Coconut husks with the shells attached are potential bioenergy resources for fuel-constrained communities in Ghana. In spite of their energy potential, coconut husks and shells are thrown away or burned raw resulting in poor sanitation and environmental pollution. This study focuses on quantifying the waste proportions, calorific values and pollutant emissions from the burning of raw uncharred and charred coconut wastes in Ghana. Fifty fresh coconuts were randomly sampled, fresh coconut waste samples were sun-dried up to 18 days, and a top-lit updraft biochar unit was used to produce biochar for the study. The heat contents of the coconut waste samples and emissions were determined. From the results, 62–65% of the whole coconut fruit can be generated as wastes. The calorific value of charred coconut wastes was 42% higher than the uncharred coconut wastes. PM2.5 and CO emissions were higher than the WHO 24 h air quality guidelines (AQG) value at 25 °C, 1 atmosphere, but the CO concentrations met the WHO standards based on exposure time of 15 min to 8 h. Thus, to effectively utilise coconut wastes as sustainable bioresource-based fuel in Ghana, there is the need to switch from open burning to biocharing in a controlled system to maximise the calorific value and minimise smoke emissions.
a b s t r a c tRenewable energy technologies offer many advantages in sub-Saharan Africa, but widespread deployment will require strong endogenous innovation capabilities. Universities in general and doctoral research in particular play a key role in tailoring technologies to local contexts and equipping future educators, policymakers and entrepreneurs with relevant skill sets. This capacity assessment of four sub-Saharan African universities identifies common functional capacity deficits in their renewable energy PhD programmes: (1) highly centralised institutional arrangements, (2) lack of accountability for supervisors, (3) tendency to produce low-impact research, and (4) poor physical infrastructure, particularly internet access. However, this cross-institutional comparison also highlights low-or no-cost capacity-building strategies that are being piloted within the four universities, including joint supervision policies, weekly seminar programmes, the establishment of specialist centres to engage stakeholders and the introduction of internal monitoring processes. These results suggest that, despite limited resource envelopes and with mutual learning, there is substantial scope to enhance the quality of renewable energy doctoral programmes in sub-Saharan African universities.
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