Over $480M in energy cost saved annually after gov’t switched to solar – GEA CEO

The government’s move to transition towards greater renewable energy use has seen a big boost in savings.

Over the last seven years, the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) facilitated the installation of more than five megawatts (MW) of new solar panels on the roofs of 287 government buildings resulting in annual savings of $488 million.

This is according to the GEA’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr. Mahender Sharma.

In his presentation at a virtual conference titled, ‘Renewable Energy and Guyana: Opportunities for Investment’, on Thursday, hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham), Dr Sharma disclosed that the project commenced in 2012 and also saw the avoidance of 6,023 tons of carbon emissions annually.

“These are grid-connected systems at the top of government buildings that do not always require batteries so the costs are much lower,” the CEO pointed out.

So far, on those 287 buildings, 4.753 (MW) capacity were installed, generating a total of 7,831.07 (MW) annually. Those buildings equipped include the Education Ministry Building in Region #3, the Leonora Fire Station, the National Insurance Scheme in Anna Regina and Leonora, and the Golden Grove Secondary School along with the Bartica Hospital.