In 2011 Solamon targeted several Caribbean islands to locate field offices to serve clients not only across the Caribbean islands themselves, but also neighbouring countries in northern South America and eastern Central America – Colombia and Nicaragua specifically – as well as Mexico and Cuba, before expanding across the Sunbelt into North Africa, Middle East and Asia.

Over the past year, Solamon established its headquarters in Toronto, Ontario; and extensively used temporary offices in Kingston, Jamaica, and Bridgetown, Barbados, to address project management and on-going sales activity of its primary product, the modular Apollo Acre.

Jamaica Public Service (JPS) is the island’s electricity provider, but the Jamaica Solar Energy Association was launched on June 23, 1999 as a non-governmental organization to undertake the primary role of shifting Jamaica’s energy mix in the 21st century by encouraging the increased use of renewable energy, specifically solar.

Barbados Light & Power Company Limited is the sole electricity utility provider in Barbados, yet recently the government has been officially recognized by the United Nations – given their vocal efforts to decrease their dependency on imported fossil fuels.  The Barbadian government’s National Strategic Plan is designed to rectify this dependency by increasing the country’s renewable energy supply, with a particular focus on raising the number of household solar water heaters by 50 per cent by 2025.

Soloman has been working closely with governments and administrators across the Caribbean to help achieve the successful implementation of solar energy into their national grids and, where possible, the introduction of a mini grid.

Under the direction of Solamon SVP Ainsley Brown, the office in Jamaica handled queries from across the Western Caribbean region, including The Caymans, Bahamas, Bermuda and Puerto Rico; while our office in Barbados oversaw activity in the Virgin Islands, St Maarten, St Lucia, Trinidad and Aruba, as well as other island nations.  These queries were received from government officials, utility administrators, regulatory bodies and business leaders.

Upon launch, we secured a critical logistics partner, Glenn International, located in San Juan, Puerto Rico, now responsible to provide equipment quotes and professional engineering estimates to a growing number of clients, in addition to warehousing and transportation services.  Further, for those governments seeking a turnkey financing solution without incurring debt, Solamon’s executives are now capable of concluding deals by offering standard terms for large solar parks and utility-scale arrays, whether PV or CPV.

All Sunbelt countries are reliant today on fossil fuels in order to generate electricity, whether for its inhabitants or visitors.  These fuels are a recognized drain on their fragile economies.  Governments and non-government agencies alike are competing to attract new solutions in order to generate and distribute renewable energy locally.

For example, Bahamas Electricity Corporation currently operates 29 generating plants at 25 island locations, and supply extends to all of the major islands of the Bahamas, except Grand Bahama, fueled by gas, coal and oil.  Bahamas Electricity Corp wants to generate at least 10% of its power from identified alternative (so-called green) fuel sources, and is mandated by the government to find solutions expeditiously, whether wind, wave, thermal or solar.

Caribbean Utilities Company generates, transmits and distributes electricity in the Cayman Islands.  As of December 31, 2009, the company had an installed generating capacity of 152.6 megawatts, and offered electricity to 25,461 customers in Grand Cayman.  Recently, due to rising oil prices, solar panels were installed on the roof of the George Town Hospital.  They heat water for the Hospital’s laundry services through a simple heat exchange system, stored in a 520 gallon tank.  The system will pay for itself in four years and is subsequently anticipated to provide 22,262 kilowatts or $6,500 in annual energy savings.

Going forward a 5-acre Solamon solar array will generate enough electricity to power a small community, large factory or institution, such as a university or hospital.  We also design and install solar energy product for rooftops, parking lots and remote installations.