Minister in the Prime Minister???s Office with responsibility for Energy, Senator Darcy Boyce, has challenged the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus to become a centre of excellence for renewable energy.

Speaking today at a ceremony to commission a 12kW Solar Photovoltaic System at the campus, Senator Boyce said that just as Barbados had become a centre of excellence for solar power, he would like to see this extended to photovoltaic systems.

He noted that with the roof space available throughout the campus, the university would be able to use its real estate to generate revenue for itself.

Senator Boyce suggested that the university???s administration make a case to Government to be included in a project which was retrofitting a number of Government buildings with energy efficient technologies.

He added that the project was not just open to buildings within Central Government but also to those which depended on Government for financial support, such as the campus.

Senator Boyce also looked forward to future collaborations between Government and the UWI in a number of research projects, including the use of the ocean for energy generation; a pilot project on electrical vehicles; and a study of the transportation sector.

His ultimate vision, he said, was for Barbados to reach 100 per cent alternative energy. The current projection was that 50 per cent of electricity will be generated from renewable energy sources by 2020.

The solar photovoltaic system at the university falls under the Sustainable Energy Framework project being piloted by Government and the Inter-American Development Bank. The initiative incorporates several projects targeted at increasing energy efficiency and promoting the use of renewable energy to reduce Barbados??? dependence on fossil fuels.

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