Solar Backup Proposed For Jamaica Traffic Signals After Blackout

With more Jamaicans installing solar systems to soften the blow from power cuts, one specialist in the energy sector says the same approach could be used to keep traffic signals working at busy junctions when the electricity supply goes down.

Emanuel DaRosa, chief executive officer of SunTerra Energy Solutions Limited, said Jamaica does not now have traffic lights powered by solar energy. However, he said the idea could be achievable at selected locations.

DaRosa said solar technology would be able, from a technical standpoint, to serve as emergency support for traffic signals during outages. He added that progress would depend on whether the Government and the National Works Agency, NWA, decide to make it a focus.

“This is not an item that I had really given much thought to before,” DaRosa said. “But solar can be very useful in providing back-up to where the grid becomes unavailable.”

His comments come as solar energy systems become more popular among householders and business operators in Jamaica, especially hybrid setups that pair panels with battery storage.

On Friday night, Jamaica experienced an islandwide electricity failure that left many areas without power. The outage caused serious problems on the roads, as drivers had to move carefully through heavily used intersections where traffic lights were not operating.

Jamaica has also been working to raise the amount of renewable energy used in electricity generation, with solar among the main sources feeding the national grid.

Although solar traffic signals are not part of the island’s road system at this time, DaRosa said the option could work, especially at major intersections where constant operation is important.

The National Works Agency confirmed that no such traffic lights are in use locally. “We don’t have any solar stoplights,” said Stephen Shaw, the agency’s manager of communications and customer service.

Asked if the agency had considered or planned a project of that kind, Shaw said: “I don’t know of any such plans.”

Shaw would not say whether converting major traffic signals to solar power would be useful, explaining that he could not speak on the issue because it involved government policy.

Works Minister Robert Morgan was contacted by THE STAR for a response, but none had been received up to publication.