Anatol Rodgers High School is going solar. Thanks to an $850K grant from the Italian Ministry of the Environment, Land and Seas (IMELS), the school now has the distinction of being the first government owned institution in the country to utilize this energy resource.

The Anatol Rodgers High School Energy Retrofits Project was launched October 23 as part of a Regional Programme funded by the Government and people of Italy.

The Hon. Jeffrey Lloyd, Minister of Education, deemed it an honour and privilege that this milestone was being celebrated.

Minister Lloyd said The Bahamas is the first country to have completed this initiative which was established through the cooperation and partnership of Ministry of Environment, Land and Seas, Italy (IMELS) the contribution of the United States of America and the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (5Cs).

“I don’t think you could have chosen a more propitious facility than the Anatol Rogers School which is one of only two comprehensive schools in our system, certainly in the urban centres, and one that occupies a significant space in terms of the physical structure on the campuses in the south west. It is a school, because of the nature of its infrastructure that it lends itself more beneficially to the implementation of this project.

“The Commonwealth of The Bahamas is very committed to the ascension of renewable energy in our space here in our country with the intention that within the next 10 years some 30 per cent of the energy produced in this country comes from renewable sources.

“It is a significant achievement for us as that one of the first places that we would have such a demonstration of that commitment is among our young people who now have a manifested reality of what potential exists in the operation and manifestation of renewable energy in our own society.”

He expressed thanks to the government of Italy for the outstanding contribution.

Dr. Colin Young, Executive Director, 5Cs, remarked that it is noteworthy that The Bahamas is the first country to have completed the retrofitting of the school with energy conservation measures and the installation of solar PV.

He said the project is contributing to the fulfilment of the Government’s commitment to support and pursue low-carbon economy.

“The Anatol Rodgers High School was selected because of its facilities, its energy use and solar PV potential. Furthermore, the high school is the only public school on New Providence that provides education to approximately 1,250 junior high and senior high school students and has a faculty of approximately 90 teachers,” said Dr. Young.

The project includes among others the installation of rooftop solar PV array, exterior lighting control system, vacancy sensors in all classrooms, computer labs, and lounges to control lights and ceiling fans, programmable thermostats throughout the building and low-flow lavatory aerators to improve water-use efficiency.

As a result of these interventions, students have a tangible example to see, interact with and incorporate into their learning environment and the school is now benefitting from electricity savings.