– 22 learners, four teachers benefit from renewable energy

AS part of its commitment to providing reliable and sustainable energy solutions to all citizens of Guyana, the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) recently carried out the installation of a new 3.3kWp solar photovoltaic (PV) system at the Low Wood Primary School, which is located on the banks of the Demerara River.

The overall cost of the system amounted to G$3.5 million. The installation exercise commenced on January 15 and concluded on January 17, 2024.

In response to reports of a malfunctioning system, a group of GEA engineers conducted an assessment at the school on January 10. Multiple concerns were noted, such as non-replaceable depleted batteries, a faulty inverter, and other components that need upgrading to handle the current load.

According to GEA Energy Engineer, Samuel Blackman, a load refers to any appliance or device that consumes electricity, such as lights, refrigerators, water dispensers, and microwaves, to name but a few.

Blackman emphasised the necessity of conducting a load analysis in order to correctly dimension the photovoltaic components of the school’s system and ascertain the electrical needs of the structure.

He said: “You do not want to oversize or undersize the components of a PV system. Proper sizing is important so the system can fulfill the load requirements of the building. It is the individual loads that add up to size a system appropriately.”

From the load analysis assessment, the primary school was successfully equipped with a 3.3kWp (kilowatt ‘peak’ power output) system, that includes a battery capacity of 19.2kWh (kilowatt hour) and inverter capacity of 5kW (kilowatts).

The installation of this solar system will ensure a sufficient supply of electricity, facilitating the use of various electrical appliances and equipment such as fans, photocopiers, water dispensers, six 4ft LED lights, laptops, and network devices for internet connectivity within the primary school. Blackman nostalgically recounted how a group of learners eagerly congregated around the water dispenser as soon as the school regained power.

Additionally, both learners and teachers conveyed great appreciation and gratitude for the chance to utilise solar energy.

The Guyana Energy Agency continues to advance renewable energy management, conservation, and energy-efficient initiatives that are easily accessible and beneficial to the public.

The Agency, governed by the Guyana Energy Agency Act 1997 (Act No. 31 of 1997) that has been amended over the years, remains steadfast in its mission to ensure the rational and efficient use of imported petroleum-based energy sources while encouraging, where economically feasible and environmentally acceptable, increased utilisation of indigenous new and renewable sources of energy, for instance, installations of solar PV systems.