Solar vision for the Caribbean Sea island of Barbados
by TREVOR YEARWOOD
Dec 14, 2006
Source: Nation News (Barbados’ Leading Newspaper)
http://www.nationnews.com/story/313310250389301.php
BARBADIAN SCIENTIST William Hinds has a multi-million-dollar solar development plan for the island that embraces a city shuttle, a village, fountains and police vehicles powered by this cheap source of energy. He just needs some investors to come up with the funds for the collection of projects which he says will make the country cleaner while saving money.
Publicly launching a new 22-page book on solar power and also a solar shuttle that has been taking tourists through Bridgetown to places of historical importance, Hinds yesterday presented a long list of project possibilities and the kind of funding needed to make them a reality.
He spoke of the rental of bikes and cars powered by solar energy, of solar rickshaws, of using solar energy for an Internet cafe project, solar boat rides in the Careenage and creating a village with various solar components. He pointed out that police patrol cars, City street lights and buildings, fountains, snow-cone and ice-cream vehicles, and food vendors could all benefit from solar power.
Hinds launched his book Solar Motion: Solar Vehicles And The Solar Vision For Barbados as well as the shuttle at the Small Business Centre on Fontabelle, St Michael. He said the launch was “about securing more investment rather than saying that William Hinds is a good writer with good ideas”.
He described his solar vision for Barbados as “a multi-million-dollar development plan that will take several years to realise”. It could not be achieved without funding from the public and private sectors, he admitted. Hinds, an expert in solar energy technology, has designed solar dryers for drying peppers in Antigua, and for wheat and wood in Barbados.
His solar designs and constructions include a generator, ice plant, lighting for a football field, houses, and power for computers. He lists among his goals helping Barbados move towards a greater awareness of clean-energy transport systems and eventually having at least two per cent or more vehicles in Barbados solar powered.