News

Jamaica’s National Indoor Sports Centre is Going Solar

By: Caribbean Journal Staff - August 2, 2015 - 7:45 pm

A major arena goes green

By Dana Niland
CJ Contributor

Jamaica’s National Indoor Sports Centre is going solar, as part of a $170,000 USD initiative by the country’s Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy, and Mining.

The venue will be outfitted with solar panels fit to generate 100 megawatts of energy, which will significantly reduce its dependency on the national electricity grid, thereby lowering its high cost of energy.

When fully operational, the Indoor Sports Centre uses a total of about 500 megawatts of energy, said Minister Phillip Paulwell, who said the facility would be able to sell the surplus energy back to the national grid.

“We feel confident that the 100 KWH that you generate from this facility will enable you to earn enough revenue to offset what you will need to pay JPSCo [Jamaica Public Service Company],” he said.

Sporting associations have taken issue with the facility’s high rental costs since its opening in 2003, when it was built to stage the World Netball Championships.

Minister Natalie Neita-Headley, who has long called for the solarization of the building, welcomed the project for its potential to majorly reduce rental costs, allowing promoters of athletic, entertainment, and business events to more easily utilize the venue.

This project will be developed through the newly formed company NESOL, which is striving to create renewable energy solutions that expand the reach of electricity to rural areas.

Popular Posts antigua long bay

25 Perfect Caribbean Beaches to Add to Your Summer Bucket List

There’s nothing like a Caribbean beach in summer. The crowds thin out, the winds relax, and the islands start breathing in a different way. The beaches you thought you knew feel new again— stretches of sand once packed with winter […]


Royal Caribbean’s New Cruise Ship Has a Rooftop Bar, a Waterpark and the Largest Pool at Sea

star of the seas

You step into a glass dome floating high above the ocean. To your right, divers plunge from platforms. Above, aerialists twist through light. Somewhere behind you, a DJ is spinning beside a suspended infinity pool. This isn’t a dream — […]


The 15 Best Hotels in Trinidad and Tobago, From Hidden Eco-Retreats to Luxury Towers

trinidad and tobago hotels where to stay

From Port of Spain to Tobago’s quiet coasts, these are the places to check in now No two Caribbean islands are quite like Trinidad and Tobago—and no two hotels here feel the same. This is a destination of contrast: Carnival […]


Related Posts caribbean hiking trail longest

This 115-Mile Hiking Trail Through Dominica Is the Caribbean's Longest (And Most Epic)

The path twists upward through fern forests, crosses rivers lined with boulders the size of small boats, and opens onto vistas that seem carved from a fantasy novel. This isn’t Costa Rica or the Andes — this is Dominica, and […]


The 10 Best Caribbean Hotels You Can Book With Hilton Honors Points

casa colonial

There’s something deeply satisfying about unlocking a luxury Caribbean vacation using nothing but your Hilton Honors points. It’s a bit like knowing a secret — the kind of secret that smells like sea salt and sunscreen, and sounds like waves […]


A New Plan to “Reimagine” Caribbean Tourism

caribbean tourism remagining

The Caribbean has long been a mosaic of sun, sea, and culture — but now it wants to be something more. With a bold new roadmap unveiled in New York last month, the Barbados-based Caribbean Tourism Organization is charting a […]