(L-R), Mr Stanley Smellie, of the Energy Management Unit, Mona School of Engineering; Dr Paulette Kerr, Campus Librarian, The UWI, Mona Library; Professor Ishenkumba Kahwa, Deputy Principal, The UWI, Mona; Professor Paul Reece, Dean, Faculty of Science and Technology, The UWI Mona; Mr Damien Satterthwaite, Regional Sales Manager, Caribbean EBSCO Information Services; Dr. Sasekea Harris, Head: Science & Engineering Branch Library (SEBL) and Adjunct Lecturer in Dept. of Library & Info. Studies; Mr Kevin Atkinson, Supervisor-Buildings & Mails, Library-Administration – photographed at the Receipt of Grant Ceremony held on Tuesday July 24, 2018 in the Multifunction Room at the Main Library.
 
The University of the West Indies, Mona Library was recently awarded an EBSCO Solar Grant of US$100,000 to implement a Solar Photovoltaic System on the roofs of the Science & Engineering Branch Library (SEBL) and the Physics Lab.
 
The UWI, Mona Library is the first winner of the EBSCO Solar Grant outside the U.S.
The grant is an annual grant program that funds USD$100,000 solar installations on library campuses to offset electricity costs with clean, renewable solar energy. The EBSCO Solar grant program looks to help libraries show their communities the benefits of environmental responsibility, while being a part of the company’s larger effort and dedication to reducing their environmental footprint. 
 
Dr Paulette Kerr, Campus Librarian, The UWI, Mona Library, responding to the receipt of the award stated: “We are pleased to be the recipient of this grant. The library sees this initiative as advancing the university’s energy management programme, which is one of the Agility goals of the UWI Triple A Strategy for 2017-2022”.
 
The Proposal
The proposal was developed and submitted as a collaborative project between Dr. Sasekea Harris and Mr Kevin Atkinson, of the Mona Library; and Mr Stanley Smellie, of the Energy Management Unit, Mona School of Engineering. The Department of Physics was listed as a project partner.
 
The Project
Mr. Smellie, who presented the EBSCO Solar Project Visual Plan at the formal Grant Receipt Ceremony, informed that the solar panel installation will take four (4) weeks and upon completion, the project will save The UWI almost $2m annually.
 
Overall the project will cost US$95,400, the remainder of the funds, he shared, will be directed to local public education about the project and what the University is doing to advance the use of solar energy and reducing the use of brown power.
 
The UWI, Mona is the first international winner
Speaking at the event, Mr Damien Satterthwaite, Regional Sales Manager, Caribbean EBSCO Information Services said The UWI, Mona is the first international winner.
 
“We received 78 applications from all over the world and the judges looked at six different factors including: whether the applications demonstrated a real need; the timeliness of the project and community participation.
 
“EBSCO is proud to be a green company making decisions designed to reduce our environmental footprints. EBSCO is proud to be a company that helps the environment and libraries that are interested in going green. Our first winner was the Austin Community College, in Texas; in 2017 we were able to add a second grant and expand the possible applicants to libraries around the world.
 
In 2018, EBSCO expanded their solar programme to give three such grants, The UWI being one of them.
 
“We were impressed with The UWI, Mona’s dedication to help this beautiful campus stay green. This initiative is one of the library’s many projects to improve infrastructure and energy efficiency, we look forward to seeing the panels go up and to see the difference they make on this great campus.”
 
The Science & Engineering Branch Library (SEBL) and the Department of Physics
The solar panels will be installed on the roofs of the Science & Engineering Branch Library and  the Physics Lab. According to Mr. Smellie, “the system will not use batteries, it will feed directly into the power distribution system of the libraries. What that means is that in very short order the energy consumption of the library will be reduced and the University should start seeing savings.”
 
The system, Mr. Smellie said, was designed for easy access by students and staff. It is not just about maximizing the savings and getting power out, we are trying to create a live learning environment for students to view the system, to see the wirings, to see all the components, know how they work, and how the different parts impact the performance of the system.
 
 
About The UWI
For the past 70 years The University of the West Indies (The UWI) has provided service and leadership to the Caribbean region. In 2018, The UWI celebrates its evolution from 1948 as a university college in Jamaica with 33 medical students to an internationally respected regional university with near 50,000 students. Today, The UWI is the largest, most longstanding higher education provider in the Commonwealth Caribbean, with four campuses in Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and an Open Campus. The UWI has faculty and students from more than 40 countries and collaborative links with 160 universities globally; it offers undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Food & Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities & Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Sport, Science & Technology, Social Sciences and Sport.
 
Its seven priority focal areas are linked closely to the priorities identified by CARICOM and take into account such over-arching areas of concern to the region as environmental issues, health and wellness, gender equity and the critical importance of innovation. The UWI has been a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development; residing at the centre of all efforts to improve the well-being of our people. As the regional institution commemorates its 70th anniversary milestone, it will celebrate its students, faculty, administrators, alumni, governments, and partners in the public and private sector. The anniversary commemoration will focus on reflection as well as projection for the future with an emphasis on social justice and the economic transformation of the region. Website: www.uwi.edu and www.uwi.edu/70 . (Please note that the proper name of the university is The University of the West Indies, inclusive of the “The”, hence The UWI.)