Environmentally
friendly energy
By Kristy Ramnarine
Trinidad Express
Port Spain
Petroleumworldtt.com
09 04 07
Solar heating systems have been installed in bed
and breakfast homes both in Trinidad and Tobago.
The
initiative where electric water heaters in member
host-home facilities will be substituted
with solar water heater systems is part of the
Green Energy T&T solar water heating project
launched last December in Tobago.
The project is a joint effort among the Ministry
of Energy and Energy Industries (MEEI), the Tourism
Development Company Limited (TDC), bpTT and United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
According to the UNDP website, the Tourism (Host
Home) Sector was identified as an appropriate opportunity
to pilot the renewable energy project which is
100 per cent co-funded to a total of US$54,848
among three donors: MEEI, TDC and bpTT.
Five solar water heater systems already have been
installed in Tobago and five in Trinidad with a
further one planned.
That unit will be installed in the Mayaro home
of Harry Pirtheesingh, President, Trinidad Host
Home Association.
He expressed his pleasure with the project, which
he said was both economical and environmentally
friendly. Apart from reducing the use of hydrocarbons,
the project will lead to lower electricity costs.
"Gas and oil, which produces electricity
also produce emissions which are bad for the environment," he
said. "The solar heating system is an alternative
source of energy, which uses the heat from the
sun instead."
Pertheesingh said the solar heating system allows
one to have hot water in their shower without the
use of an electric water heating system.
"Picture
a hot day when you go to a cold shower but the
pipe is exposed to the sun and the
water comes out warm in the first instance before
it runs cold.
"The
unit is made up of a series of pipes. Water comes
through the pipes, which are easy to
transmit heat. A glass over the pipes on the roof
heats the water which then comes down the lines."
The UNDP-implemented Global Environment Facility
- Small Grants Programme (GEF/SGP) facilitated
the development of the pilot project.
The project is 100 per cent co-funded, through
contributions from bpTT, the MEEI and the TDC to
UNDP towards the implementation of the TBBA/THHA
pilot project.
GEF/SGP personnel will have the responsibility
for project oversight and liaison with the donors
and implementing organisations.
Trinidad Host Homes
Chateau Guillaumme, Arima
Home Sweet Home, Fondes Amandes, St Ann's
Leo's Place, Trinicity
Le Grande Almandier, Grande Riviere
Second Spring, Blanchisseuse
Sand Dollar, Mayaro
Tobago Host Homes
Ade's Domicil, Bacolet
Adventure Eco Villas, Arnos Vale
Arnos Vale Apartments, Arnos Vale
King Solomon's Mine, Plymouth and
Lesville, Canaan
Pilot project to inform the
Renewable
Energy Policy for T&T
The Pilot Solar Water Heating Project will be
used to inform any policy prescription involving
the promotion of solar water heating technology
on a national scale.
Vernon de Silva, Director Energy Research and
Planning in the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries
made the statement when he delivered the feature
address at last December's launch in Canaan, Tobago.
"Currently,
the Ministry is undertaking a review of our national
energy policy giving recognition
to the importance of petroleum particularly natural
gas to the economy's future while also placing
major emphasis on broader long term sustainable
developmental strategies in the context of Vision
2020.
"As
a net exporter of petroleum products, the adoption
of renewable energy is being viewed
as part of our overall thrust towards greater energy
conservation. In other words, a strategy to extend
the life of our non-renewable petroleum resources
would be to increase the adoption of renewable
energy."
De Silva said renewable energy development could
also be a means to stimulate the development of
local entrepreneurship and job creation through
installation, maintenance and repair services of
renewable energy equipment and devices.
"Linkages
could also be created between industries involved
in the manufacture of renewable energy
components and other industries in the energy sector,
existing and planned.
However, there must be a framework to all of this
if we are to optimise these potential benefits
to the nation. In recognition of this, the Government
within the context of its commitment to sustainable
development has initiated the development of a
Renewable Energy Policy for Trinidad and Tobago.
One
of the overarching objectives of this pilot project,
therefore, is to inform such policy."
A Monitoring and Evaluation Committee has been
set up to oversee the project.
- Chairman - Dr. Indra Haraksingh
- The Ministry of Education represented by the
Curriculum Coordinator for Science - Henry Saunders;
- The Ministry of Public Utilities and Environment
- Jasmine Gopaul;
- The Tobago House of Assembly - Daniel Nicholson;
- The Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission
- Kavita Deonarine;
- Environment Tobago - Kamau Akili and
- The Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries.
Energy options
Although the energy market is dominated by fossil
fuels-which supply 88 per cent of world primary
energy demand-the energy market fundamentals are
changing.
Cheryl Thomas-Nichols, assistant manager of market
development wrote in the March 2007 National Gas
Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (NGC) Gasco
News magazine:
"The
negative impact of harmful emissions from fossil
fuels, higher oil process and concerns
about security and supply have caused countries
to reconsider their energy policy as it related
to energy supply."
She said by 2030 if the utilisation of fossil
fuels remains at 80 per cent of global demand (as
is predicted by energy experts), the production
of carbon dioxide emissions is expected to increase
by 85 per cent over carbon dioxide emissions in
2000.
"World oil prices may range between $57 and
$94 per barrel and reserves of fossil fuels will
be concentrated in mainly in Middle Eastern countries," she
added.
Thomas-Nichols said it is critical that Caricom
Member States explore opportunities for using their
renewable energy based on the availability of particular
types of renewable resources.
"Renewable resources that are abundant in
the region include hydro, wind and solar energy.
In addition, bio-fuels such as ethanol can be produced
using indigenous renewable raw materials such as
sugar cane," she explained.
"The
potential for wind-energy must be thoroughly
investigated, particularly for the smaller islands,
because of the availability of the technology that
can generate power in the range of 20-60 Mega Watts.
"Solar
heating should be encouraged within the region,
for example, homeowners could be encouraged
to use solar water heaters and coolers instead
of electrical water heaters, as is practiced in
Barbados."
She said in addition to the obvious savings in
foreign exchange earnings, renewable energy also
provides the additional benefit of lower greenhouse
gases.
Trinidad
Express
Wednesday, August 29th 2007
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©2007 Trinidad Express. All Rights Reserved.
