MINISTER with responsibility for Energy, Mr. David Patterson, is passionate about green energy. “We have to stop our dependence on mechanical generation…I have a few ideas on solar,” Patterson told a recent forum of regional officials.According to the Government Information Agency (GINA), he explained that in the hinterland, the overall cost for solar energy is about US$0.7 cents per watt. “The Hinterland Electrification Project is doing 65 watt panels which works out to about $80,000 for a solar panel that will light two 40 watt lamps, a cellular phone charger, and one radio and they’re reasonably accessible”.

The solar photovoltaic (PV) panels usually have a twenty-year life span.

He encouraged Regional Democratic Councillors to budget for the acquisition of some of these solar panels, which will best serve their communities, rather than waiting on Central Government to acquire them. “Do not depend on Government alone to do that, …it’s cheaper to put solar on a far flung house rather than run a line,” Minister Patterson advised the councillors.

He also outlined an additional investment which can be looked at to bring electricity to an entire community. “We can also look at large panels that can produce 3,500 kilowatts, which can power an entire building. With batteries and everything, it could cost the Region approximately US$28,000, which will take you off the grid, powering most of your daily consumption. A 1.5 megawatt solar panel would cost about US$12M that would power a small town, for example Bartica…it’s a solar panel,” the minister said.

The minister added that, considering what is being paid monthly to the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) for power, the investment is a worthwhile one, which will see the Region functioning economically over a five-year period. It would allow saving much needed cash which can be spent to develop another area of the Region. “I’m looking at a new grid system which will reduce the cost on solar panels from US$0.8cents to US$0.3 cents per kilowatt hour…you put up a large solar panel, it powers your battery during the day and at nights you switch it off and utilise power from the line (GPL’s),” he said.

The minister explained that with this new system, you can be able to sell your excess power to the grid which would be generated from the solar panel.

Minister Patterson indicated that those were some of the issues that he will challenge Regional Councils to examine, as the entire thrust of the ministry is to remove complete dependence on Central Government.