Ghana's Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has opened this year's 4th Renewable Energy Fair, which is being organised by the Energy Commission, in Accra.

The three days' Fair, which is under the theme: 'Exploiting Renewable Energy Resources at the District Level', started on Tuesday October 9, and ends Thursday October 11, 2018.

The Fair has brought together exhibitors from Ghana's power sector, as well as those from other West African countries, Renewable Energy Researchers, representatives of International Energy Agency, representatives from African Development Bank (AfDB) and Civil Society Organisations in the energy sector in the sub-region.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia commended the Energy Commission for collaborating with the Ministry of Energy by ensuring that the Fair is institutionalised as an annual event.

"I'm glad that this annual Fair has shaped the conversation on integrating renewable energy into the country's energy mix. I'm also informed that the Fair serves as a platform for collaboration between Government, Private and Civil Society," Dr Bawumia indicated.

Touching on the importance of renewable energy, he said, "One key advantage of the renewable energy is that it enables access to electricity for communities, especially farming communities and farms that are located far from national grid.

"Access to off grid electricity means that they can participate in wealth creation through their farming and related activities of agro processing. In the case of Planting for Food and Jobs, for example, renewable energy, in the form of solar or wind power water pumps, could be used to guarantee all year-round farming," he added.