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Green Economy Know-How

Ariana Marshall
Jan 19, 2018
3 min read

What Know How?

You may have heard of how solar heaters and solar panels have been used throughout Barbados and it is this associated know how which we can apply to adopt other types of innovative green technology in the Caribbean.

Climate change equals rising atmospheric temperatures, warmer oceans in the Caribbean and potentially more devastating hurricanes. Throughout the Caribbean can we harness these changing conditions for the generation of energy or waste management solutions? Barbados’ public engagement and widespread integration in the solar water industry has created a springboard which any innovative solar technology can spring from.

Can Barbadian consumers and visitors create an amenable uptake environment for companies with novel solar technology or solar-powered mechanisms to manage waste fueled by experienced Caribbean technicians?

Image: Grass Technicians at the Barbados Light and Power Solar Facility

Barbados creates grounds to test how well technology can work in densely populated places which sees double its’ population in visitors yearly from the Crop Over Festival, sports events, music- based productions and our nature-based attractions.

Learning how to maximize space for technology uptake from vertical axis wind turbines to vertical farming could continue to be practiced in Barbados with refined research and development tax incentives. The island already has a number of manufacturing and international business tax incentives which has attracted companies such Caribbean LED and Gildan. The island continues to be home of global leaders in rum production who are prioritizing corporate social responsibility such as Mount Gay Distilleries.

The advantage of Barbados is that its' society has already proven to apply what we understand about the basics of solar - water technology. These basics facilitate the more effective collection of consumer and product performance information which fuels further uptake of new forms of green technology.

Barbados already has one desalination plant with at least one more in the pipeline which is unprecedented for an island so small. Our strong North East trade winds and rural areas which have unused industrial, military or telecommunications sites create the testing grounds for renewable energy land use zoning. Surely how well we’ve done with solar water heater penetrations over 30 years ago before the solar project installation costs dropped to what they are today - is testimony enough that the acceleration of our green economy is possible.

Aside from Barbados’ uptake of solar, our waste management, international business, youth entrepreneurship, music and entertainment sectors all are indications of a changing business climate towards a green economy.

Barbados is the home of the first solar installation trainings in the Caribbean, the first green business coach trainings, co-founder of an innovative battery recycling company Acceleron, a government funded Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme which has already supported the participation of Carlesa’s Enterprises green banana gluten-free products and fashion designer Shakad Ecowear at U.S. based Green Festivals.

Image: The first Energy Floor Installation in the Caribbean - UNDP/FCT Green Economy Fair

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However, the most critical factor in realizing a green economy is to ensure that the general public is engaged and informed enough on all of the above gears of our Green Economy engine to maintain the consumer base required for financial sustainability. This requires a platform which could digitally disseminate information but which is also is uniquely tailored for Caribbean preferences for in-person/event based engagement.

Further good news - Barbados is already poised to build this platform with Rotterdam based company Energy Floors. The Better Caribbean Program has been given exclusive rights to facilitate partnerships between international and local green businesses, artists, scientists and entrepreneurs to create audio-visual public engagement content with the most recent version of their renewable energy dancefloor in Barbados.