New battery for local radio in Tumu
The radio station in Tumu in northern Ghana has been fitted with a new battery. Several adjustments were needed.
A solar system is a good thing – Radford FM in Tumu produces over 50% of its own electricity thanks to a PV system financed and installed by FairTrade Energy. But the sun no longer shines in the evening during prime time. The radio then had to use electricity from the grid, and unfortunately the grid often breaks down. So without a battery, the solar system is useless – a solar inverter cannot produce electricity if there is no grid voltage, and even if it did, it would not help because the PV system would be far too weak to power the entire grid.
Last but not least, without a battery, the excess power has to be fed back into the grid, and in Ghana you don’t get paid for that, so over 30% of your own production is lost. The bottom line is that with the battery, the local radio station can now use all of its own production. The radio now continues to broadcast even during power cuts, and in the evenings even on solar power.
As a large part of the population is illiterate, the local radio is very important. It allows the population to be informed about events and at the same time strengthens the Sisaala ethnic group (about 150,000 people).
The battery and inverter cost around 17,000 Swiss francs – something the radio could not afford. There was no government support, electricity costs were exorbitant and the grid is still very unreliable.
We are still looking for donors! Help today to ensure that the people of northern Ghana can continue to listen to local radio tomorrow.
