Government moving ahead with public buildings’ renewable energy switch

Government is set to flip the switch on a drive to power all public buildings with renewable energy, officials declared Friday as the national technical school became the first ‘energy champion’ after extensive green energy retrofitting.

The development comes as Government races to meet its self-imposed deadline to transform Barbados into a fully green energy economy in nine years.

The Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute (SJPI) of Technology has been fitted with 102 kilowatts of solar photovoltaic panels on the roofs of its Pine, St Michael complex.

During the ceremony that was attended by numerous key officials, Minister of Energy Kerrie Symmonds revealed that government buildings account for approximately one-fifth of the country’s energy consumption.

“It is not only about the buildings themselves,” he declared. “It is about building capacity and sensitising the public and it’s also about starting some studies on critical areas like e-vehicle technology, e-mobility, which is really just moving the whole country towards electronic transportation target, which is also 2030.

“And that will in itself mean that over the next 10 years or so, we are going to be having to change out a fleet in this country of over 120,000 vehicles.”

The current phase of the project cost $52.8 million (US $26.4 million). (KS)