SLBMC continues to light the way to savings

The Sir Lester Bird Medical Center is on an energy-saving drive and will soon have new LED bulbs to help with its ongoing lighting upgrade project.

The hospital recently received a donation of LED light bulbs from the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission as part of its Energy Transition in the Caribbean Project. The lightbulbs are valued at XCD 19,500 to the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre’s (SLBMC’s) ongoing lighting upgrade project.

The proposal for this latest funding was completed by experts from the Ministry of Public Utilities, Civil Aviation, Transport and Energy (PUCATE).  

The SLBMC says in addition to saving on energy costs, the new fixtures will help the hospital attain several other energy-efficiency and other goals outlined for the project.   

All of the new lighting fixtures are self-contained, which eliminates the need for ballasts, helping to greatly reduce maintenance requirements.

The project also improves the facility’s quality of lighting with soft bright LED lights and removes the heat of fluorescent lighting which ultimately assists in lowering air conditioning costs.   

Director of Administration of the SLBMC Gary Thomas says the project began in 2020 following a level 3 audit conducted by PUCATE.

“Since then, they have partnered with us to help secure funding for LED lights so we can realize those energy savings provided by upgrading. Making the transition to LED lighting not only allows for a more environmentally-friendly facility for patients and staff but also reduces maintenance and energy costs. The savings gained will be channeled into further upgrades for the facility. Another factor of this energy conservation project is the reduction of the hospital’s carbon footprint,” he said.

Meanwhile, officials from the Ministry of Energy commented said it was their delight for the Ministry of Energy to partner with both regional and international funding agencies, in particular the Organization of the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

“This partnership helps us as a nation in meeting one of our National Determine Contributions goals, which aims at enhancing building resilience and making government buildings energy efficient by reducing our energy consumption. We the Ministry look forward to continuing working together to make Antigua & Barbuda resilient within the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Sector,”