Transforming Barbados Through Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency

Furthermore, Barbados has already established itself as a leading pioneer over and above the other CARICOM Members states in the area of electric vehicle penetration. Independent of any policy changes, Barbados is home to the highest level of electric vehicle penetration in the Caribbean and has developed a wellestablished and extensive charging infrastructure network in collaboration with the sole electricity distribution utility company. Barbados based Megapower Limited has played a central role in driving this transformational change to the point where, based on the company’s actual figures, there are now more than 390 electric vehicles on the roads of Barbados, with a forecast increase of 10 to 14 cars per month thereafter, thereby signalling a transformational change in the country’s transportation sector. In an interview with the Reuters news agency in 2018, one of the company’s executives predicted that in another 5-years, 10% of the island’s population, or close to 30,000 individuals, will be driving electric vehicles. This transformational change is also growing across the country’s agricultural and tourism sectors. Through programmes such as the Caribbean Hotel and Energy Efficiency Programme (CHENACT), local hotels have been supported in their efforts to become more energy efficient and transition to becoming green. With an agricultural sector deeply embedded in a history of growing sugar-cane, efforts are currently in place to explore and expand the transformation of energy from renewable energy sources such as biomass. Farmers are also being supported in their efforts to integrate such technologies within their business models.

In summary, it is evident that Barbados is a country ripe with potential to move beyond the traditional tourism and international business sectors to new economic frontiers in the areas of renewable energy and energy efficiency. Supported by a vibrant private sector led body, known as the Barbados Renewable Energy Association, (BREA), there is a commitment to facilitating the country’s transformational change towards 100% Renewable Energy, whereby adequate space is carved out for local investment in the sector, supported by specific and select foreign direct investment.