The Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) is spearheading several energy audits on government buildings to determine their levels of electricity consumption and tailor conservation practices that can be adopted.
Head of the GEA Mahender Sharma said that audits have been conducted on over 30 buildings and made reference to the agency’s strategic plan that speaks specifically to such undertakings.
Meanwhile, the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) will be undertaking a similar programme with support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), targeting private businesses.
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, who spoke about this development at an energy forum organised by the GEA last Friday at the Guyana International Conference Centre, highlighted the fact that the intervention is still in its fledgling stages.
Only recently a three-member technical team of specialists from The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in Delhi, India came to Guyana to examine a best practices manual to promote energy management and conservation of rice mills, a technical study to improve sugar production energy efficiency, investments in Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), and demand management and gasifier technology application for sawmills.
In the process they worked along with agencies such as the Guyana Rice Development Board, GEA and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and brainstormed collaboration with governmental and nongovernmental sectors, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.
The energy forum coincided with a series of activities organised by the GEA to observe energy week and promote public awareness on sustainable energy.
As part of the activity, an energy booklet (e-book) was launched and the winners of a schools’ nationwide essay writing competition on the topic, “The Role Sustainable Energy Plays in the Progress of Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy”, were announced.
Ruth Manbodh and Jennifer Alley of the Bishops High copped the first and second prizes respectively while Macalia Griffith of Brickdam Secondary came in third.
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds highlighted the need for citizens to make use of renewable energy and wiser use of energy. He also highlighted the prevailing circumstances with the country’s electricity sector that warranted cheap and reliable energy.
The GEA has been focusing on the potential to develop several renewable energy initiatives. Among them are, solar and wind power, a bio-ethanol plant, bio-gas and solar water heaters, to name a few.
