UNSPOILT PARADISES WANT TO STAY THAT WAY

Many an island paradise is choosing solar power over diesel and other non-renewables for their energy needs. By their very nature they are blessed with an abundance of sunshine, and the fact that island populations often rely heavily on tourism means they have a vested interest in keeping their environments as clean as possible. Nowhere is the move to solar more apparent than in the Caribbean. Canadian Solar recently announced it was to supply 4 MW worth of CS6X-P 305 W polycrystalline PV modules to the Spanish Town Estate Solar project on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The project, begun in April of 2014, is expected to generate enough electricity for 1,500 homes and, as an added bonus, create about 100 jobs during construction. This project follows hot on the heels of another Canadian Solar endeavor that is already well underway on the Leeward Islands, also known as the Lesser Antilles. Here a 600 kW installation will span eight different buildings to provide power for various businesses, including supermarkets, which have a high refrigeration load due to the extreme temperatures in the region. “More than the fact that burning diesel and other fossil fuels pollutes the environment, the simple act of getting these fuels to the islands significantly expands their C02 footprint,” said Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and CEO of Canadian Solar. “And shipping fuel to the islands is just plain expensive,” he added. Comet Solar, an Anguilla based solar installation company, is working with Canadian Solar on the installation and construction has already started. Chris Mason, the owner of Comet Solar, stated, "This project is our largest to date, with the challenge of having a remote location, a range of building types from steel buildings to concrete roofs and a mix of British and American electrical systems and voltages. “As always, we wanted to ensure complete customer satisfaction for the life of the project. Canadian Solar's high quality, warranty and reputation meant we could be confident the client's investment would be protected and we would receive the best in customer support. While the price was also very competitive, warranty and quality were our first concern," said Mason. "We are pleased to be working with Comet Solar on this exciting installation, which will directly help business owners reduce high electricity bills as well as positively impact the environment," commented Dr. Qu. "This latest win demonstrates the true power of solar energy to make our daily lives richer through renewable energy," he said. Canadian Solar was selected for this project because it offers competitively priced, quality modules with industry leading product warranties. The CS6P-P PV module used in this project, for example, carries a 25-year power output warranty. So the islanders can rest confident in the knowledge that their installation will keep delivering clean energy for a long time to come.