African Energy
17
New solar energy
plant to be installed
in Barbuda
A 150kWp phase one sun2live ground-mounted
solar power solution is set to save 160 860kg of CO 2
emissions annually.
The government of Antigua and Barbuda (GOAB) is striving towards the realisation of
generating 20% of its electricity from renewable energy resources by the year 2020.
The installation of a 150kWp clean power project on this Caribbean twin islands state, to
be implemented shortly by the clean energy provider PV Energy, marks the first step in
Barbuda towards the final goal of 1MWp.
The grid-connected 150kWp solar energy solution in Barbuda, diligently planned and adjusted to
the site and weather conditions on the island, will generate about 229.9MWh of ‘green’ power
a year and will thus avoid 160 860kg of CO 2 emissions annually. The entire installation of this
first phase, comprising more than 600 polycrystalline photovoltaic modules, will cover an area
of 2 000m 2 and is planned for Antigua’s Public Utilities Authority’s (APUA) property next to the
airport in the west of Barbuda.
“Once again, the implementation of this significant renewable energy project emphasises Antigua
and Barbuda’s pioneering role in terms of becoming one of the greenest electricity sectors
in the whole of the Caribbean,” states Andre Matthias, electricity business unit manager of
APUA. “The ground-mounted 150kWp sun2live solar power generation solution on Barbuda will
further minimise the government’s reliance on expensive and polluting fossil fuels. Additionally,
PV Energy, the Ministry of Energy, and the APUA will be working together to ensure that the
necessary controls are installed with the 150kWp PV system, thus ensuring that the solar system
integrates into the power grid without compromising the stability and security of the network. As
the solar penetration increases to the anticipated 1MWp, batteries would be phased in to assist
with maintaining a very stable power system in Barbuda.” PA
GOAB is striving towards the realisation
of generating 20% of its electricity from
renewable energy resources by the year 2020.
www.plumbingafrica.co.za
May 2017 Volume 23 I Number 3