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BRIDGETOWN, Barbados -- On October 20, 2012, Solaris Energy Limited opened the Caribbean’s newest and most modern renewable energy manufacturing facility. With this new 8,000 square-foot factory in St Phillip, Barbados, Solaris Energy enhances its 30-year history of providing solar powered products by increasing its production of solar water heaters, expanding its portfolio of products, and reaching out to new international markets.

Solaris Energy’s subsidiary Solaris Global Energy Limited will continue to produce flat plate solar water heaters, including the popular Solaris 500; and add to its product line new vacuum tube solar water heaters and photovoltaic (PV) electricity products and systems.

The factory opening was celebrated with an opening gala attended by Senator Darcy Boyce, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister of Barbados, who also was the featured speaker.

Boyce, who has responsibility for Telecommunications and Energy, Immigration and Invest Barbados, said, “This expanded and upgraded facility [is] helping this country get a little bit closer to realizing the vision of this administration for a dynamic and strong renewable energy sector.”

Citing the need to get solar water heaters into the homes of income groups that generally do not have them now, Boyce spoke about encouraging research and development, marketing and financing of renewable energy and energy efficiency systems made in the region.

“Solaris has already begun this work in research and development as attested by their introduction of new materials, new technology for heat conversion and more flexible sizing of systems,” he added.

Solaris Energy’s efforts fit directly within CARICOM’s Caribbean Renewable Energy Development Programme to remove the barriers to the use of renewable energy and to foster its development and commercialization within the region.

Keith Scotland, chairman of Solaris Energy’s board of directors said the vision of the company is to provide affordable, renewable energy choices, and to show how collaboration between nations is drives greater success.

“We at Solaris Energy are a combination of Bajan innovation and Trini drive and entrepreneurial skill. This is a collaboration to which our group chairman George Nicholas remains committed to developing in order to be model for CARICOM countries in how co-operation between entities of different Caribbean countries is essential to achieve a common goal.”
 


Studies conducted by consultants through the Inter-American Development Bank estimate that Caribbean economies could save approximately 20 percent of electricity needs through energy efficiency. Such savings only may be realized by the adoption of renewable and efficient energy practices.

Solaris Energy’s dedication to energy efficiency will be further evident with the installation of a 50kW PV system at its new factory before the end of this year. The system will generate enough electricity to fully power operations at the factory, plus feed surplus energy into the grid. Solaris Energy will be the first renewable energy products manufacturer in the region to be running fully on renewable energy.

Solaris Energy’s leaders are committed to its mission of alleviating global warming by lessening reliance on fossil fuels for electricity; by increasing the availability of affordable renewable energy products to reduce household electricity expenses; and by developing a competitive and sustainable industry, thereby creating jobs and regional income. All this is aimed at creating a better quality of life and future for all people.

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Giselle:

I am very happy for Barbados and this step they have taken in the field of renewable energy.

I am however saddened by my own Government in Grenada that stood idly by when GRENLEC all but crippled our own fledgling solar power business by the 100% rate hike to those persons who feed the grid with their own solar power.

If that were not enough, the powers that be continue to tout climate change with entourages in the double digits travelling to Copenhagen and Rio for meetings.

I shake my head because we have some of the highest electricity rates in the region and it is now rumored that the little shares our government holds in the only electrical utility company is up for sale. Sigh.