Gov't, US company partner on solar technology testing project

BY TANESHA MUNDLE Observer staff reporter mundlet@jamaicaobserver.com

Monday, October 10, 2011

GOVERNMENT has partnered with United States-based energy management company, Green RG Management LLC, on a solar technology pilot project aimed at reducing the State's electrcity bill.

The project, which started two years ago, will test the company's new solar technology for street lights, buildings, water pumps and other infrastructure at no cost to the Government.

Under the arrangement with the Department of Local Government, the company will test — for purposes of research and experiment — its new solar technology at two schools, infirmaries, bus parks, stadiums and other selected local government facilities. The company will also be required to effect and provide reports of audits of the piloted energy technological systems every six months to the Government of Jamaica, register the patents for its technology in Jamaica, and share its carbon credits with the Government.

"This project is going to change the face of Jamaica and how we deal with our energy problem. The world is facing an energy crisis and we can do one of two things: We can sit down and complain, or we can get up and do something about it; and the Department of Local Government has got up and has decided to do something about it," said Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Robert Montague.

Montague, who up to recently held the local government portfolio, was at the signing of the memorandum of understanding for the project between Shahine Robinson, state with the responsibility for Local Government, and representatives of Green RG Management at the Department of Local Government offices in Kingston.

Added Montague: "In any experiment things will never go as they ought to. Sometimes they don't go the right way or the way we anticipate and sometimes they go 90 per cent the right way. But, in any which way they go in an experiment, there are valuable lessons to be learnt and Jamaica can learn some valuable lessons".

The company, he said, has already designed a unique street light to replace the three old lights at the Office of the Prime Minister car park. He said it is expected that this will reduce the facility's electricity bill by a minimum of 20 per cent.

The minister also praised the company's chief technical officer, Jamaican-born Oswald Wilson, who had pitched the proposal to Laurence Broderick, the junior minister for energy and mining.

"...We know that you will do everything in your power, with your colleagues, to make it a success," Montague said to Wilson.

Robinson, meantwhile, described the project as timely given the high energy costs many countries are currently facing.

"Globally, public expenditure on research development, demonstration and commercialisation of low emission have been rising in the wake of the cost of energy. Renewable energy is neither a luxury nor a distraction, investing in the right renewable research, infrastructure and regulator environment are key factors that this Government have taken into consideration, " Robinson said. In the meantime Alfred Heyer, managing partner of the solar technology company, explained that the company is currently doing calculations of the different facilities to determine the system that will be most effective. He said installations of the different technologies should start by the middle of next year.

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Gov't, US company partner on solar technology testing project