The Tribune

By ANNLIA NIXON

Tribune Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas is preparing to expand the installation of roof-top solar energy to more government facilities, including the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology’s offices, as part of a broader push to modernise energy infrastructure and reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels.

The proposed expansion was announced by JoBeth Coleby-Davis, minister of energy, utilities and aviation, announced the proposed expansion during the commissioning for a 291 kilowatt (KW) rooftop solar system at the University of The Bahamas’ Oakes Field campus. This was billed as the largest operational renewable energy asset completed under the European Union (EU) grant programme administered by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

“As we look to the future, proposed plans also include roof-top solar installations at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology headquarters, extending renewable energy deployment across the Government’s public building facility,” Mrs Coleby-Davis said.

The UB installation is part of the ‘Reconstruction with resilience in the energy sector in The Bahamas’ programme, an initiative financed through an IDB loan plus an $8.2m EU grant aimed at rebuilding and strengthening the country’s energy system in the wake of 2019’s Hurricane Dorian.

The entire project nationwide is expected to generate approximately 467.5 Mega Watt (MW) hours of electricity annually while eliminating an estimated 335 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year, according to the IDB’s Bahamas country representative, Shirley Gayle.

“The University of The Bahamas roof-top solar installation is significant as the largest roof-top solar project completed under the EU grant programme administered by the IDB, and it is also the largest operational renewable energy asset supported to date by the programme,” Ms Gayle said.

The commissioning also marked the completion of rooftop solar systems at C.I. Gibson Senior High School, C.H. Reeves Junior High School, the Carmichael Road Post Office and Library, and the Elizabeth Estates Post Office, along with battery energy storage infrastructure at the Blue Hills power station.

Jazmine Romer-Rolle, a BPL spokesperson, said the projects represent “tangible investments in cleaner energy, stronger public infrastructure and a more resilient Bahamas”.

Oral Lafleur, programme co-ordinator of the renewable energy project execution unit, said the initiative is only the beginning of a larger renewable energy roll-out.

“Implementation is progressing on additional renewable energy initiatives across the country, including community solar projects, another investment that will further strengthen the national energy infrastructure,” Mr Lafleur said. “The country’s transition to renewable energy is not simply a vision for the future, but it is already happening one project, one partnership, one investment at a time.”

The programme also includes solar microgrids for critical facilities in the Family Islands, battery energy storage systems (BESS), workforce development and technical assistance designed to improve grid reliability and climate resilience.

Aniceto Rodriguez Ruiz, the EU representative, highlighted one such project now underway at the Coopers Town Medical Clinic in Abaco, where a 300 kilowatt (KW) solar microgrid is being installed to support both the clinic and the surrounding community.

UB is expected to play a central role in developing the workforce needed to support the country’s energy transition. Allyson Maynard Gibson KC, its Board chair, said students are already building solar panels, inverters and a prototype solar-powered aquaponic system through hands-on coursework.

“They’re going beyond simply learning about energy systems,” Mrs Maynard-Gibson said. “They’re building them, testing them and making them work.” Mrs Coleby-Davis said the university should become a hub for training future energy professionals, engineers and policymakers.

“This solar roof-top is a monument to our resilience, a classroom for our students, and a declaration to the world that The Bahamas is not just a victim of climate change but a leader in the global solution,” she said.

Mrs Coleby-Davis argued that renewable energy has become an economic as well as environmental priority for the archipelago. “Every kilowatt generated by these panels is a kilowatt we don’t have to import,” she said. “It is money that stays in the Bahamian economy.”

Prime Minister Philip Davis KC framed the investments as part of a long-term nation-building strategy. “Energy is foundational to national development,” Mr Davis said. “It determines how effectively we educate our children, how reliably we deliver healthcare and how competitive our businesses can be.”

Mr Davis said the Government will continue strengthening critical energy infrastructure as the country faces increasing climate risks and seeks greater energy security.

“Sustainability is no longer separate from growth,” he said. “It is essential to it.” With additional rooftop solar projects now under consideration and community solar initiatives advancing, officials say the commissioning at UB signals a shift from pilot projects to a broader national deployment of renewable energy infrastructure across The Bahamas.