Barbados: Green lights to save millions

(Barbados Nation) Government has partnered with Caribbean LED lighting to replace most of the public street lights in Barbados.

Yesterday in the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources, Country Road, St Michael, Minister Wilfred Abrahams and chief executive officer of Caribbean LED Gerard Borely signed the agreement to replace 28 000 high pressure sodium bulbs with LED bulbs, a move estimated to save more than $3.7 million annually as well as help Barbados achieve its goals of eliminating fossil fuel use by 2030 and becoming the first country to use 100 per cent green energy.

The initiative forms the final component one of the public sector smart energy programme, funded jointly by the Euro-pean Union and Inter-American Develop-ment Bank to the tune of almost US $25 million. The other components included an electric vehicle pilot project and ocean energy studies followed by capacity building, institutional strengthening, public education and awareness and project management.