Nand Persaud launches $110M solar power system at Tain call centre

The Nand Persaud Group of Companies on Friday commissioned a $110 million solar power system at its call centre in Tain, Corentyne. Nand Persaud International Communications (NPIC) is said to be the first major company in the country to have gone 100% solar and it was lauded by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo who was in attendance. Rajendra Persaud, the Chief Executive Officer of NPIC, stressed that his company has always had its eyes on green energy.

He stated that they decided to make the move to solar energy because it is now a “cost efficient” investment. “Recently with the global drive for solar power, we … started to decide to invest in solar energy…over the past years solar has become very, very competitive, the prices are going down, the technology is getting better …It has become very cost efficient,” he said. Persaud explained that the 12,000 square feet of panels amounts to a 220 Kilowatts solar system that cost US$528,000 and generates roughly 1000 kilowatts of power on a daily basis, which translates to a saving of around $50,000 per day. He stressed that using such a system can make “businesses very competitive” and that it also allows the investment in the business to be recovered in three to five years.

“What we have now, we consume approximately 70% of the power we produce, 30% goes to GPL and to date we have been giving them for free”. The free excess energy to the Guyana Power and Light Inc is because at the moment no meters have been installed to measure how much is being supplied to the power company, Persaud highlighted.