The Guyana Oil Company Limited (GUYOIL) will officially open its Green Office and Store Complex, located at its Providence Terminal, East Bank Demerara, next week Friday.
According to the company, the 100 percent solar energy building was designed by Marcel Gaskin and Associates and Constructed by R. Bassoo and Sons. The solar installation was done by Standby Power Engineering Company (SPECOM).
GUYOIL Green Office and Store Complex at Providence (GGOSC) was designed to accommodate the company’s growing workforce and as a means of having staff closer to the terminal for the smooth flow of operations.
According to the Electrical Engineer Mr Bisham Persaud, after significant consultations, they were certain a 100 percent solar building would be cost-efficient and best suited for a country with a green vision. He also noted that the solar project has a fully Off-Grid Hybrid System; this means that it has three sources of power (solar panels, storages batteries, and back-up generators).
The Off-Grid Hybrid System allows the solar panels to provide adequate power for the full loading of the building during the day, while the surplus is diverted to storage batteries that provide power at nights and during overcast. The back-up generator will only be used if there is an overcast for six hours or more.
GUYOIL also made provision for growth at the green office. Project Engineer Mr Steven Nascimento said, “The solar system on the building has the capacity for growth; we have the potential to add the Providence Service Station to the grid. So in the event that any expansions have to be done the grid will be able to handle it.”
Meanwhile, CEO of GUYOIL, Ms Renatha Exeter, noted with much pride that GUYOIL has over the years endeavoured to employ best practices and, very importantly as a state-owned enterprise, be supportive of government initiatives. Therefore, the commissioning of the GUYOIL Green Office and Store Complex is in accordance with the energy objective of the Green State Development Strategy of transitioning Guyana to 100 percent use of renewable and clean energy sources.
Ms Exeter noted it is GUYOIL’s vision that, within the next three to five years, all of its locations will transition to solar energy.
