The Bahamas Electricity Corp (BEC) has called for Bahamian engineers to lend their skills to the drive towards more renewable energy sources.

Addressing the Bahamas Society of Engineers at their 2010 Conference earlier this month, BEC general manager Kevin Basden appealed to Bahamian engineers saying: “This is a brand new field. It will open up some opportunities for engineers and entrepreneurs.”

BEC is focusing on renewable energy in a drive to cut costs and provide a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly service.

Basden outlined the challenges associated with more traditional ways of providing energy. These include the rising costs of fuel, volatility in the fuel market and the impact on the environment.

To address these concerns, BEC is hoping that renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, tidal, wave and converting waste to energy, can be used alongside existing methods.

“You can’t use some of [the renewable sources] 24/7. We have to look at energy supply as a whole–one would be complementing the other,” Basden explained. “A lot of things that were challenges in terms of traditional energy actually represent opportunities for renewable.

“It is something real and viable that we should be pursuing.”

BEC has appointed an in-house Renewable Technology Committee to assess the equipment and resources available. The company has also invited bids from interested parties and recently selected a shortlist of six, which have submitted proposals involving waste, solar and wind energy generation.

The company is following the recommendations of a review conducted by German consultancy firm Fichtner, which was funded by the Inter-American Development Bank and looked at how to strengthen the energy sector through a regulatory framework, as well as how to promote sustainable energy.

BEC has since committed to measures such as using more efficient generators, promoting conservation among the public and encouraging use of energy efficient appliances and light bulbs.