42 | Principal’s Overview
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOLUTIONS FOR COST-EFFECTIVE OPERATIONS Barbados is on a trajectory to reduce the country’s depend- ence on fossil fuels and transition to a 100% renewable energy and energy-efficient economy by 2030. The energy transition is a stakeholder-led strategy that presents The UWI with a unique opportunity to play an integral role as an institution responsible for building capacity by developing new knowledge, understandings, and insights that could offer practical solutions to complex problems. Through the work of its Renewable Energy Committee, chaired by Campus Bursar, Ms Lisa Alleyne, the Cave Hill Campus is actively engaged in implementing multiple renewable energy and energy efficiency measures that will contribute to a reduction in both its carbon emissions and energy costs. SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC PROJECTS Main Administration Smart Building Project This 150 kWp solar photovoltaic carport was recently completed with a 230.4kW lithium-ion battery backup system for the Hilary McDonald Beckles Administration Complex. The solar energy carport was accomplished through a part- nership with the Government of Barbados, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), AnyGate and The UWI, at a cost of approximately BBD 3 million. The project was approved in March 2019, but construction commenced in August 2021. The solar photo- voltaic system comprises five carports spanning the Social Sciences carpark. The structure is outfitted with 380 - 390 watts Hanwa Q cell solar panels that provide shade for 68 cars. The projected electricity generation from this carport is 246,375 kWh of renewable electricity annually, with projected savings for the Campus of BBD 102,492. The photovoltaic system is outfitted with an interactive touch screen unit in the lobby of the Hilary McDonald Beckles Administration Complex, geared towards providing information on real-time electricity usage for promotion, education, and training. Temperature sensors have also been installed to monitor the temperature of outside air and solar panels. The system is temporarily connected to the Barbados Light and Power Company’s (BL&P) grid for testing, while awaiting the formal launch.
the advancement of the ROAD Project and of the Barbados Heritage District. The ROAD Project was conceived to deepen awareness and education surrounding the history of Barbados as it advances broader socio-economic goals. The work completed through SlaveVoyages will bring to light new insight into these difficult, yet immeasurably signif- icant histories, as we continue to chart the future for our new republic.” Vice-Chancellor, Sir Hilary Beckles, in sharing his views on this historical development, remarked “It is entirely fitting that the Cave Hill Campus of The University of the West Indies located in Barbados should be invited as first external member of this significant body of American universities with a dedicated focus on the history and pedagogy of the Transatlantic Slave Trade.” Sir Hilary further stated that “Barbados was among the earliest and largest markets for enslaved African labour in the Americas; the first colony to be home to Africans as the largest social demographic; and the first country to enact a comprehensive Slave Code in which Africans were deemed as non-human and property forever.” With respect to the significance of the inclusion of the Cave Hill Campus in the Consortium, Sir Hilary Beckles proffered that “the Cave Hill Campus was built in the mid-20th century within an environment histor- ically developed as plantations using enslaved African labor, and the Campus today is home to the only building in the Americas inspired by the West African architectural motif of the Ashanti Golden Stool, the resting place of the spirits of departed ancestors. This constitutes an affirmation by the Campus that the roots and legacies of the SlaveVoyages have been taken to the highest level of spiritual reflection and representation.” Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Clive Landis also shared the Vice-Chancellor’s sentiments, and pledged that the Campus would “work collaboratively in deploying its research expertise to help analyse, publish and dissemi- nate slavery records and artefacts housed in the Barbados Department of Archives and in its own special collections”. He added that the Campus’ research will add value to the digitisation project being undertaken as part of the ROAD Project.
THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES CAVE HILL CAMPUS ANNUAL REPORT TO COUNCIL 2021/2022
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