Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Workshops 
Conserve Energy & Save Money 

The University of Virgin Islands, through its CELL program, is offering residents the opportunity to learn how to save money and energy in their homes or businesses.  A series of free workshops will help Virgin Islanders take charge of electricity costs by giving them the tools and information they need to conserve energy and make their energy use more efficient.  
The workshops will focus on energy saving methods for the home or business; wind and water renewable energy solutions, solar hot water heaters; and the Energy Star program. 
They will be located at  UVICELL Center - St. Thomas Campus and at UVICELL Center - Frederiksted, St. Croix. 
The presenters are Bevan R. Smith, Jr. and Heru Ofori-Atta.
Although the workshops are free, you must register as space is limited.   To register, complete the registration form and fax to 693-1115 or send to cell@uvi.edu.  For your convenience, you may download the workshop flyer and registration form.

Energy Solutions Offered at St. Croix Conference
V.I. Energy Office Director Karl Knight spoke at the Optimize Energy Solutions conference sponsored by Quality Electric Supply on June 28.  The conference focused on commercial and industrial energy saving solutions for tropical environments. 
           Topics included solar LED lighting, lighting controls, air conditioning, power generation, water management, and power quality. Knight emphasized, in his remarks, the government’s overall plan to reduce the territory’s fossil fuel consumption by 60 percent by the year 2025. The Virgin Islands joined the EDIN (Energy Development in Island Nations) project in February 2010 at which time that goal was established. Quality Electric Supply this year became recognized as the first local partner in the EDIN-USVI initiative. EDIN-USVI is joint initiative of the Energy Office and the Water and Power Authority to leverage the technical resources of the National Renewable Energy Laboratories (NREL) as part of the EDIN project.
           Citing the economic and environmental costs of using fossil fuel, Knight said, “Everything we need to do is encompassed in that goal.” He spoke with cautious optimism about its attainment. He said, with projects recently implemented and projects just about to be completed, the Virgin Islands is on its way to reducing its fossil fuel consumption. He mentioned the Water and Power Authority recently bringing online a Heat Recovery Steam Generator and he mentioned the 450Kw solar project at the St. Thomas airport. He also talked about the efforts going on through an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant administered by the Energy Office to make 11 schools more energy efficient. The projected savings for the Department of Education because of those energy retrofits is over $2 million annually.
          His caution was evident in his words, “But, we still have a long way to go.” He explained that the reduction had two components energy efficiency and renewable energy production. He added that the biggest reduction is expected to come from the energy efficiency component.
          WAPA Executive Director Hugo Hodge Jr. also spoke discussing  alternative energy strategies at WAPA, such as the utility's recent request for proposals for up to 10 megawatts of solar power production. He said, “If there is anywhere wind and solar make sense, it makes sense here.”