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New power system in use at research centre
Published: Monday | November 14, 2011 1 Comment
Montague
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Robert Montague, last Friday commissioned a photovoltaic electric power-generating system into service at the Hounslow Research and Demonstration Plot in St Elizabeth.
Montague said the system, which belongs to the National Irrigation Commission (NIC), is a stand-alone solar system which has the capacity to provide all the electricity needs of the research facility, independent of the Jamaica Public Service Company supply.
He explained that the electricity-generating aspect of the project was implemented because of the high energy cost that the NIC has to bear to run its operations.
"The NIC has an annual light bill of $182 million and, therefore, the mandate and charge to the NIC is to examine other areas of their operations that we can convert to renewable energy," the minister said.
Emphasising that he is a firm believer in alternative and renewable sources of energy, Montague said that in some areas where there are NIC pumps, there is a high-wind factor present. He said that wind energy can be utilised to run some of the pumps, and so serious consideration must be given by the NIC personnel to examine where this can be done or where solar energy can be utilised, to reduce the cost of operations of the commission.
Published: Monday | November 14, 2011 1 Comment
Montague
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Robert Montague, last Friday commissioned a photovoltaic electric power-generating system into service at the Hounslow Research and Demonstration Plot in St Elizabeth.
Montague said the system, which belongs to the National Irrigation Commission (NIC), is a stand-alone solar system which has the capacity to provide all the electricity needs of the research facility, independent of the Jamaica Public Service Company supply.
He explained that the electricity-generating aspect of the project was implemented because of the high energy cost that the NIC has to bear to run its operations.
"The NIC has an annual light bill of $182 million and, therefore, the mandate and charge to the NIC is to examine other areas of their operations that we can convert to renewable energy," the minister said.
Emphasising that he is a firm believer in alternative and renewable sources of energy, Montague said that in some areas where there are NIC pumps, there is a high-wind factor present. He said that wind energy can be utilised to run some of the pumps, and so serious consideration must be given by the NIC personnel to examine where this can be done or where solar energy can be utilised, to reduce the cost of operations of the commission.