Smart Grid Technology and Renewable Energy Integration in the Ghanaian Grid System

Ghanas electricity system in the recent years has suffered many setbacks resulting in almost five years of load shedding. The electricity situation in Ghana can be described as epileptic with no sign in view of improvement. The power situation has affected the manufacturing, service and residential sectors of the economy which in turn affects the countrys economic growth. Even with the recent reforms in the energy sector where power was separated from the Energy Ministry to stand as Power Ministry, a larger population does not have access to reliable supply of electricity. The epileptic condition of the power sector can be attributed to the inadequate and inefficient power plants, poor transmission and distribution facilities, and outdated metering system used by electricity consumers. This paper attempts to present the way forward for the Ghanaian poor electricity situation by reviewing the power sector as a whole and the renewable energy potentials. We identified the problems in the national grid and then proposed a smart grid model for the Ghanaian power sector which will include renewable energy source. We believe that the content of this review paper will solve the poor condition of the power sector in Ghana and also enable the proper integration of smart grid technology into the national grid.