Solar Power: A New Reality

Solar panels: will this be the new design on Saint Lucian residences?

[dropcap]W[/dropcap]ith the passing of Hurricane Florence through the Carolinas, startling news was presented shortly after. While most residents who were reliant on electricity from non-renewable resources, such as coal, were without power for almost two weeks, solar farms sustained little to no damages and were up and running within days of the powerful storm. Furthermore, reports stated that coal-fired plants which sustained heavy damage, also flooded into nearby rivers and waterways. These accounts highlighted two key elements in the battle for renewable energy: firstly, renewable energy sources may be less vulnerable to natural disasters; secondly, they have little to no negative environmental impact on the land and people, very much unlike coal and gas.

While the world is beginning to be awed by renewable energy sources such as solar energy, this phenomenon is not new to our country. We used it at first merely for heating our water, but solar panels on the tops of houses in Saint Lucia were, in some ways, a common sight. Now, there are several solar companies based on-island and it begs the question: If we were ahead of the curve, why are we now behind? In my opinion, solar power in Saint Lucia remains in the hands of those who can make a large investment in the long term. For those who at some points cannot even afford the cost of electricity services, investing a large sum into solar panels is not a possibility, even though in the long term it will be consistently cheaper than traditional electricity.

Initiatives such as Akon’s ‘Lighting Africa’ project, (a public-private partnership that provides solar solutions to rural villages, schools and health centres) is exactly the type of project that would make the use of renewable energy common to the common man. While we have made some strides with the recently opened solar farm in La Tourney, Vieux Fort, we still have yet to address the economic barriers that block our citizens from being a part of our intended green future. Hope may lie with the introduction of the Caribbean Climate Accelerator and our region as the newly debuted testing ground for climate-resilience. Perhaps in 5-10 years solar power could very well be in every household. Or, as we have seen before, it might only be in the households that can afford it. Only time will tell.

Helen’s Daughters

Helen’s Daughters is a Saint Lucian non-profit with a special focus on rural women’s economic development through improved market access, adaptive agricultural techniques, and capacity-building. It was formed in 2016 in a winning proposal for UN Women’s Empower Women Champions for Change Program. To learn more about the initiative, you can visit:

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