Grid-connected solar systems under Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) are set to reduce household dependence on electricity generated by Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL), with a structured rollout now targeting thousands of homes.
Speaking on the Starting Point podcast on April 12, Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) Chief Executive Officer Dr. Mahendra Sharma explained that the initiative is designed to help consumers transition to solar with full institutional support.
“We’re calling it the LCDS grid-connected solar PV program… a campaign focused on encouraging households to sign up so that we can help guide you through all of the steps,” he explained.
The program is being implemented across Guyana, with coordination between the GEA, GPL, the Government Electrical Inspectorate (GEI), and financial institutions. It aims to expand access to renewable energy while lowering electricity costs and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
“We want to get at least 5,000 homes on board… There are more than 300 consumers already on the GPL grid doing this. So this is tried, tested, and established. At the end of the month, they offset the credit to your account,” he added.
Sharma noted that the system works by supplying solar energy directly to homes before drawing from the grid. Energy generated from the solar panels is first supplied directly to homes, immediately displacing grid power, with any excess exported back to GPL through a bidirectional metering system.
“Its first task is to give you energy in the home… and the controls and the equipment do this for you automatically. No one needs to interface, and make a decision and say, oh, switch back to GPL or use solar in that manner. If it is enough, it supplies it. If it needs more, it takes a difference from GPL,” Sharma explained.
Sharma emphasized the urgency of adoption, noting technical limits on grid capacity.
“There’s a technical limit. So if you live in a particular area and there is more solar in that area than the transformers can reasonably handle, GPL will have to set a limit because solar power is intermittent. It is not continuous because the sun doesn’t shine all day perfectly,” he cautioned.
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He also highlighted GPL’s role in accelerating adoption. “They’ve actually created a special LCDS express lane to allow fast access, quick approvals to get this done,” Sharma disclosed.
The initiative supports Guyana’s broader push to expand renewable energy under the LCDS framework while improving energy affordability and reliability at the household level.
