Invest in renewable energy

— tech specialist urges public, private sectors

By Rabindra Rooplall

THE public and private sectors should readily invest in renewable energy to improve efficiency and productivity since solar and wind power are runaway

leaders in terms of energy investment.

This sentiment was shared by President of STARR Computer Inc, Michael Mohan during an interview with World Wide Fund (WWF) on Guyana’s observation of Earth Hour, which is slated to be held on Saturday.

Earth Hour is an annual global initiative organised by WWF to raise awareness about climate change.In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Mohan said in Guyana, solar energy is a most practical and economical application to employ.He said a decade ago, STARR Computer which has been in the technology business for over 20 years, decided to invest in solar and wind turbine hybrid system and that has saved the company 49 per cent of expenditure it paid out to the Guyana Power Light (GPL).

Mohan explained that renewable energy is reliable, clean and, safe. While its upfront capital cost may be considered high, a cost benefit analysis has shown that the investment can be recovered from savings over five years of use in Guyana.And, with a 20+ years guarantee on the solar panels, consumers get 15 years of free energy usage thereafter.

Furthermore, if legislation is passed to allow a return of excess power to the local electrical grid via a smart Inverter, then this new incentive will substantially and additionally reduce the cost and increase savings.Underscoring that this will help Guyana to reduce its foreign exchange depletion and reduction in the carbon footprint, Mohan said the company hosts many free educational sessions, seminars and field trips to the public at its facilities at 59 Brickdam, Georgetown.

The free seminar includes 45 minutes of presentation in its training room, a field trip to its solar showroom, and, its roof garden for a demonstration of its wind turbine and sun-tracking solar panel installation.He said participants continue to express a high degree of appreciation and excitement for this initiative taken by STARR in leading the way for a cleaner source of energy.

In explaining the changes made by the company in order to benefit from renewable energy, Mohan said the hybrid system harnesses 13 Kilowatt of energy.That amount, he said gives STARR Computer 76 Kilowatt hours per day. This was achieved by upgrading the air-conditioning system to the highest efficiency and energy saving units.

In addition, heat extracting turbines in the roof and using all LED lights and appliances contributed to the overall savings.He said the capital investment was recovered in nine years, but with the present prices for solar panels and energy efficient items, this can be lowered.Mohan asserted that the energy industry can contribute to economic growth in Guyana in two ways. First, energy is an important sector of the economy that creates jobs and value by extracting, transforming and distributing energy goods and services throughout the economy.

Secondly, energy is an input for nearly all goods and services. In many countries, the flow of energy is usually taken for granted. But price shocks and supply interruptions can shake whole economies.“Lower energy prices reduce expenses for consumers and businesses, increasing disposable income that can be spent in other ways. Second, lower energy prices reduce input costs for nearly all goods and services in the economy, thus making them more affordable,” Mohan explained.

In further explaining the benefits, Mohan said energy-related jobs can be placed in three categories: (1) Direct jobs are held by individuals who are employed or contracted by firms in the sector to produce and deliver energy products to consumers, (2) Indirect jobs represent positions created in industries that supply the energy industry with goods and services, and (3) Induced jobs result from the salaries paid to workers in the first two groups.People directly and indirectly employed in the energy industry spend their incomes and create demand for goods and services, thus increasing aggregate demand and employment in unrelated industries.

“By virtue of going green and energy efficient, our products reflect that value and consumers buy into the savings because we keep away from refurbished product in totality even though it may come with bargain prices,” he related.

STARR has partnered with a group of international manufacturers and engineers, and, local financial Institution to find ways and means to make renewable energy affordable, reliable and safe for all in Guyana.