Dr Chandra Degia gives a local perspective on Alternative Energy issues.
She has 20 years of experience in Environmental Management. Her professional interests include Beach Management, Environmental Education, Sustainable Tourism , Attraction Management and Solar Energy.

Dr Degia lectures in the in Natural Resource and Environmental Management Master of Science programme at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus.
She is a consultant with Nuru360 Design solar energy company and is the managing director of GuinepTree.com

www.eccokidz.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=132:considering-so lar-power&catid=64:alternative-energy&Itemid=199

Misconceptions of Solar Power:
www.eccokidz.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=97:the-misconcepti ons-of-solar-power&catid=64:alternative-energy&Itemid=199

ECO-TEC:...One of the businesses we have "locally", closest to a one-stop "retail" shop for energy and water saving devices on JamRock is the company known as Eco-Tec, operating near the cruise ship dock in Freeport (Montego Bay).
Its director of sales, "Lippy" (Leonard Butler) is a "true believer" and understands the value of reporting out careful Energy-use Audits & Conservation in advance of sizing Renewable Energy systems for villas/residences/businesses.

Many, in the Treasure Beach vicinity, have sought out his products, systems and services.

One of the more simple but effective surface treatments to the exterior of a building facade is radiant barrier paint, sold by Eco-Tec, and is promoted as able to "reduce heat accumulation in structures up to 25%", thus cutting back on mechanical cooling & energy use.

HERE IS A LINK TO ECO-TEC'S CATALOG:
www.go2ecotec.com/2007/downloads/catalog.pdf

PROFILE ON ECO-TEC & "LIPPY":
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20110326/news/news5.html

As regards to Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs), we need to find an authorized safe disposal/recycling program able to handle the mercury ingredient. Perhaps, Diana at JET knows how this is progressing and could inform us, when she next surfs this forum.

CFLs make a great household or business investment. An Energy Star-qualified CFL uses 75 percent less energy than regular incandescent bulbs and lasts up to 10 times longer.
They are a great social investment as well. In the US, replacing just one light in every home with such a bulb “would save enough energy to light 3 million homes for a year, save about $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent 9 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year, equivalent to those from about 800,000 cars.
But typical CFL bulbs contain about four milligrams of mercury. That’s not much—less than a hundredth as much as in an old mercury thermometer—but only two percent of residential users recycle their CFLs, noted a recent story in the Contra Costa Times. As a result, discarded bulbs release up to four tons of toxic mercury into the environment each year.

EPA says they (CFLs) lower the total amount of mercury in the environment by reducing the need for coal-fired power, which is the largest source of mercury emissions from human activities.
(Reference: Next 100.com)

Looking for the Future of Inexpensive & Reliable Storage of Solar Energy...Now! Sometime Before We Drop Dead

Because energy use scales with wealth, point-of-use solar energy will put individuals, in the smallest village in the nonlegacy world and in the largest city of the legacy world, on a more level playing field. (Chemistry of Personalized Solar Energy)

www.newslettertree.com/gizmag-news-new-process-discovered-for-chemically-storing -solar-energy/139058/

www.gizmag.com/personal-solar-energy/13276/

Solar Bikinis Electrify Crowds At The Beach

www.gizmag.com/solar-bikini-goes-into-limited-production/18920/picture/135981/