This study examines the feasibility of a stand-alone photovoltaic, diesel generator and battery storage hybrid power system for the electrification of off-grid rural areas in northern Ghana. The HOMER software package was used for simulation analysis. Five optimization scenarios considered feasible by HOMER were evaluated. The evaluation criteria include net present cost (NPC), cost of energy (COE) and emissions. The results indicate that PV/diesel/battery storage hybrid system is the most feasible, optimized, cost-effective and environmentally friendly system among the systems considered. This system has a Cost of Energy (COE) of 0.399 $/kWh and an NPC of $296,552. Although this COE is approximately three times the current energy cost in Ghana, sensitivity analysis shows that changing certain parameters such as fuel costs, and capital subsidies can reduce COE. This shows that if policymakers create the necessary investment environment, such projects can be a viable alternative to rural electrification.

Overhead transmission lines play a key role in ensuring power system security and reliability in this current smart society. The overhead transmission line operates in a very complex terrain thereby making it vulnerable to various kinds of faults. Most transmission line faults lead to interruption in power supplies and therefore the need for a fast repair to restore the system to its normal state. A fast, timely, and accurate fault detection technique will ensure speedy restoration of the system thereby reducing outage time. In this article, an enhanced transmission lines’ fault detection approach is presented. This scheme deployed a highly sensitive, low cost, and energy-efficient differential sensor to detect flux density variation measured along transmission lines. The fault detection algorithm is developed for the detection of faults in transmission lines. The development is implemented on a model transmission line and tested for various fault scenarios. Scaled-up laboratory experiments were also conducted to measure magnetic flux density and fault identification to verify the validity of the proposed technique as well as estimate the amount of current produced when a fault occurred. From the simulated and measured current produced during a fault, the proposed technique yielded an estimated error of 1.38%, while the CT and a commercial current probe gave errors of 10.99% and 17.68%, respectively.

In rural Ghana, limited access to affordable, clean cooking fuels drives the need for decentralised waste-to-energy solutions. Anaerobic co-digestion (AcoD) offers a viable route for transforming organic residues into renewable energy, with the added benefit of improved process stability resulting from substrate synergy. This study aims to evaluate the technical feasibility and stabilisation challenges of AcoD, using locally available fruit waste and beet molasses at a secondary school in Bedabour (Ghana). Biological methane potential (BMP) assays of different co-digestion mixtures were conducted at two inoculum-to-substrate (I/S) ratios (2 and 4), identifying the highest yield (441.54 ± 45.98 NmL CH₄/g VS) for a mixture of 75% fruit waste and 25% molasses at an I/S ratio of 4. Later, this mixture was tested in a 6 L semi-continuous AcoD reactor. Due to the high biodegradability of the substrates, volatile fatty acid (VFA) accumulation led to acidification and process instability. Three low-cost mitigation strategies were evaluated: (i) carbonate addition using eggshell-derived sources, (ii) biochar supplementation to enhance buffering capacity, and (iii) the integration of a bioelectrochemical system (BES) into the AcoD recirculation loop. The BES was intended to support VFA removal and enhance methane recovery. Although they temporarily improved the biogas production, none of the strategies ensured long-term pH stability of the AcoD process. The results underscore the synergistic potential of AcoD to enhance methane yields but also reveal critical stability limitations under high-organic-loading conditions in low-buffering rural contexts. Future implementation studies should integrate substrates with higher alkalinity or adjusted organic loading rates to ensure sustained performance. These findings provide field-adapted insights for scaling-up AcoD as a viable renewable energy solution in resource-constrained settings.