THE PROPER AND EFFICIENT MANAGEMENT of our scarce water is of critical importance to everyone on this island whether as visitor or citizen.
Our country is said to be a water scarce country and even if some of us may not grasp the deep significance of that statement we are all aware that we should not be wasting water. It is essential to our survival as human beings and obviously is a key part and parcel of the economic unit which we call our home and country.
Equally important too is the cost of the delivery of potable water to our homes. The harsh fact is that water has to be pumped from underground at great cost to the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) which has to rely on purchasing power from the Barbados Light & Power for pumping purposes.
It is therefore a matter of first importance that the BWA has launched a pilot photovoltaic project at the Golden Ridge pumping station which is the location for a 40-kilowatt system designed to help the BWA stabilise its power requirements from BL&P. This development thereby reduces the cost to the Water Authority of power energy, since it will now be using energy from the sun to provide in part for its energy needs.
Of course, this gives new impetus to the whole idea of renewable energy and it is perhaps ironic that as the price of fossil fuel drops in the market increasingly functional and relevant renewable energy applications are being developed.
In this connection we have noted that an in-house professional has been instrumental in this project. He is Mr Nathan Hart, a BWA engineer and a trained photovoltaic installer who designed and installed the system with the help of the operation and maintenance team at BWA.
We commend this approach; for those who are familiar with the systems for which the alternative energy application is designed are intimately familiar with the daily operations of the host system and can better design the renewable energy applications. Such locally generated expertise must be harnessed for export application in the region.
Such intellectual know-how is a highly prized commodity in more developed countries and as we seek our renewable energy processes at home, we have to strive always to be a world leader in the varied aspects of solar energy.
Dr Atlee Braithwaite, chairman of the BWA board, pointed out that paying for energy costs about $3 million per year. This is the biggest cost the authority has to deal with and we cannot but agree with Mr Hart that this development will have an impact on the country since it will save foreign exchange.
We hope that such greater savings will mean a better deal generally for the authority and for consumers. The project is the kind of initiative which secures our whole-hearted support as the authority continues to face the challenges of delivering an adequate supply of potable water to the consumers in this island.
The entire family of the authority must be congratulated on this achievement and we particularly salute Mr Hart on showing once again that local expertise can rise to the occasion when required.
