Guardsman Group Goes Green
Published:Tuesday | June 2, 2015 | 12:00 AMKeisha Hill
Guardsman Group has partnered with Future Energy Corporation Limited, the leading company in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region serving the renewable energy industry to provide services for solar power and energy-efficient projects to all its subsidiaries.
Vinay Walia, co-managing director at the Guardsman Group, said the partnership involved outfitting Guardsman offices with solar energy technology to reduce the company's energy consumption. "We have solarised all our locations, which has placed a huge dent in our electricity bill. Solar technology is a natural resource and we have enough of it that we do not need to import," Walia said.
Overall, according to Walia, the company has invested more than US$1.5 million in its renewable energy initiative. "So far, since the project implementation, we have cut our energy consumption by up to 35 per cent, and our objective is to take it further to 60 per cent," he said.
According to Sherife AbdelMessih, chief executive officer of Future Energy Corporation, its operations in Jamaica will be far-reaching as the company aims to assist its clients in reducing their electricity consumption by as much as 80 per cent in the long term.
"Solar energy is cheaper in the long term, and the lifetime cost is cheaper. We are harnessing natural resources as opposed to importing foreign energy. It is safe and does not cause any pollution. Clients are actually creating their own energy at their own site," AbdelMessih said.
Future Energy Corporation started as a research and development start-up designing disruptive solar energy technologies catered for MENA and then grew it into a renewable energy company with project development, construction, advisory, and research and development divisions. AbdelMessih further grew the company's business outside MENA, into the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
"Even on a cloudy day, energy is still being produced, so persons are still saving energy. Jamaicans can save on their electricity bills whether residential or commercial customers," AbdelMessih added.
Future Energy Corporation Limited has been operating in Jamaica since 2013 with expertise that brings together the combined insight of a consulting firm, a project developer, and a technology developer.
Kwame Hall is the director of operations of Future Energy Corporation responsible for operations in the Caribbean. He oversees the company's business activities in the region, which include project development, financing, distribution, and EPC services for solar power and energy-efficiency projects.
The company is planning to expand across the island within the year.