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10-25 energy bill cut via solar water heaters
Solar water heaters could reduce household/business electricity bills by between 10-25 per cent, the Bahamas-based head of a leading renewables firm said yesterday, with a consequent 30 per cent reduction in the Bahamas Electricity Corporation's (BEC) fuel bill "a realistic goal".
Guilden Gilbert, president of Alternative Power Sources (Bahamas), told Tribune Business that with the Bahamas exposed to almost-constant sun 365 days per year, the potential for renewable energy - especially solar water heaters and solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems was "limitless".
While estimates of 25-30 per cent savings from solar water heater use ...
Solar Water Heaters helps reduce the 570 million BEC expansion plan
Nassau, The Bahamas -
Installing solar water heaters to replace the traditional home
appliance is the second initiative of the National Energy Policy to
reduce the costs of high-electricity consumption and wasteful-usage of
municipal water resources.
According to Minister of State for
the Environment Phenton Neymour, BEC could not afford the $570 million
expansion plan quoted by the IDB, so the government began promoting
reduction and conservation measures to solve the energy overload on BEC.
Solar Water Heaters helps reduce the 570 million BEC expansion plan
Nassau, The Bahamas -
Installing solar water heaters to replace the traditional home
appliance is the second initiative of the National Energy Policy to
reduce the costs of high-electricity consumption and wasteful-usage of
municipal water resources.
According to Minister of State for
the Environment Phenton Neymour, BEC could not afford the $570 million
expansion plan quoted by the IDB, so the government began promoting
reduction and conservation measures to solve the energy overload on BEC.
Solar water heaters and rain catchers may soon be mandatory
The Government is "seriously considering" amending the Bahamas Building Code within the next 12 months to mandate that all new homes built in this nation have solar water heaters and rain catchment systems in order to reduce energy consumption, Tribune Business was told yesterday.
Meanwhile, the Ingraham administration is hoping that in the same time period the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA), which currently regulates only the telecommunications sector, can "begin establishing the structure" it would need, in terms of staff and other resources, to eventually take over responsibility for the energ ...
Government installs solar water heaters in Ardastra Gardens community
Nassau, The Bahamas - Solar photovoltaic
systems may become mandatory to The Bahamas' building code, as the Government
shepherds Bahamians through the impact of climate change and the rising
costs of global energy prices. The National Energy Policy is designed
to guide Bahamians to reduce energy consumption, especially people living
in low-income homes.
"This is a programme to encourage Bahamians
to begin to use some of the gifts that God has given us, some of our
natural resources, which is that of solar energy. These solar water
heaters cost between $3,000 and $3,500 each, after installation
Green firm shines light on technology
A new company is hoping the sun will be shining on its state-of-the-art solar energy technology.
Solar Energy Solutions is an exclusive distributor of renewable energy products, mainly solar water heaters and photovoltaic systems, which are manufactured and supplied by Solaris Global Energy Limited in Barbados.
In this week's edition of Da Plunge, the company's President Ronald Thompson said The Bahamas is at a stage in its development where it must catch up with the rest of the region in the utilization of
solar energy and other renewable energy sources. He said the primary reason he launched the company back in December was to harness this need.
"By utilizing the natural resources that are available, we can cut down significantly on the importation of fossil fuel and that will be of tremendous benefit to the country," he shared.
"We at Solar Energy Solutions would like to increase the utilization of solar hot water heaters. If we can get anywhere near the penetration of 60 percent that Barbados has, that would cut down tremendously on the amount of fuel that we would need and the amount of power that BEC would have to generate to produce hot water."
Thompson revealed that his company offers solar water heaters in various sizes. He is calling the switch to solar water heaters a "no brainer". Despite its initial installation costs being higher than the electric heater, after a year's time, solar water heater users will be able to recoup most of that investment in savings.
"The initial cost is higher than an electric water heater but in a year's time, you would have almost recouped in energy savings the amount of monies that you would have invested in a system," he explained.
"Actually for a 40-gallon solar water heater at today's electricity rates which are about 30 cents per kilowatt hour, the cost of heating water using a 40-gallon electric water heater would be about $1,750 a year whereas using a solar water heater, your costs in electricity will probably be about $300. So you're saving $1,400 every year."
To date, Solar Energy Solutions has made three installations. However, Thompson is hoping the company will get to a point where it will install between 500 to 600 units annually.
"You have a storage tank that's insulated that you would place on the roof and you have a solar panel that goes below the water heater. Your city water is hooked up to the bottom of the panel. The sun shines on the panel and it heats the water. The hot water rises and goes into the tank. The hottest water stays to the top of the tank so that when you turn on your tap below, the hot water comes out and it's completely replenished," he shared.
Vincent McClean, Solaris' chief innovation officer, believes The Bahamas stands to benefit a great deal from his firm's products. Currently, Barbados is the leading user of renewable energy in the Caribbean and has the third highest penetration of solar water heaters in the world.
"There is an enormous amount of electrical energy used by the hotel industry along with homes. I believe that with the further penetration of solar water heating in the hotel industry here the rewards and benefits to the Bahamian economy would be enormous," he stated.
"Right now, Barbados saves about US$200 million every year from the use of solar water heating in the hotel industry. You have a much larger hotel industry than we have so I think that the benefits would be even more enormous."
For more information, you can email the company at sebahamas@gmail.com or visit its office at the Source River Center, formerly known as the Bacardi complex.
Ministry Launches Solar Energy Initiative
The Ministry of the Environment will give away 100 solar water heaters and 33 solar photovoltaic electricity systems as part of its solar initiative, according to State Minister of the Environment Phenton Neymour.
Local firm training photovoltaic installers
Green Files columnist Sonia Brown sits down with Guilden Gilbert of Alternative Power Sources (Bahamas) Ltd.
Sonia: Tell us about your company.
Guilden: We are a full renewable energy company also providing energy saving options like LED lighting for virtually any application. From the renewable energy perspective, we offer Photovoltaic (PV) systems, solar street and garden lighting, solar water heaters, solar pool heaters, solar pool pumps and solar well pumps. Along with our Jamaican partner, Alternative Power Sources, we are one of the largest and most experienced renewable energy companies in the Caribbean and we are the only regional company to be nominated for the American Energy Engineers Renewable Energy Project of the Year. This nomination was put forward for a 1,000 home development in Jamaica, for which we are supplying and installing solar street and garden lights, PV systems and solar water heaters.
Sonia: What have been some of the successes and challenges around working in the alternative energy field in The Bahamas?
Guilden: This biggest challenge is getting potential clients to commit to spending the capital for PV systems. We have quoted quite a number of prospects, but many are reluctant to actually spend the money upfront to make gains on the back end. The other stumbling block is the fact that we do not have legislative support to send excess power back to the BEC grid. Hopefully in the not too distant future we will see legislative reforms that will introduce either net billing or net metering when excess power is sent to the BEC grid from homes that have self-generation of power. This will also reduce the pay-back period of PV systems.
Sonia: Tell us about the training program you have launched. Why do you think it's an important step?
Guilden: We have signed an Articulation Agreement with BTVI to launch a Certified PV Installer course. The course is certified by the Electronic Technicians Association and any person who takes the course and passes the certification exam will be a recognized PV installer globally. It opens up opportunities for Bahamians outside of the country. Our goal in getting this course here is to help to create a fully trained and certified PV workforce so that homeowners and commercial establishments that wish to use PV for full or supplemental power will know that the person handling the installation is certified to do so. This in and of itself should bring a level of comfort that systems are being properly installed. As a company, our goal is to be 100 percent Bahamian from an employment perspective. This course will allow us to fulfil that internally set mandate, as we will have a number of certified installers within the market to select from. We believe this is an industry in and of itself, so we do anticipate that this course will also see the emergence of new companies focusing on entering the sector.
Send questions or comments to sbrown@graphitebahamas.com.
oSonia Brown is principal of Graphite Engineering Ltd. and is a registered professional engineer.
Government energy audits continue
State Minister for the Environment Phenton Neymour said yesterday that the Ministry of the Environment has conducted several energy audits on a number of government entities in The Bahamas in an effort to find ways to significantly reduce energy bills.
If you need an upgrade, do it smart
It's that time of year again when we expect lots of visits from family and friends as we approach the holiday season.
This is typically a time when we like to update our furniture and appliances because, you know, we want to impress that aunt or uncle we don't especially like. If you're on the hunt for that new appliance, I thought I would share some purchasing tips so you don't hurt yourself in the process.
In looking at washing machines, those that earn the ENERGY STAR rating are predicted to use 50 percent less water and 30 percent less energy than other models. These are typically seen in high efficient front or top loading models that no longer have central agitators.
Rinsing is now achieved using a high pressure spray which eliminates the need to fill and drain the tub.
Additionally, high speed spin options reduce drying time and as a result energy use. Just in case you are wondering, ENERGY STAR does not label clothes dryers as it has found very little difference in energy use amongst different models, so you would have to achieve your energy reductions in the washing process.
You may want to ensure your refrigerator is qualified, as these models are expected to be 20 percent more energy efficient than other models. Improve performance by leaving space at the back of the appliance to allow it to breathe, keep it away from heat producers like stoves and use energy saving or economy settings.
For those buying dishwashers, a 10 percent energy saving is predicted as these more efficient models have increased water pressure to reduce the need for pre-rinsing.
Some even have soil sensors to predict the wash cycle needed and have internal water heaters that reduce water heating costs.
Window or wall unit air-conditioning units that have achieved this rating are also expected to use 10 percent less energy than comparable models. You may wish to look at models that are equipped with timers to automatically shut units off when not needed.
Ceiling fans equipped with lights which have achieved this rating are 50 percent more efficient than other models and the light kits are expected to produce 75 percent less heat. These fans should be hung at least eight feet from the floor and of course only used when the room is occupied as contrary to popular belief fans do not cool a room.
They work by making persons in the room feel cooler. A qualified fan would work with compact fluorescent bulbs that last at least 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs.
Whether you are looking for a plasma, LCD, HD ready TV or a standard model television all types have been compared and you can find a qualified model. It is worth the effort because rated models are on average 40 percent more efficient than other models. This is typically an appliance that spends a significant amount of time in standby mode so you want to check the consumption in this mode which should be no more than one Watt.
At the moment there is no rating for ovens, ranges or microwave ovens.
I know you may want to purchase items just because they are on sale, but do your homework before shopping to avoid the impulse buy.
By making the effort to compare the predicted consumption of appliances at full power and standby you can save yourself a lot of money in the long run as the product with the lower sticker price may be more costly over the product lifetime.
Challenge for this week: Be an informed consumer and research before you shop for appliances. Take energy savings into account.
We would like to hear how this article has helped you. Send questions or comments to sbrown@graphitebahamas.com
Sonia Brown is Principal of Graphite Engineering Ltd and is a registered Professional Engineer
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