St Ann businessman powers up prep school
Published:Saturday | May 14, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Carl Gilchrist, Gleaner Writer
OCHO RIOS, St Ann
ST ANN BUSINESSMAN Dean Burrowes has started a project aimed at ensuring that several schools in St Ann become energy independent by using solar-powered energy.
Burrowes, manager of Dunn's River Videos Limited, recently donated and installed solar panels that will transmit energy to run the St John's Preparatory school in Ocho Rios, leaving it with a minimal Jamaica Public Service (JPS) bill each month.
"The school has become more economically viable," Burrowes told The Gleaner in a recent interview. "Approximately one textbook can be bought every two days with savings from its JPS bill," he suggested.
Burrowes said: "It's my intention to do at least nine more schools in St Ann. I might beg and borrow money to do it but I think it benefits the children and the children will grow up to be the future of Jamaica, that's how I see it. And if it works in one parish, then it can work in all the parishes."
School principal Pauline Nicholas said she was quite happy for the donation.
"Seeing a reduction in our JPS bill is the greatest thing because we usually have a high electricity bill, sometimes over $50,000 per month," said the principal.
She added: "We're looking forward to see the decrease in our electricity bill as we have so many things we could use that extra money (to do). Currently, we have an unfinished building that we need to finish. There is also the educational benefits as we will be able to alert the kids and even some parents about the use of solar energy."
Nicholas said she was happy that the 50-year-old institution, with over 260 students and 26 staff members, was the first to benefit from the initiative.
System works perfectly
The panels were installed at the school two weeks ago and, according to Burrowes, the system is working perfectly.
Burrowes had previously installed a solar-energy system at his home when, according to him, it dawned on him that it meant that other people's bills would be increased even marginally as the power company sought to recover losses as a result.
"And after I realised I've done that to my fellow Jamaicans, I asked myself, how do I fix this? I can fix it by bringing everybody's JPS bill down and I do that by having net metering," he explained.
"If you want to live in a good neighbourhood, sometimes you have to help your neighbours to live better," he added.
Burrowes praised the participation of Sun Source Technologies Ltd, managed by John Marcocchio, which did the actual installation.
In supporting the use of alternative energy, Burrowes argued that it was not as expensive as the oil producers would want persons to think.
Said he: "Going solar or alternative is not expensive and any money saved can be reinvested. There are solar pumps on the market now that will save on the cost of pumping water for your farms, for your pools, unbelievable stuff is happening in alternative energy."