U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS – On Tuesday, April 23, the Virgin Islands Energy Office (VIEO) unveiled a micro-grid farm at the St. Croix Educational Complex (SCEC) that will enable the Educational Complex’s emergency hurricane shelter to function reliably during extended grid outages and significantly reduce the use of fossil fuel generators that have proven difficult to maintain and costly to fuel.
Governor Albert Bryan Jr. celebrated the occasion with government and education officials at a ribbon cutting ceremony and hailed the micro-grid as a significant advancement in energy sustainability and efficiency within the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“This marks a big step toward continued leadership in energy efficiency throughout the Caribbean” Governor Bryan said. “This project paves the way for other micro-grids to be established across critical areas in the Virgin Islands, ensuring that education will not be disrupted by power outages. We are building a better tomorrow for future generations.”
VI Energy Director Kyle Fleming said the 150 kW Solar plus 220 kWh Energy Storage micro-grid employs the use of solar batteries and provides backup energy generation to ensure that the emergency shelter sections of the SCEC are all able to operate in the event of an outage.
“Systems like these are going to represent, more and more, critical infrastructure across the Territory,” Fleming said. “These will become normal at government facilities and critical community centers as we develop renewable energy and energy resiliency at our most critical facilities across the USVI.”
Additionally, under blue-sky conditions the solar micro-grid will aid in saving $10,000 per month in utility costs. This substantial cost-saving measure demonstrates tangible environmental and financial benefits — an exemplary case study poised toward long-term financial sustenance while significantly conserving resources.
“The solar power offsets the utility costs of the school every single day when the sun shines,” Fleming said.
The micro-grid farm encompasses 375 panels generating 150 kW hours with 24-hour backup capability that can withstand wind speeds up to 180 mph.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony, held at the SCEC campus, was attended by Governor Albert Bryan Jr., Lieutenant Governor Tregenza A. Roach, Esq., Senate President Novelle E. Francis, Jr., Virgin Islands Department of Education Commissioner Dionne Wells-Hedrington, Ed.D., VIEO Director Kyle Fleming and SCEC Principal Rodney E. Moorehead.
Partially funded by a $650,000 Department of Interiors Energizing Insular Communities (EIC) grant, this groundbreaking achievement would not have been possible without robust collaboration between the Government of the Virgin Islands, the Virgin Islands Energy Office, the Virgin Islands Department of Education, the Virgin Islands Department of Property and Procurement, the U.S. Department of Interior Office of Insular Affairs, and A.T. Construction Solutions, LLC.
The Bryan-Roach Administration is investing in the Territory’s people, infrastructure, and future through transparency, stabilizing the economy, restoring trust in the government, and ensuring that recovery projects are completed as quickly as possible. Visit transparency.vi.gov
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