Govt to conduct energy audits, takes advantage of renewable energy options

Govt to conduct energy audits, takes advantage of renewable energy options

Grant of $900,000 received from Italian government to retrofit TG Glover

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – A grant of $900,000 was received from the Italian Government to retrofit the T. G. Glover Primary School with renewable energy, Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis revealed in his national address to the nation on Monday night.

T.G. Glover is one of the largest government-operated primary schools on New Providence, with some 700 students enrolled.

The move to retrofit the school with renewable energy is just one of several initiatives that the government has taken to make use of renewable energy sources at government schools and buildings.

The prime minister revealed on Monday that request for proposals for energy audits have also been conducted at the House of Assembly, C.I. Gibson Senior High, Uriah McPhee Primary, Doris Johnson Senor High, Customs Headquarters, C.V., Bethel Senior High, and the Ministry of Education Headquarters.

These energy audits will include the scope of works for the tendering process to engage suitable firms to perform renewable energy and energy efficiency retrofits to these buildings by 2020, the prime minister said.

He also noted that Bahamas Power and Light has developed a strategy for the Family Islands to incorporate renewables in generation in an additional three islands per year, starting from 2020.

“Priority is currently being given to conducting technical feasibility studies for facilities to be installed on Andros, Inagua and Bimini,” he said. “In Grand Bahama, the Grand Bahama Power Company held a ground-breaking ceremony for a 3.5 MW solar utility facility that is expected to go online by the end of 2019.”

Meanwhile the prime minister said there are limitations on the size of the system that can be approved for each island.

BPL, he said, is aggressively working on completing a renewable energy plan that will be submitted to its regulator this year to allow for the installation of larger systems.

Earlier this year, a solar car park was recently opened at the Thomas A. Robinson National Track and Field Stadium, which includes a high powered, rapid-charge, electric vehicle car charging station.