MMDAs must enforce energy efficiency regulations – Energy Commission

The Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) have been tasked with ensuring the strict enforcement of the Energy Efficiency Regulations at the local level.

The Assemblies have been charged to ensure that public buildings, including district offices, schools, and health facilities, adopt energy-efficient appliances, particularly for lighting, cooling, ventilation, and water heating.

The Acting Executive Secretary of the Energy Commission, Eunice A. Biritwum, said this at a workshop on “Scaling Up Energy Efficiency and Management among Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area.”

She advised the Assemblies to replace inefficient street lighting with modern LED and solar lighting systems, conduct energy audits of municipal buildings, and invest in retrofits to reduce long-term operating costs.

Mrs. Biritwum urged the Assemblies to serve as educators of the public on sustainable energy use and conservation practices and as advocates for sustainable development within their respective communities.

“Additionally, the MMDAs are encouraged to appoint energy managers who will monitor energy use, collect data, and introduce interventions to control energy use,” she said.

She said the Energy Commission was prepared to support MMDAs through technical training and capacity-building initiatives and policy guidance and regulatory support.

“Energy efficiency is not solely about technological choices; it is fundamentally about leadership and vision. 

“It is about prioritising long-term national resilience over short-term convenience and about local action that safeguards national interests,” he said.

The Chief Director of the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council, Lilian Baeka, acknowledged the invaluable collaboration of C40 Cities, a climate leadership group, and the Regional Climate Change Steering Committee, whose support had made the engagement possible. 

That partnership, she stressed, demonstrated the importance of collective action in addressing global and local climate challenges.

She was optimistic that the participants would share their knowledge, strengthen collaboration, and chart practical steps towards achieving net-zero carbon municipal buildings by 2050. 

The lead consultant for DTT Energy Limited, Lawrence Musey, said energy usage in Accra was on the rise based on neglect from residents to regulate energy in their households, the unavailability of solar systems, faulty gadgets, and the lack of maintenance of electronic gadgets.

He recommended policy restructuring at all levels of leadership for effective energy management and implementation of an Energy Management System (EMS) to support energy management.

Mr. Evans Asamoah Adjei, C40 City Advisor, called for continuous capacity building and the adoption of best practices to ensure the usage of energy in its right proportion.

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