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🇬🇭 Solar Calculator Ghana

Enter your ECG bill, region, and daily grid hours — get solar system size, GHS grid savings, genset diesel fuel savings, and payback period. Includes load shedding (dumsor) analysis for realistic Ghana solar economics.

Your electricity details
₵GHS
Solar system results — Ghana
5 kWp system — 1460 kWh/kWp/yr
Estimated monthly kWh usage82 kWh/mo
Annual solar production7,300 kWh/yr
Grid savings (ECG GHS 2.2/kWh avg)₵8,030/yr
Genset fuel savings (~GHS 4.67/kWh avoided)₵17,033/yr
Total annual benefit₵25,063/yr
System cost range₵30,000 – ₵45,000
Approx. USD cost range$2400 – $3600
Total installed cost (midpoint)₵37,500
Payback period1.5 years
25-year net savings₵589,083
Genset replacement advantage: With 8 hours/day off-grid, replacing diesel generation (GHS 4.67/kWh) with solar makes the economics dramatically stronger. Your payback of 1.5 years includes fuel savings — far better than grid-only analysis.
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How to Use This Calculator

Enter your monthly bill and region

Enter your average monthly ECG (Electricity Company of Ghana) or NEDCo (Northern Electricity Distribution Company) bill in Ghanaian Cedis (GHS). Ghana's PURC (Public Utilities Regulatory Commission) sets quarterly electricity tariffs using a tiered structure: GHS 1.50/kWh for residential tier 1 (up to 300 kWh/month), GHS 2.50/kWh for higher residential consumption, and GHS 3.00/kWh for commercial use. Select your region — Tamale (5.5 PSH) in northern Ghana is the sunniest city on the continent, influenced by the Sahel climate. Accra (5.0 PSH) and Tema (4.9 PSH) in the south are also excellent. Sekondi-Takoradi and Cape Coast (4.7 PSH) receive slightly less due to coastal humidity and cloud cover.

Set grid reliability and genset replacement

Ghana's load shedding — locally known as "dumsor" (Twi for "off-on") — has been a persistent challenge for households and businesses. Select your realistic daily grid hours. Areas experiencing significant load shedding may receive only 8–16 hours of grid power daily. Solar panels generate electricity during daylight hours regardless of grid status, meaning they can directly replace diesel generator hours. If you currently run a diesel genset during outages, enable the "genset replacement" option — this accounts for diesel savings at approximately GHS 4.67/kWh (GHS 14/litre ÷ 3 kWh/litre), which dramatically improves solar economics.

Why genset replacement changes the calculation

The true value of solar in Ghana is often underestimated by looking only at grid tariff savings. Diesel generators cost 2–3x the grid tariff to operate. A household spending GHS 500/month on generator fuel plus GHS 180/month on ECG bills can dramatically cut costs with solar+battery — often achieving payback in 3–5 years. Businesses dependent on gensets see even faster returns.

The Formula

Monthly kWh = Monthly ECG Bill ÷ GHS 2.20/kWh (blended residential tariff) Annual production = kWp × PSH × 365 × 0.80 efficiency Self-consumption = Annual kWh × 50% (daytime use + battery) Grid savings = Self-consumed kWh × GHS 2.20/kWh (blended) Genset savings = Genset kWh replaced × GHS 4.67/kWh (~GHS 14/litre ÷ 3 kWh/litre) Off-grid hours ratio = (24 − Grid hours) ÷ 24 System cost = kWp × GHS 6,000–9,000/kWp (~$500–750/kWp) Payback = Total cost ÷ Annual benefit (3–5yr with genset, 6–9yr grid-only)

Ghana's solar market is regulated by the Energy Commission (EC) and PURC. Solar systems above 200kWp require Energy Commission licensing. The Ghana Grid Code and Renewable Energy Act (Act 832, 2011) govern net metering — a net billing scheme where surplus solar generation is credited at avoided-cost rates. The ECG and NEDCo solar programs allow grid-tied net metering for qualifying installations. Import duties on solar panels are currently 0% for most categories under Ghana's ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) and renewable energy policy exemptions.

Example

Kofi — Accra home, 5kWp + genset replacement

Kofi pays GHS 180/month for ECG electricity and spends an additional GHS 400/month on diesel for his generator. He installs a 5kWp solar system with battery storage, replacing his generator during the 8 hours/day of load shedding.

Monthly ECG bill₵180
Region / PSHAccra, 5.0 PSH
System size5 kWp
Grid hours16 hrs/day (moderate outages)
Genset replacementYes

Result

Annual production~7,300 kWh/yr
Production per kWp~1,460 kWh/kWp/yr
Grid savings~₵8,030/yr
Genset fuel savings~₵8,539/yr
Total annual benefit~₵16,569/yr
System cost range₵30,000 – ₵45,000
Payback~2.3 years
25-year net savings~₵378,225

The genset replacement doubles Kofi's annual benefit compared to grid-only savings. With a payback of under 3 years, this is one of the most compelling solar investment cases in West Africa. Over 25 years, Kofi saves over GHS 378,000 — roughly $30,000 at current exchange rates — while gaining energy independence from both the grid and expensive diesel supply chains.

FAQ

Yes — particularly for households and businesses dealing with load shedding (dumsor). Grid-only solar in Ghana achieves payback in 6–9 years. When diesel genset replacement is included, payback drops to 3–5 years — making Ghana one of Africa's most compelling solar markets. Tamale (5.5 PSH) in northern Ghana achieves the fastest paybacks due to excellent solar resources. Even Accra (5.0 PSH) with frequent outages sees strong returns. Ghana's Renewable Energy Act and ECG net metering program provide regulatory support.
"Dumsor" (Twi: lights-off, lights-on) refers to Ghana's scheduled and unscheduled power outages. The situation has varied significantly over the years — severe during 2012–2016, improved 2017–2022, with periodic resurgences due to generation capacity gaps, fuel supply issues, and transmission constraints. Urban areas like Accra typically experience fewer and shorter outages than rural and peri-urban areas. Any household or business currently running a diesel generator should evaluate solar+battery as a near-certain financial win over 3–5 years given current diesel prices.
Solar installation costs in Ghana range from GHS 6,000 to GHS 9,000 per kWp all-in (approximately $500–750/kWp at current exchange rates of ~GHS 12.5/USD). A 5kWp residential system costs GHS 30,000–45,000. Adding a 10kWh LiFePO4 battery typically costs GHS 15,000–25,000 extra. Chinese tier-1 panels (JA Solar, LONGi, Canadian Solar) are most common. Inverters from Huawei, Growatt, and Victron are popular. Solar equipment is imported largely duty-free under Ghana's renewable energy incentive framework. Prices can fluctuate with the GHS/USD exchange rate.
Tamale (5.5 PSH) in Northern Ghana is the sunniest major city, receiving excellent radiation year-round due to the Sahel climate with minimal cloud cover. Accra (5.0 PSH) and Tema (4.9 PSH) in Greater Accra are also excellent. Kumasi (4.8 PSH) in the Ashanti Region is slightly lower due to more tree cover and humidity. Sekondi-Takoradi and Cape Coast (4.7 PSH) are coastal and experience more cloud. The entire country has viable solar resources — no Ghanaian location is poor for solar by global standards.
Ghana's key solar incentives include: 1) Renewable Energy Act (Act 832, 2011) providing a legislative framework for solar and net metering; 2) Import duty exemptions on solar panels and equipment under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme; 3) ECG and NEDCo net metering programs crediting surplus solar at avoided-cost rates; 4) Energy Commission licensing framework for installations above 200kWp. The Ghana Energy Development and Access Project (GEDAP) and development bank financing (ESLA bonds) support renewable energy expansion. Private sector financing through local banks and solar leasing companies is growing. Check the Energy Commission of Ghana website for current programs.

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