Solar-powered bus sheds for Agricola, 5 other locations

In an effort to “green” the economy, the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) will be injecting its billion budgetary allocation into a series of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in 2017.

One such project is the construction of solar-powered bus sheds at specific locations across the country. According to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GEA, Mahender Sharma, six such structures will be constructed and equipped with Light Emitting Diodes (LED) lights, as well as charging ports for mobile devices.
In fact, he disclosed that one of the bus sheds will be installed shortly at Agricola, Greater Georgetown, so that lights on the Independence Arch there can be powered by solar energy.
“We are going to do some enhanced lighting (on the Agricola Independence Arch) and the power for that will come from solar; so we incorporated a bus shed to house the panels and also provide a social good,” he explained.
Moving forward under the “green initiative”, Sharma outlined that among the energy efficiency programmes the GEA will be embarking on in the New Year is the replacement of inefficient lights and the installation of 10,427 LED lamps and 3766 occupancy sensors in Government buildings, as well as 360 energy efficient outdoor/street lights.
He pointed out that this intervention will result not only in an annual cost savings of about $54 million, but also environmental benefits such as an annual energy savings of 0.93GWh or 600 barrels of oil equivalent and the avoided carbon dioxide emissions of 558 tonnes per year.
On the other hand, the GEA Head noted that the Agency will be partnering with the Public Infrastructure Ministry to replace some 5000 street lamps with LED versions. This, he noted ,will reap a $158 million savings with a simple payback of less than two years.
According to Sharma, efforts will continue to deploy energy efficient lighting technologies with the installation of 20 solar-powered street lights at Agatash, Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and 100 energy efficient LED street lights at Timehri base road, East Bank Demerara. He added too that some 600 photo sensors will be procured to replace defective units on existing street lights.
“These sensors, when they get damaged they leave the street lights on during the day. Every street lights that are left on for that additional 12 hours costs us about $60,000 annually per light,” he noted.
Meanwhile, looking back over the past year, Sharma outlined that GEA has replaced some 65 inefficient street lamps (rated at 250 watts each) with energy efficient LED lamps, rated at 100 watts, and with an estimated lifespan of 15 years.
This, he noted, will reduce the annual energy consumption by about 42MWh thus saving $2.8 million per year with a simple payback period of 1.07 years. Additionally eight solar-powered street lights were also installed to determine applicability on a national scale.
Furthermore, the GEA Head disclosed that with additional funds secured in October 2016 under the renewable energy and energy efficiency programmes, the Agency has commenced the installation of 98.5kW of grid-tied solar photovoltaic systems at schools and public buildings.
Such an investment is expected to save about 136 MWh of energy, as well as about $9 million in electricity charges and avoid about 82 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year.
He went on to say that the GEA has completed Energy Consumption Assessments of 22 buildings and effected energy efficient lighting change-outs and installation of occupancy sensors at six schools.
This installation of 782 lights and 317 occupancy sensors in the schools is expected to save over 35MWh of energy and over $2.44 million annually, along with a simple payback of 1.3 years, he outlined.
Moreover, Sharma said the Agency partnered with the Education Ministry to rehabilitate some 4150 watts of photovoltaic systems to facilitate resumption of the IRI programmes and lighting at several hinterland schools including Moraikobai Primary, 58-Miles Primary, Dredge Creek Primary, Martindale Primary, Kartabo Point Primary, Hackney Primary and Abrams Creek Primary.
Also, he noted that the GEA’s engineers repaired and re-operationalised bio-digesters at Kwakwani Secondary School and a farm in Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).
With funding from Canadian International Development Agency and Latin American Energy Organisation , the GEA Head pointed out that the villages of Powaikoru, Region One (Barima-Waini); Moraikobai, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); and Shulinab, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) received solar powered freezers, solar PV panels, solar dryers, solar water heaters and energy efficient cook stoves to enhance and accelerate the productivity of livelihood activities.