Polytechnic, green energy firm in new solar power startup

A major jumpstart in renewable energy engineering at the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic Institute (SJPI) is set to get underway with a subsidiary of Barbados Light and Power’s parent, Emera.

Emera Caribbean Renewables Ltd (ECRL) has agreed to help train SJPI students on a startup that will see the commissioning of a one megawatt rooftop solar photovoltaic farm by CloudSolar Inc at Guinea Plantation, St. John.

The project, one of the largest rooftop solar installations on the island, is expected to deliver enough electricity to power 700 households a year. According to Neilsen Beneby, Renewable Energy Manager at Emera Caribbean, capacity building of green energy is one of the company’s top goals.

“Capacity building in Barbados is one of the key initiatives that we want to support as the country moves towards its 2030 goal of energy sustainability.

“It’s one thing to install a lot of renewable systems, diversify technologies and have investment inside country, but it’s going to be most important for the country, for having the next generation, which is the students of the SJPI, to have that practical on the job training, so they can take the industry forward, even beyond 2030.”

Government has set 2030 as the date to transform Barbados into a 100 per cent renewable energy economy.

Beneby added: “We are really looking forward to working together with SJPI on this, and we welcome the next step for assisting the future generation in learning best practices for putting their theory into practice, and them being with an employer who would help get them ready for companies they want to open up, or if they want to move onto bigger and better things.”

SJPI Principal Ian Drakes said at the launch that the solar farm will give students muchneeded experience in the burgeoning green energy industry.

“We are confident at the SJPI that the training provided will ensure that our students can enter work with skills, and make a meaningful contribution from Day One,” he said. “We are looking forward to a long and fruitful relationship with ECRL.

“We want to be able to answer the students after they graduated from SJPI, and they have their wonderful certificate, say what is next. What is next is the opportunity after job attachment, job placement [and] employment in this dynamic industry.” (SB)