Green Revolution to Outfit Five Public Health facilities with Solar systems

By Deandrea Hamilton

Editor

#TurksandCaicos, September 2, 2023 – The projects toward a more sustainable energy future for the Turks and Caicos Islands have now been identified in partnership with RESEMBID; the European Union’s arm which supports renewable energy interventions in overseas territories.

For the TCI, five health facilities will be made more resilient and less reliant on fossil fuel generated electricity.  Project officer in the islands is Zepherinus Norbert and he named the public sites to benefit.

“There are four components to the project.  Component one is we are going to be installing the solar PV systems. That is roof top, solar PV systems at four clinics:  the Blue Hills Clinic in Providenciales; the Bottle Creek Clinic, in North Caicos, the Middle Caicos clinic and the South Caicos Clinic will receive solar PV systems.  Also, the Wellness Center in Grand Turk.”

Solar power or Solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems will be added to the facilities by December 2023, cutting costs to government and creating energy efficiency and resiliency for the benefit of the public.

“We have gone through procurement and we have secured a contractor and that is Green Revolutions limited, they were the successful bidders.”

Mr. Norbert confirmed that the size of the systems will allow for partial solar electricity, not full.  He called this first component a pilot project which will be monitored by both RESEMBID and the TCI Government through the Ministry of Home Affairs.

“The long-term goal is for everyone in TCI [to go green] because on every rooftop there is a free source of energy,” said Norbert in a one on one with Magnetic Media in August (2023), “so the goal is to provide the necessary policies and regulatory framework to facilitate this transition. Create the public awareness  so that people know where to go, how can I actually participate in this program and then there is the capacity building through training.”

The EU is funding this transition which will also include training and the RESEMBID team explained this means a transfer of skills to benefit the islands long into the future.

“This month (August) is when we will be rolling out the NABCEP training.  NABCEP is the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners, and this training will be online.”

Ten candidates from the community will get this training free; it will make them certified Solar PV installers and designers.

“We are also going to be rolling out the SEI, Solar Energy International programme for ten of the public servants – including the Community College – to be involved and certified in the area of solar design and installation.”

Damian Dickenson, a Turks and Caicos native is the project assistant, commenting that is a full on support for the RESEMBID mission and pleased at the response of islanders.

“We’ve seen a large amount of the public’s willingness to transition, not only the elderly citizens but also the kids. Everyone really has this passion that you don’t really see too often to transition towards green energy, not just with solar but maybe with Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTECH) or wind power as well.”

In the new year, attentions will shift to the next component for RESEMBID and Home Affairs; a strategic street lighting programme.

“Solar street lights will be installed in Providenciales to assist with areas where there are challenges in terms of safety concerns and the whole idea of ensuring that the areas are populated and we demonstrate that it can be done through the use of renewable energy as well.”

RESEMBID has one year to complete the entire project.