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From:TheBahamasWeekly.com Bahamas Information Services Updates
Nassau, The Bahamas – Solar photovoltaic systems may become mandatory to The Bahamas' building code, as the Government shepherds Bahamians through the impact of climate change and the rising costs of global energy prices. The National Energy Policy is designed to guide Bahamians to reduce energy consumption, especially people living in low-income homes.
“This is a programme to encourage Bahamians
to begin to use some of the gifts that God has given us, some of our
natural resources, which is that of solar energy. These solar water
heaters cost between $3,000 and $3,500 each, after installation, and
they themselves can pay for the investment over a two to three year
period,” said Phenton Neymour, Minister of State for the Environment.
“So, again we encourage Bahamians to
use solar water heaters and this is the initiation of our second component
of our energy efficiency programme. The installation was provided for
by the IDB grant and the cost is not affecting the homeowner significantly.”
On June 22 the Ministry of the Environment,
the Ministry of Housing, and the Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC)
began implementing the installation of solar water heaters and solar
photovoltaic systems on government built homes at the Ardastra Gardens
Subdivision, to monitor the effectiveness of the energy efficiency programme.
“The basic requirement for the solar
water heaters and the PV, which is the photovoltaic systems, is basically
that they will be for lower income homes or smaller homes, around the
size or below the size of 2,000 square feet,” said Mr. Neymour.
“We are installing 34 of them in Government
low-cost housing. We’re going to distribute 100 additional solar water
heaters to Bahamians. There will be an equitable system in which we
will use to distribute them,” said Mr. Neymour.
“This is the beginning of that distribution.
We will publicly announce when the general public can submit their names
and applications. Of course there will be a qualification process and
a requirement that they will meet a minimum requirement in order to
qualify for this distribution.”
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