Guyana going green… Solar energy is the future focus for Govt.

Guyana going green… Solar energy is the future focus for Govt. – Minister Ferguson

Mar 03, 2018 News

Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson has called on persons dealing in electrical supplies to ensure that their products comply with the requirements of the Guyana Electrical Inspectorate (GEI) and National Bureau of Standards.
Speaking at the opening of the 5th annual electrical conference at the Umana Yana on Thursday, the minister declared that Guyana is going green and is looking towards solar energy.
The Minister noted that for far too long, persons have been hearing of homes destroyed by fire, and most of the times it is not a Guyana Power and Light problem, but faulty electrical products sold by stores across the country.
“There are circuits, switches and panels, etcetera, so faulty, that when electrical current passes through them, they get overheated and burst into flames,” Ferguson stated.
She noted that it has been reported that there are a number of persons going around the country, calling themselves electrical contractors, when they know they are not certified by the GEI.
The conference was held under the theme: ‘Embracing a Green Energy Sector to Power a Green Economy’.
According to the Minister, solar energy is really the future for Guyana.
“Although it has few cons, like the cost of deploying panels, large acres of land required for the deployment of solar energy plants and for capturing the energy coming from the sun, these can be overcome easily with the advancements in technology,” the Minister posited.
She said that the government will invest more in solar energy so that new technologies like smaller panels and collectors, which won’t require much space, could be used.
“The Government of Guyana will lead the way in transitioning towards greater renewable energy use. Every government building, including hospitals and schools will, within the next five years, be utilizing alternative sources of energy. Energy-saving devices will be encouraged in order to promote energy conservation. We will also be offering incentives to catalyze private investment in renewable energy,” Ferguson noted.
According to the Guyana Energy Agency, in 2017, with oversight from GEA, 178.5kW of new solar photovoltaic (PV) installations have been completed.
Stakeholder Management Coordinator (ag) of the Ministry of the Presidency’s Department of the Environment, Aretha Forde, explained that “going green is not about a colour, but rather, a concept.
She explained that the rest of the world is embracing a ‘green economy’ and in order for Guyana to advance, as we all would like to see, we need to get on board.”
She further noted that the ‘Green State Development Strategy’ is intended to be Guyana’s long-term national development plan.
“This development plan will go along a green pathway. It will help us to realise green economies. The green economy is our final destination,” Forde explained.

Photo: Electrical meeting
Caption: Attendees at the 5th annual electrical conference at the Umana Yana

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