Sogakofe SHS from the Volta Region emerging as champions among 125 schools. Sogakofe SHS topped five other schools in the finals, where participating schools were expected to develop projects in the area of agriculture, where renewable energy technologies could be utilised. Organised by the Energy Commission and the Ghana Education Service, this year's competition was on the theme, 'Mechanising Small-Scale Agriculture using Renewable Energy Technologies.' The event also saw the official launch and unveiling of a refined and redeveloped Solar Dehydrator developed by Kpedze SHS, winners of the third edition, to make it available to farmers to use in processing agricultural produce. Sogakope SHS, who won with 90.7 per cent, were presented with a dummy cheque of GH?10,000.00 and a plaque, in addition to a 5 kilowatts Solar PV System, 30 Solar Lamps, 25 GAST Integrated Science books, 25 LED Streetlights, 10 Dustbins, 10 Handwashing and Notepads to the school. The team also received a cash prize of GH?15,000.00, five laptops, 15 Solar Lamps and five Solar Fans. Yaa Asantewaa Girls SHS, who placed second with a score of 89 per cent received a cash prize of GH?7,000.00 with a plaque, 25 Solar Lamps, 20 GAST Integrated Science books and 25 LED Streetlights to the school while the team received GH?10,000.00, five tablets and other solar products. Kwabre SHS, who won the maiden Professor George Hagan Best Teamwork award, also placed third with a score of 83.8 per cent, and received GH?5,000.00 and a plaque, 20 Solar Lamps, 15 GAST Integrated Science books and 25 LED Streetlights to the school with GH?7,500.00, 5 tablets and other Solar products to the team. Mfantsiman Girls SHS, Dormaa SHS and Serwaa Kese Girls SHS placed fourth, fifth and sixth respectively, with 83.5 per cent, 83.3 per cent and 81.3 per cent as their scores. They received cash prizes of GH?3,000.00, Solar products and a plaque each and GH?5,000.00, 15 phones and 10 Solar Lamps to the various teams. In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, the winning team expressed excitement being crowned as the champions of the competition, and also called on the government, NGOs and other bodies to support the school with necessary facilities, to improve on their skills and learning capabilities. The winning team's project was on, 'Five-In-One Agriculture Machine: The Farmers Friend,' which was a revolutionary project that will change the history of agriculture with its five fully functioning integrated systems, which can slash, irrigate, sow seed, spray and harrow. The Second Lady Mrs Samira Bawumia said small-scale agriculture was at the heart of sustaining communities and employing a significant proportion of the population. She said mechanising agriculture involved the use of improved machinery or equipment to increase productivity while reducing the labour that humans had to put into farming practices. The Second Lady commended the Energy Commission and the Ghana Education Service for their collaborative efforts in mainstreaming renewable energy technologies and the energy efficiency solutions into the education curriculum. Mr Andrew Egyapa Mercer, Deputy Minister of Energy, said with agriculture being a key component of the nation's economy, the need to maximise efficiencies in this sector could not be overemphasised. He said renewable energy was central to the energy transition and overall energy security, stating that the country abounded in renewable energy sources, and their development and use had progressed satisfactorily over the years. 'This competition is more than just an event, it is a testament of our belief in the creative thinking and problem-solving abilities of our students,' the Deputy Minister added. Mr Oscar Amonoo-Neizer, Executive Secretary, Energy Commission, said the challenge was initiated in 2019 and sought to provide education and awareness on renewable energy resources and technologies to students in various SHS and technical schools in the country. He said ensuring the long-term sustainability of the challenge necessitated the continuous development and commercialisation of the students' project. 'The Commission has established a Memorandum of Understanding with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research to offer an opportunity for students, teachers and schools to reap financial benefits from their projects,' Mr Amonoo-Neizer added. The competition had sponsorship from Bui Power Authority, Kosmo Energy, Volta River Authority, French Development Agency, German Agency for International Cooperation, Ashesi University, Sunon Asogli and Ghana Television.

Source: Ghana News Agency