KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information will be saving more than $9 million annually on its electricity bill, from a $136-million energy efficiency project.

Under the project, which was undertaken at the ministry’s head office by the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ), through its Energy Efficiency and Conservation Programme (EECP), the buildings were retrofitted with a solar system that will result in a 34 per cent saving on electricity consumption.

“The system works extremely well, it is very efficient, and makes you work more productively,” said minister with responsibility for the Ministry, Karl Samuda, at the handover ceremony held at his Heroes Circle offices in Kingston yesterday.

“With these kinds of facilities, we are able to work in an environment that offers comfort, to increase productivity,” Samuda added, while lauding the PCJ and detailing the benefits that staff and stakeholders will now enjoy.

It is anticipated that the modifications will enhance the environment and improve staff’s well-being, and promote increased productivity and comfort for users of the building.

For her part, Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Fayval Williams, said the new system will be impactful, and the investment will be safeguarded for the citizens of Jamaica.

 “We are financing a five-year service and maintenance contract to ensure the preservation of the equipment,” the Williams said.

The EECP was established in 2011 to promote cost-saving measures in the public sector through the design and implementation of energy efficiency and conservation interventions and equipment.

Since then, more than 40 entities from the health, finance, education, and security sectors have been retrofitted with energy-efficient air-conditioning systems.