Akwasi Adu-Poku

Low-voltage mini-grids play a crucial role in expanding electricity access for rural and remote communities. However, they continue to face technical and operational barriers that hinder their performance and reliability. This study reviewed the evolution of research on technical challenges in low-voltage mini-grids from 2005 to 2025. Using the PRISMA approach, data were extracted from the Scopus database, yielding 155 publications for bibliometric analysis. Bibliometrix in R Studio was used to examine publication trends, geographical contributions, and thematic evolution, while qualitative synthesis identified key engineering and operational constraints. The findings revealed a steady increase in research outputs since 2020, driven by global policy commitments, including Sustainable Development Goal 7 and the Paris Agreement. Persistent technical barriers include voltage and frequency instability, inadequate power quality monitoring, inefficient integration of energy storage, poor control coordination, and limited system design optimisation. African nations contribute less to global research despite being most affected by energy poverty, highlighting capacity and funding gaps. The study highlights the need for integrated solutions combining smart control, hybrid storage, and grid-interconnection technologies to enhance resilience and reliability. For policymakers and practitioners, the findings advocate for investment in research, capacity building, and locally tailored technical standards designed for resource-constrained contexts. This review provides a comprehensive evidence base to guide future research and policy directions aimed at achieving sustainable, technically robust, and financially viable mini-grid systems for universal energy access.

Solar energy mitigates greenhouse gas emissions, but large photovoltaic installations compete with food crops for land, raising sustainability concerns for future generations. This paper presents an alternative orientation of a ground-mounted photovoltaic system for sustainable and efficient land utilization. The study combined simulation and field tests of a grid-tied solar PV system to compare East-West and South orientations. The comparative analysis was based on land utilization and performance parameters such as performance ratio, yearly energy injected into the grid, normalized energy, CO2 emission balance, global incident in collector plane, yield simulation and power losses of different types, namely, temperature, internal network and power electronics were also determined. Study focused on a 6.5 MWp solar PV plant located at Lawra, Ghana. The simulation results confirmed that the South orientation receives a higher global incidence of 2116.5kWh/m2/year compared to 2042kWh/m2/year for the East-West orientation. Consequently, in terms of annual energy injected into the power grid, the south orientation yielded 11339MWh/y compared to the 10943MWh/y injected by the East-West orientation. It was evident that under similar conditions, the East-West orientation produced 396MWh/y less than the south orientation. However, the East-West orientation was found to be the best option in terms of sustainable land use. The East-West orientation saved 28% of the total land used by the south orientation. Therefore, when installed to fit a specified space, the net annual energy injected into the power grid by the East-West orientation is 3904.83MWh/year which is 34.4% more of the power produced by the south orientation.

Suppressed demand arises when inadequate energy access leaves basic needs unmet. This study investigates the effects of the informal economy, rising temperatures, and electricity transmission losses on suppressed demand in Ghana from 2000-2020 using a quantile autoregressive distributed lag (QARDL) approach. We also forecast suppressed demand using Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) scenarios. The results indicate that transmission losses and informal sector growth positively affect suppressed demand with larger impacts at higher quantiles. Rising temperatures also substantially increase suppressed demand by raising electricity demand for cooling. The SSP) scenarios indicate suppressed demand could grow substantially through 2050, driven especially by high losses and informal sector growth. Even under sustainable development narratives, suppressed demand remains high without major grid and governance improvements. Reducing losses through infrastructure upgrades and formalising access via institutional reforms are critical to alleviating suppressed demand. Finally, the government should invest in green infrastructure, nature-based solutions and cooling infrastructure to reduce rising temperature.

The study investigated flood vulnerability and risk at Bulk Supply Points (BSPs) in the Greater Accra region by employing a Frequency Ratio (FR) model based on 16 flood-related factors. It assesses the impact of natural, meteorological, and human-induced elements on flood occurrences, projecting vulnerabilities under different Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) scenarios for both present and future periods. Results highlight elevation, slope, soil type, distance to urban areas, and stream power index (SPI) as the primary contributors to flooding vulnerability in the area. Moreover, the study forecasted a heightened vulnerability to floods in low-lying and coastal regions, particularly intensified under SSP2 and SSP3 scenarios. Future flood vulnerability projections under different SSP scenarios emphasizes the urgency of adaptive measures to mitigate escalating flood risks in the region. Future flood vulnerability projections under different SSP scenarios emphasizes the urgency of adaptive measures to mitigate escalating flood risks in the region. The study evaluated flood risks at Bulk Supply Points (BSPs), emphasizing the escalating vulnerability of power assets to flooding across various scenarios. It identifies moderate resilience with proper adaptation measures but warns of potential disruptions in critical infrastructure during persistent flooding events. For new substations, suggestions include avoiding high-risk zones and utilizing corrosion-resistant equipment or alternative energy sources like solar power with battery storage. The study's implications extend to informing Ghana's efforts in aligning with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 7, 11, and 13, emphasizing the urgency of mitigating escalating flood risks in the region for sustainable development.

This article reports on a study conducted to assess the carbon storage potential of Bambusa vulgaris, the predominant bamboo species in Ghana. The study aimed to fill a knowledge gap on the potential of bamboo to sequester carbon for climate change mitigation in Ghana. Unlike previous studies that only focused on aboveground biomass, this study assessed belowground, litter, and coarse wood carbon pools. Allometric parameters and models were used to measure the aboveground biomass, while other carbon pools were directly measured. The results showed that the aboveground biomass of B. vulgaris had a carbon stock of 42.85 ± 9.32 Mg C ha⁻¹, which was 73% of the total biomass carbon stock. The carbon stocks of belowground, coarse wood and litter were 8.57, 3.02, and 4.25 Mg C ha⁻¹, respectively. The study also found that B. vulgaris had a high carbon dioxide sequestration potential of 215.39 Mg CO_2e ha⁻¹ compared to 147–275 Mg CO_2e ha⁻¹ for trees in general. The findings suggest that B. vulgaris could contribute to Ghana's transition to a low-carbon economy through carbon stock monitoring, reporting, and policy development to minimise the impact of climate change. Moreover, the inclusion of relevant carbon pools, including coarse wood and litter, in forest carbon estimates should be encouraged to provide a comprehensive understanding of the plant carbon cycle.