Kellits | Businessman Urges Rural Areas To Choose Solar Over JPS

A businessman is pushing to have people in and out of his rural community invest in solar panels to get energy from the sun to supply their homes, businesses or even their farms.

“It is always gonna be cost-effective to go solar because it is one of the best sources of energy at the moment because the sun is in our favour,” said Christopher Peat, otherwise known as ‘TT’, who hails from Rhoden Hall in Kellits, Clarendon.

According to him, making a one-off investment in solar panels would end up being less expensive than paying monthly for power supplied by the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS).

“It is costly [to acquire solar panels], but, if you look on the long run, you would save,” Peat said.

He also noted that he recently sold a solar kit that carries as much as a 15-year warranty. “The only thing you would need to do is service it often and you are independent from JPS… We are trying to make people less reliant on JPS,” he further said.

Peat’s company, Tuch And Leggo, located at Shooter district in Kellits, sells a wide variety of solar equipment, including panels, batteries, converts, lights, camera and alarm systems, generators, water heaters, as well as mobile phone and laptop charging devices.

The firm has some “good customers” especially in Manchester and Kingston, Peat disclosed.

Although sales so far have been lukewarm in the rural areas, the businessman expects things to heat up as more Jamaicans become aware of the benefits of using solar energy.

“I think once I get it out there and people start to use the service and JPS start to put up their bills, it will slowly start to sell more. Over the next 10 years, I can see Jamaica transit into more solar equipment and solar energy because they will realize how effective it is – very effective,” Peat reasoned.

He continued: “Some of the most effective stuff we have are the solar lights. You can light up your whole premises with the solar street lights; they are very effective.”

Mindful that agriculture is one of the main economic activities in rural places such as Kellits, Peat noted that solar equipment can also be utilized on farms.

“Talking about farms, there is somebody I am getting two [solar] panels for. The reason they want the panels is that they purchased the solar camera from us and want to put it on their farm and power it with solar electricity. That is for their farm so that they can keep an eye on things,” Peat explained.

He told The Beacon that, although his main focus now is on selling solar equipment, he remains active in other areas of business.

He still does equipment rental for construction projects, and he continues to sell a range of tires, rims, oil, steering locks and other motor vehicle accessories. To contact his company, call 876-325-5317.

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