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Carolyn Roos |
OLYMPIA – The west African nation of Ghana is one step closer to energy efficiency thanks to a recent workshop led by the WSU Extension Energy Program and the U.S. Department of Energy.
The workshop – held in the capital city of Accra – focused on the use of two software tools: RELCOST and HEATMAP. The WSU program developed these tools to help users implement energy-efficient methods into their businesses using both financial and combined heat and power (CHP) analysis.
Nearly 20 participants from both Ghana and Nigeria attended the workshop. Among the attendees were government officials and the energy and finance ministers of Ghana.
“Developing countries have a lot of projects that need to be done to help improve their infrastructure, but some of the things they are lacking are analysis tools,” said Carolyn Roos, an energy engineer with the WSU program and a member of the workshop team.
These tools are necessary to show funding organizations, such as the World Bank, that projects will be both financially viable and self-sustaining, Roos said.
RELCOST, she said, is one program that demonstrates these qualities. The software offers a spectrum of tools to assist users in analyzing energy projects.
HEATMAP is a district heating and CHP analysis tool. Attendees were very interested in this software as a tool to help them generate electricity more efficiently, Roos said.
“This workshop was a good learning experience for both the WSU Extension Energy Program and the participants,” Roos said. “We left them with tools to improve their countries’ energy efficiency and returned home with valuable insight about teaching energy efficiency abroad.”
