Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the People???s Republic of China which has resulted in a donation of 25 000 LED lights and 1000 air-conditioning units to strengthen Barbados??? climate change efforts.

Energy Minister Senator Darcy Boyce signed the agreements with Ambassador of the People???s Republic of China, Wang Ke during a ceremony at Government Headquarters last Friday.

Senator Boyce noted that electricity accounted for a significant percentage of Government???s operating costs with Government???s electricity bill amounting to more than BDS$100 million annually. Of this sum, lighting and air-conditioning accounted for the majority of electricity usage and costs, he explained.

In an effort to reduce these recurring expenses, the Energy Minister said Government intended to retrofit 75 Government-owned buildings with energy efficiency lighting. It is also planned to replace aging and inefficient air-conditioning units which have been identified through energy audits.

Senator Boyce stated: ???It is the view of the Government of Barbados that the utilisation of LEDs would reduce the energy consumption, through lighting, by 50 per cent in Government-owned buildings.???

Replacing the air-conditioning units with more energy efficient models would also assist Barbados in complying with its international obligations to phase out the use of ozone depleting substances, he said.

The electricity saved from the installation of the 25 000 LED tubes and 1 000 air-conditions is estimated at 858,000 kilowatt hour and 1.16 million KWh per year respectively. According to the Minister, this equates to a saving of BDS$1.4 million annually and total savings of BDS$21 million over 15 years.

Senator Boyce noted that Government???s original goal was to attain 29 per cent of electricity generation from renewable energy sources and a 22 per cent reduction in the use of electricity consumption by 2029. On the present path, these goals are now expected to be achieved much earlier, he added.

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