The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

The University of The Bahamas (UB) is seeking to slash its energy costs by 15 percent via the installation of some 800 solar panels financed by an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) project.

Vakiya Brown, Ano Technology’s business development manager, said the firm is looking to establish the university as a “regional leader in environmental stewardship” as it signed the contract to install the solar panels for $509,000.

She said: “The project will facilitate a comprehensive shift towards renewable energy sources across the UB campus. This includes the installation of cutting-edge solar panels, energy efficient technologies and other sustainable infrastructure. In addition to the physical implementation of renewable energy solutions, the project aims to create educational initiatives and research opportunities for students and faculty.”

The project will implement 800 solar panels throughout UB and cost just over $500,000 in funding from the IDB. “This project will cost in excess of $509,000, so you are looking at about $510,000,” said Marco Rolle, project co-ordinator in the Ministry of Finance.

Delano Arthur, Ano Technology’s managing director, added: “So as it relates to this project within the UB, Ano Technology will deploy over 800-plus solar panels that will be deployed on various rooftops within the UB main campus.

“In order to fulfill this mandate, the project capacity is a 292 kilowatt (KW) system that will be able to assist the University of the Bahamas to, one, mainly reduce its carbon footprint and two, to reduce the cost of energy within the institution.”

UB’s energy costs are expected to be cut by 15 percent once the solar panels have been installed and fully operational. Structured as an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) project, once the first two phases are completed it then goes to the Ministry of Works, the Utilities Regulation & Competition Authority (URCA) and Bahamas Power & Light for their separate approval.

The project cannot start until all approvals are obtained, so there is no start date yet. However, Mr Arthur said it would take “roughly two months” to complete once the go-ahead is received.