Final Phase of Bulb Project to be Completed by August

Minister of Industry, Technology, Energy and Commerce, Phillip Paulwell, has said that under the final phase of the Jamaica/Cuban Energy Saving Project, compact fluorescent bulbs will be distributed and installed in every household by the end of August.
Mr. Paulwell, who was speaking at a press briefing today (May 17), at the Ministry in Kingston, noted that since the project’s inception in 2006, almost one million fluorescent bulbs have been distributed in 20 constituencies. He added that by the end of the final phase, a total of four million fluorescent bulbs would be distributed and installed islandwide.
He explained that compact fluorescent bulbs were four times more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs, which would result in significant savings for Jamaican consumers. “In our calculations, in relation to the four million bulbs, we know that we will be reducing our peak energy need by 80 megawatts,” the Minister pointed out.
“If we look at saving alone, in relation to the capacity that you would need to install for 80 megawatts, that will be approximately $5.4 billion, so this is a saving in terms of installed capacity. When we look at the saving in relation to our electricity bills, it will amount to $648 million per annum. This is the level of saving the Jamaican consumers will see as a result of this project,” he added.
The Minister said that in addition to the financial benefit of the bulb, the project also provided the country with an opportunity to earn carbon credits. “We also expect to earn from the environmental side of the project, with carbon credits, and the estimates that we have received from the consultants who have bid on this project amount to approximately $16 million per annum for 10 years,” he disclosed.
He noted that while the programme has had challenges, the results have been significant, adding that the project was now being implemented in several Caribbean and Latin American countries, including the Republic of Venezuela, St. Vincent, Guyana, Antigua, and Suriname.
The distribution of the bulbs is now being carried out by a team of Cuban technicians, along with Jamaicans. Under this final stage, students on summer holidays will be employed to assist in the distribution. Under the project, consumers are given the energy efficient bulbs in exchange for incandescent bulbs, which are then destroyed.