Ross Sheil, Staff Reporter
Irwin High School in St. James is on its way to becoming the first educational establishment in Jamaica to be powered solely by renewable energy.
Funded by the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica (EFJ), the school has ordered 48 photovoltaic (PV) units, sufficient to provide 25 per cent of its electricity needs, at a cost of $7 million.
Principal Aldin Bellinfantie hopes this is the first step to
making the school totally self-sufficient.
"At the moment the school has an electricity bill of $60,000 per month, but once we get all the equipment we need for lessons this is going to be more like $200,000. I am trying, therefore, to eliminate this cost so we can spend this money on materials and teaching," said Mr. Bellinfantie.
Opened in 2004, the school also has plans to establish its own waste water treatment facility, as well as a bio-digester to convert waste from its agriculture unit into gas which can be used by its kitchen.
It was the school's vision of self-sufficiency, together with educating students about the technology, that persuaded EFJ to donate the funds, said Elecia Myers, programme coordinator at the foundation.
Debt-swap agreement
Established by a debt-swap agreement between the United States and Jamaica, the EFJ is mandated to support projects which address the environment, child survival and development. The EFJ issues calls for proposals twice yearly, to which Mr. Bellinfantie replied.
"Having seen that the school is actively trying, and also that it has the potential for other students as well as other schools to learn, we decided that this is a project that fulfils our mandate to encourage more environmentally sound use of resources," said Ms. Myers.
Mikael Oerbekke of the Bluefields, Westmoreland-based Eco-Tech, the company that is supplying the panels, said they should be installed by the end of January.
"It's going to be a great opportunity for this side of the island to get involved and see the potential for solar energy," said Mr. Oerbekke.
- ross.sheil@gleanerjm.com
