Sol Madame Estate service station is one of the stations where solar panels will be installed on its canopy next year. The Madame Estate station was completely rebuilt post-Hurricane Irma.
PHILIPSBURG--The Sol Group (Sol) has taken a major step towards further energising the region with the launch of a low-carbon and renewable energy division: “Sol Ecolution”.
Sol Ecolution was launched at the recent Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation CARILEC conference, with the purpose of delivering on Sol’s commitment to energise the communities it serves by facilitating the development of diverse renewable and low-carbon energy solutions.
Sol Ecolution has started deploying solar photovoltaic (PV) technology in a retail service station in Barbados and is currently assessing an additional 29 pilots in retail stations spanning St. Maarten, Barbados, Grenada, Martinique, Guadeloupe, The Bahamas, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, and Puerto Rico. “Over the next few years, it will expand further to include our company-owned retail and terminals networks. Our offices in St. Maarten and our Bermuda terminal will also be producing PV energy in the short term and we expect to install at least five more megawatts (MW) of PV energy generation on commercial-scale systems across our offices and unused land from our terminals,” it was stated in a press release on Wednesday.
“Beyond deploying solar technology on assets, Sol is actively engaged in discussions with its utility and commercial customers to identify opportunities to facilitate the development of renewable energy for third party use across the region.”
“With a long history and deep understanding of the Caribbean energy ecosystem, Sol Ecolution is uniquely positioned to support our customers, stakeholders and communities through this transition,” it was stated in the release.
“Our capabilities include financing, logistics, technical expertise and engineering, procurement and construction services. Sol Ecolution is excited to leverage these capabilities to support the transition towards lower-carbon and renewable energy solutions regionwide, including in St. Maarten.”
Sol St. Maarten said it stands by its commitment to deliver reliable energy solutions to commercial and retail customers, under the highest safety standards and a robust portfolio of proprietary and licensed products, including Sol Go Further High-Quality Fuels, Sol Gas, Sol Shops, Sol Aviation, Sol Marine and Mobil Lubricants.
“Between 2015 and 2025, Sol has committed an investment of over US $66 million into the St. Maarten economy, through capital investment and community support. We are excited by the opportunity to play a key role in enabling sustainable energy solutions in St. Maarten now and for generations,” said Sol St. Maarten General Manager Robert James.
Group Manager of Sol Ecolution Dami Adesegha said, “While we are in the early stages of this promising journey, we see this as a long-term initiative that will play out over decades, and we have committed a significant amount of capital over the next several years to support this initiative.”
Given the region’s untapped low-carbon and renewable energy potential, as well as the initiatives of the Caribbean governments and utilities to significantly boost low-carbon and renewable energy penetration, it is clear that the energy mix within the Caribbean will shift significantly over the next 10 to 20 years.
