Independence Park to go solar
The Independence Park Limited (IPL) will be looking to save millions of dollars in electricity costs should plans of installing solar system go ahead.
With the tough economic time coupled with the global pandemic, facilities, like IPL, which depend on revenues generated from rental, are working overtime to stay in operation with electricity eating a major chuck of what they are earning now.
According to the IPL general manager, Major Desmond Brown, they have been looking at the idea of installing a solar system at the complex for a while now. “Yes, we are looking at it because the key thing is, if we reduce the cost of operations then it becomes more affordable for users to use. So, it is not only about cutting electricity but it’s making it more affordable so more people can use it so our revenues improve, so yes we are looking at an alternative energy system,” says Brown.
As to how soon the alternative energy will be available, that is not yet certain. “The final proposal is now with the Ministry of Finance. As we all know, they have to make some large expenditure which wasn’t planned for because of COVID, I can’t speak for the ministry, but I know they are actively looking at it and we will know shortly.”
“And remember, it’s a five year plan to get the thing going and even when they approve it, it is going to take another 18 months to two years before work actually starts. So don’t expect anything right away but we hope that very shortly we should know. But, I think the government is committed to improving the stadium because, as you know, it doesn’t meet a lot of the international requirements,” explained Brown.
Currently the IPL is faced with huge overheads in electricity costs, which run to $5 million per month in some instances. A week of the inter secondary schools’ championship or the national track and field championship could leave the IPL with serious bills as those events run over longer periods daily.
“Right now, we pay anything between $3 to $5 million per month depending on the number of activities that we have. Once or twice the bill has gone above $5 million. With solar, we would expect about 40 percent saving on that bill, the only thing is the capital investment required,” says Brown.
Brown added that the investment capital needed is listed at about $33 million for the Aquatic Centre alone with a payback period of four years.
Apart from the National Stadium and the Aquatic Centre, the complex also includes the National Arena, the Indoor Centre, stadium east and the basketball and netball courts. “I can’t remember the payback period for the others and the reason why we are looking at the pool is because it runs all day, so a substantial part of the day the power will be driving the pumps.”
Unfortunately, most of the business at the stadium complex runs at night which means it will still cost the IPL somewhat as storing power will be difficult due to the cost of batteries to operate a storing system, hence the need to address the pool first which mainly conducts business in the daytime.
But Major Brown said they were looking at ways that could help in getting something back from whatever energy they can produce. “Battery technology is not where it ought to be so we are not thinking of investing in batteries. We are thinking of producing energy and selling it to the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) in the day. When you sell it back to JPS they will pay 20 percent of what they charge you. For instance, if they charge you $100 for a certain amount, if they buy back that from you, you get $20.”
Another area in which IPL is losing out is the wasted lights whenever the stadium is in use at nights. Each of the four towers inside the stadium carries 144 units. Those lights were installed in 2002 and has since turned out to be a surplus to requirement. “One hundred and forty-four 2,000-watt bulbs, crazy, and if you are anywhere outside the stadium and you can see the lights, all those lights you are seeing are wasted lights. When you go to a proper stadium abroad, you can be outside, and you don’t even see the lights on. We want to change that,” explained Brown.
Since the pandemic, there has been no basketball or netball competitions at the complex. The Aquatic Centre is active, so, too, is the Indoor Centre and arena which are being used for the COVID-19 vaccine blitz, while the stadium has recently hosted the CONCACAF world cup qualifier between Jamaica and Panama.
