The Regional Administration of Region Eight (Potaro/Siparuni) recently installed two solar panels with accessories valued some $1.5 million at Mahdia primary and nursery schools.
A press release from the Office of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) said the panels and accessories will replace the dry cell (torchlight) batteries which operate the CD players and other audio/visual apparatus used in the schools.
According to the release, District Education Officer Ronald Dublin said that the Department of Education had been supplying dry cell batteries to the schools through the RDC to assist with the Interactive Radio Instruction (IRI) programme for pupils from Grades 1 to 3 and for those in the nursery schools for the ‘Hooked on Phonics’ programme but the exercise was very costly. However, the use of the solar panel system proved reliable.
And Regional Executive Officer Ishwar Dass said that the administration has installed solar panels and accessories in primary schools in the North Pakaraimas at Monkey Mountain, Kato and Kamana and at Paramakatoi Nursery School. It is the intention of the Regional Administration to supply every school in the region with alternative energy so that pupils in the far-flung areas can benefit equally from IRI as pupils in other areas.
Meanwhile, efforts are being made to provide electricity by use of wind turbines to Campbelltown and solar power to Kaibarupai and Waipa through the Rural Electrification Programme at the Office of the Prime Minister, the release stated.
Apart from Kurukubaru, a beneficiary of the Rural Electrification Programme, where the entire village is supplied by solar power and Mahdia which has a regular supply of electricity during the evenings and in some areas during the day, no other village has a scheduled electrification system, the release noted.
Congratulations! to Regional Executive Officer Ishwar Dass and the RDC of Region Eight (Potaro/Siparuni) for going eco-friendly. I was in Madhia when an elaborate solar system was installed and commissioned (by Dr. Richard van-West Charles) at the hospital. This provided invaluable support for the refrigerator to maintain the cold chain for vaccines, some pharmaceuticals and adequate illumination for the hospital. However, its components need monitoring as a simple leaf with moisture can destroy photo cells by conducting electricity. Good luck! to the children and congratulations to all those who were responsible for making this happen.
Excellent! This is the way to go! We have all the sunshine that we need to power all of our schools. If we start with schools, sooner rather than later, we will have solar power homes.
Berbice needs some solar power panels to help to alleviate the continuous blackouts there – 103 blackouts so far for 2009 according to Mr Suseran’s Berbice Blackout Counter at http://www.leonjsuseran.webs.com. Right now RHT has a blackout.
Power back on in RHT, but low voltage.