UTech opens 2 MW solar tender aimed at cutting electricity costs by half

The University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech) has put out a tender for solar generation of no less than 2.0 megawatts (MW), with the option to add battery storage, to be installed at its Papine base and other sites. The institution is aiming to cut its power costs by at least fifty per cent; its monthly electricity spend had earlier been put at $15 million.

According to the tender papers, once the system is brought online the university should realise savings of at least half of what it now pays for electricity. The exercise is backed by the Government of Jamaica and will accept bids from firms worldwide. The notice appeared on Wednesday. Submissions are due by 30 June, with a winner expected to be named in November 2026 and work slated to finish by January 2027.

UTech will not have to find the capital at the start. The tender calls for bidders to spell out how the university will gain from the installation while the contractor bears the full upfront cost. Repayment is to be worked out between the successful firm and the university over an agreed period.

That financing model aligns with remarks UTech President Dr Kevin Brown made in 2024. He had described a setup in which a supplier would fund installation and the university would pay back as much as J$7 million per month—about half of its bill at the time—over five to seven years. Reports then put the monthly light bill at $15 million.

The 2.0 MW floor comes from an outside energy review, which found that much capacity would be needed at the Old Hope Road campus to allow a full break from the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) grid. UTech runs close to 1,000 air-conditioning units across its properties. Dr Brown has said that number keeps climbing as hotter weather linked to climate change drives up use in buildings that were not built for such heat.

The first phase covers the main Papine campus plus the School of Oral Health, the School of Public Health, and the Dome Street site in Montego Bay. Later work could extend to satellite facilities on Arthur Wint Drive and Slipe Pen Road in Kingston.

UTech is among several Jamaican organisations turning to renewables to limit their vulnerability to JPS rates, which move with fuel prices. That risk has grown more acute lately, as United States and Israeli military action against Iran has lifted global oil prices and, in turn, local power charges.