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Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Senator Darcy Boyce??

Government has plans under way to soon undertake a systematic public sector energy conservation and energy efficiency programme that will see a number of its buildings retrofitted to reduce its high energy bill.

This was revealed today by Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Senator Darcy Boyce, who pointed out that the programme would commence on a phased basis.

"Already, 15 buildings have been audited, and I wish to encourage the private sector to get on board with this effort, for it is evident that there can be significant savings from such an approach … We will be seeking to replicate the success of the solar water heater industry by the use of roofs for the generation of solar electricity."

Mr. Boyce also disclosed that "Government will be shortly going out to tender for the supply and installation of photo-voltaic panels on the roofs of 20 Government-owned buildings, including several schools.?? We will be seeking to enter into strategic partnerships with energy service companies, which wish to lease the space of Government-owned buildings for the sale of electricity to these buildings and the sale of the excess electricity to the grid."

The Sustainable Energy Framework Project, as it is called, is envisioned to ???promote investments’ in energy efficiency and renewable energy, which will decrease Barbados’ dependency on fossil fuels, improve energy security, reduce energy costs and enhance environmental stability.??

"These objectives will translate into less foreign exchange spent on imports, more efficiency in our economy, and so to more growth; less fluctuation in energy prices, lower carbon emissions into the atmosphere of our country, less usage of our exhaustible resources, and a leg-up in the pursuit of the green economy that we have set as a goal," the Senator stressed.

aisha.reid@barbados.gov.bb

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