APS: Green technology sitting in storage

Thu, Jan 31st 2013, 10:55 AM

A trove of renewable energy products arranged for by the government has been sitting in storage for over more than two years, Guardian Business can reveal. At least 130 solar water heaters and 33 solar electricity systems were brought into the country back in October 2010, according to Guilden Gilbert, vice president of Alternative Power Solutions (APS). The shipment, worth an estimated $600,000, was facilitated through a renewable energy grant from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Since then, only 19 solar water units have been installed in an Ardastra Gardens subdivision.

"Our responsibility was to supply the materials. We were awarded the supply tender," Gilbert explained. "Late last year they asked for bids for the installation of all the components. We are waiting now to see who won that bid. The equipment has just been sitting in storage." It is unclear whether the $600,000 worth of equipment was outright paid for by the IDB through a grant, or whether the government took out a loan. APS, a domestic leader in renewable energy, said it doesn't know why the equipment has been left untouched for more than two years.

"That is something the Ministry of Environment and Housing will have to advise on," Gilbert said. A stockpile of green technology gathering dust could come in handy considering the ministry's recent comments concerning the Bahamas Mortgage Corporation (BMC). Kenred Dorsett, minister of the environment and housing, said in the House of Assembly yesterday that there would be a renewed focus on incorporating these solutions into future building projects. Chairman of BMC Alex Storr told Guardian Business that the plan is to place green technology in new government housing.

And for those in good financial standing, BMC wants to provide financing to install solar water heaters, conventional solar panels and solar air conditioning units. "I think this will create a new boom. I don't have the exact figures, but the systems we're looking at are under $10,000. Placing that on top of a 20-year mortgage is quite affordable," he explained. Storr said such a system could take care of a household's "complete needs", eliminating its need to be on the gird of Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC).

BEC has projected a loss of $18 million for its 2012 fiscal year, according to its chairman Leslie Miller. The public entity is grappling with crippling debt, the cost of which has been passed on to consumers. Bahamians are responsible for energy bills that are often three times higher than residents in nearby Florida. "People will see savings in the end through these solutions. The systems pay for themselves quite quickly," Storr added. "We are speaking to local and foreign companies about installation. I except the minister will make an announcement shortly." Whether the government will use any of the existing equipment that has been sitting in storage of more than two years remains to be seen.

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