By LEANDRA ROLLE

THE Ministry of Finance signed a contract with ANO Technologies Ltd on Friday to start a solar rooftop project at the University of The Bahamas to reduce the institution’s energy costs.

The project, financed through the IDB, will include the installation of over 800 rooftop solar panels and renewable energy infrastructure at UB.

The project's cost is estimated at roughly $500,000.

“The project capacity is a 292-kilowatt system that would be able to assist the University of The Bahamas to mainly reduce its carbon footprint and reduce the cost of energy with the institution,” said Delano Arthur, ANO’s managing director.

"Looking at the load profiles, the amount of energy that these piles would produce would roughly constitute around 10 to 1 percent of the total university's output."

The project has a two-month timeline, he added, and will start after ANO receives its necessary approvals.

Meanwhile, Zakiya Brown, ANO’s business manager, said the project, upon completion, will position UB as a regional leader in environmental stewardship and create research opportunities for both staff and faculty.

“This hands-on approach will empower the university community to actively participate in and contribute to the renewable energy sector," she added. "The University of the Bahamas will serve as a living laboratory, showcasing sustainable practices and technologies to inspire other educational institutions and communities throughout the region.

"By reducing the university's carbon footprint and dependence on traditional energy sources, the project aligns with global efforts to combat climate change and promotes a culture of environmental responsibility."

For her part, Acting UB President Janyne Hodder expressed excitement about the agreement which she said will help drive national development.

“So, we celebrate this milestone,” Ms Hodder said, “and we thank ANO technologies and the Ministry of Finance for signing this agreement and we look forward to moving on to the next milestone which is the lab work - the creation of a lab within the university that would actually have facilities to do research, train others, explore technologies and innovate and again working together with our partners.”