Students have been challenged to take the lead in the island’s drive towards sustainable energy, as they were urged to investigate, innovate and act on energy use at home and in school during a national youth energy forum.
Kevin Hunte, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Energy, urged students to play an active role in Barbados’ clean energy transition.
He issued the appeal as the ministry hosted the Barbados Sustainable Energy Youth Forum at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, under the theme ‘Lead the charge – Barbados needs your spark’.
He said that understanding energy efficiency is critical for the future, noting: “Energy efficiency is about making the demand smaller. Why build a bigger generator when you can just use less energy to do the same thing?”
Hunte challenged students to become “Barbados’ energy detectives” by investigating and improving energy use in their schools and homes.
“This is where you come in right now … even before you graduate and become engineers and innovators of tomorrow, you can make a massive difference,” he said.
He encouraged students to begin with simple assessments, asking: “Are the lights in empty classrooms left on? Are the fixtures old and inefficient? Do you have incandescent bulbs? Suggest replacing them with LEDs.”
Hunte also urged students to monitor air conditioning use, adding: “Can the temperature be set a little higher to save energy without sacrificing comfort?” He advised students to unplug unused chargers and electronics, which he described as “vampire devices” that waste electricity.
He encouraged students to create after-school projects in renewable energy and efficiency. Suggested activities included DIY solar ovens, mini wind turbine models, home energy audit toolkits, and ventilation prototypes designed to reduce reliance on air conditioning.
“Energy innovation does not have to wait … you can get creative right now,” he said.
Hunte challenged the ministry to support the movement, stating: “I want to challenge our ministry to design an Energy Detective programme, competition and framework focused on the youth of our nation.”
He closed by urging students to trust in their abilities. “Be confident in your ideas … your perspective is vital. We see energy as empowerment. This forum is just the beginning. We believe in your spark. Now go forth and lead the charge,” he said.
The forum featured two panel discussions. The first, “How can energy shape a resilient climate future?” included Kathy Lewis, teacher at Barbados Community College; Sheldon Marshall, a sustainable energy analyst; and Aisha Trimmingham of the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREE).
The second panel, “Integration of solar, wind and other renewables with battery storage”, featured Robert Harewood of Barbados Light & Power; Meshia Clarke of the Barbados Renewable Energy Association; Jamalia Frederick of RELP; and Giovanni Buckle of the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency.
Students asked questions throughout the sessions as they sought to deepen their understanding of Barbados’ energy industry.
Schools represented were Christ Church Foundation, Combermere, Grantley Adams Memorial, Alleyne, Princess Margaret School, The Lodge, and Barbados Community College. The forum was moderated by Marlon Moore, with opening remarks delivered by Rosalind Griffith.
(LE)
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