– Advertisement –
The Vice-Chancellor, Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu, Prof. Christian Anieke, has urged Nigerian scientists to seek ways to overcome the challenges of solar energy storage and high cost of acquiring solar energy facilities.
Anieke made the call while declaring open a two-day International Conference on “Solar Energy Revolution in Nigeria and the African Continent” held at the university on Friday, January 31, 2025.
The vice-chancellor said the understanding and effective use of solar energy would help solve many problems in Africa, decrying the presence of fake solar energy products in the market.
He urged the participants to find solutions to problems of solar energy storage and reduce import of energy facilities.
“We are looking for alternative sources of energy; solar is one of them; we looking at ways of bringing down cost of solar so that every home will have light in Nigeria.
“After this conference, we are going to have solar energy centre at the university,” Anieke said.
In his remarks, Prof. Gozie Nnebedum of Johannes Kepler University, Linz, Austria, commended the vice-chancellor and others who made the conference a reality.
Presenting a keynote paper, Prof. Niyazi Sarciftci of Johannes Kepler University said there was enormous solar energy in Africa due to abundant sunshine but regretted that Africans were not exploring the resources.
He described solar energy as peaceful unlike nuclear energy that is prone to attacks, urging people to utilise the benefits of solar energy effectively.
“Solar cells can be used to generate electricity, agriculture and others.
“Its only storage challenge is battery but solar energy will define African future; it is not expensive as people think,” he said.
On his part, Prof. Veronika Wittmann of Johannes Kepler University said that the use of fossil fuel was dangerous to human health.
Wittmann spoke on the topic “Role of Solar Energy in the Development of African Continent.”
He urged stakeholders to accelerate the use of solar energy.
Delivering a paper on “Design of a Photovoltaic Health Monitoring System”, Prof. Willoughby Adesina of Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, advised property owners to create space between their roofs and solar panels to avoid the effect of heats and damage.
Presenting a paper on the “Monograin Membrane Solar Cells for Africa”, Prof. Dieter Meissner, also from Johannes Kepler University, enjoined tertiary institutions and companies to set up monitoring and investigative mechanisms to detect fake products from other countries.
He said such mechanism would ensure the safety of their solar energy facilities.
The event was attended by scholars from different parts of the world as well as scholars from tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
By Alex Enebeli
