SmartPower & SmartHomes

Saturday, February 7, 2015

RESG

Ready, Set , . . .

For homeowners and business owners alike, it's February 7th, 2015 and we are still awaiting the passage of legislation that will legalize grid-tied solar. Renewable Energy Self Generation (RESG) is an acronym that we should all pay extremely close attention to. It's the green light we're waiting for that will immediately reduce the cost of installing residential and commercial solar and wind power systems. Grid-tied systems can generally be installed in the $3.00/ Watt price range. The cost of Off-Grid "battery based" systems could easily sell at $6.00/Watt or even higher. A grid-tied system with a modest battery back-up system is the "sweet spot" most of us are seeking. Technology advances in the renewable energy industry have addressed issues regarding safety, reliability and suitability of residential and commercial grade energy production equipment. Off-the-shelf Grid-Tied inverters that are UL 1741 and IEEE 1547 compliant are available from most major inverter manufacturers.

In summary, safety comes first when it pertains to connecting renewable energy systems to the grid, whether it is BEC, TVA or Seattle Power and Light.

Electric utilities take the safety of grid-tied power systems very seriously. International grid-tie standards are intended to protect utility workers from electric shock as they repair power lines during a power outage, and also protect a homeowner’s equipment and appliances from damage due to power quality fluctuations. There are literally hundreds of "Grid-Tie" inverters on the market from small 1,500Watt ratings to commercial 30KW+ capacities. The growing competition between major Grid-Tie inverter manufacturers is great news for consumers. Selection is high, and prices are falling!

In order to pass the current stringent standards, approved equipment must:

Immediately disconnect from the grid if power quality falls out of specifications.
Detect and prevent “islanding”—feeding electricity to the grid when the grid source is no longer present.
Wait for five minutes of clean power from the grid before trying to reconnect.

Grid-tie legislation will allow extremely affordable renewable energy systems to be within the reach of a substantially larger percentage of consumers than is now available.

In other words, RESG will unlock the door to affordable Solar and Wind Power!

According to a 2009 report published on the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) website, the Bahamas had an electrical capacity of 493 MWH, of which 0% was attributed to renewables. However, the Renewable Energy Self Generation (RESG) program that is a part of the Electricity Act Amendment 2014 that was recently introduced and read in the House of Assembly, marks a significant milestone that change is on the way.

Kenred Dorsett, Minister of Housing and the Environment, confirmed earlier this month while speaking at an energy forum, that the Government is working closely with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) to develop renewable energy technology standards, to ensure it's proper implementation in the Bahamas. Standards not only in the type of equipment imported, but also in terms of who is allowed to be integrally involved in the installations of renewable energy systems.

Net Billing is a game changer!
The importance of the RESG legislation is that it allows for residential and select commercial customers to connect to the Bahamas Electricity Corporation's (BEC) grid, with provisions for obtaining credit, but not cash payment, for the amount of electricity generated. Grid tied systems have significantly lower installed costs when compared to 100% "off-grid" battery based systems. Although, a traditional "grid-tied" system will not operate when the grid is down, it does provide credit for the electricity generated. Hybrid grid-tied systems with "battery back-up" offer an excellent option for those that can ill afford a short term power disruption. Fewer batteries are required, and battery charging can be achieved from the grid.

Affordability
Even a 1,200 Watt grid tied system will make a large impact for those that want to start with a small renewable energy investment. With the high demand for solar panels, the supply has increased and driven solar prices in the marketplace to the $1/Watt range. Balance of System (BOS) and even large format photovoltaic (PV) panels in the 300 Watt range have also seen prices fall in recent months. An IRENA report shows that crystaline silicon PV module costs have decreased 65% over the last two years alone. Price reductions in PV and BOS are illustrated by the fact that a grid-tied system can be installed in the USA averaging less than $3.25 /Watt before incentives are factored in. A similar system in the Bahamas can be expected to cost more, however prices should continue to become more affordable as competition increases and PV costs continue to fall.

Getting It Done Right!
Minister of Housing and the Environment, Kenred Dorsett has stressed that the Bahamas must protect it's citizens and the integrity of renewable energy technology as it seeks to lower energy costs. The Bahamas is indeed making a bold move into a new era of renewable energy, and should be commended for ushering in the RESG grid tied legislation for residential and commercial customers. Standards and guidelines that form a framework for proper implementation of renewable energy self generation will help to insure consumers receive the quality they deserve. NABCEP certifications for installers and sales professionals serve as a just one example of successful standards to ensure the integrity of the renewable energy industry in the USA and could become a model in the Bahamas for raising industry standards and promoting consumer confidence.

More About IRENA

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is an intergovernmental organization that supports countries in their transition to a sustainable energy future, and serves as the principal platform for international cooperation, a centre of excellence, and a repository of policy, technology, resource and financial knowledge on renewable energy. IRENA promotes the widespread adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy, including bioenergy, geothermal, hydropower, ocean, solar and wind energy, in the pursuit of sustainable development, energy access, energy security and low-carbon economic growth and prosperity. For more information visit www.irena.org

IRENA, recently published an informative report titled - "A Path to Prosperity: Renewable energy for islands". The booklet is a collection of case studies.
and highlights real-life projects. It illustrates innovative solutions and partnerships used to advance renewable energy deployment in Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The report can be Downloaded Here!

1 comment:

UnknownSeptember 12, 2017 at 2:42 AM
I really like the information provided in this article and I really like the way you have explained each and everything so well. Very well done with the article, hope that you will continue to do posting
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Solar kWh Costs - News Archive

Having recently seen single module PV prices dropping to a low of $0.60/Watt, it's no surprise to also see associated solar electric kWh costs plummet.

Searching through online archives we find a related article posted February 12, 2014 on www.Energy.Gov, by Erin R. Pierce, "The U.S. solar industry is growing at a record-breaking pace, while becoming more affordable and accessible than ever before. The industry’s forward progress comes in part thanks to support from the Energy Department’s SunShot Initiative.

Set up in 2011 to re-establish U.S. leadership in the solar marketplace, SunShot partners with industry, universities, local communities and the Department’s National Laboratories to aggressively drive down the cost of solar-powered electricity generation across America.

To achieve this goal, SunShot works to lower the price of solar electricity to $0.06 per kilowatt hour (KWh) -- a cost target that will make solar-generated power to be fully cost-competitive with traditional energy sources by the end of the decade."

Fast forward to 2015 and we read of a recent study by the Berlin-based Agora Energiewende, a leading German think tank. The lead author, and renewable energy specialist Daniel Fuerstenwerth says that one of the reasons for the study was the lack of recognition among policy makers and advisors about future cost falls in solar PV, and official forecasts which continued to downplay the potential role of the technology.

He goes on to say that "the cost reduction potential of large scale solar is still misunderstood, and predicts that solar PV will be the cheapest form of power within a decade, and cost less than $US0.02/kWh by 2050."

Originally published in RenewEconomy, we further read from the Angora report that “Our results indicate that solar power will become the cheapest source of electricity in many regions of the world, reaching costs of between Euro 1.6 and 3.7c/kWh in India and the Mena region (Middle East and North Africa) by 2050.

Cost competitiveness, we're told, with large scale conventional power plants will be reached in these regions already within the next decade, at a cost for solar power by 2025 ranging between 3.3 and 5.4 ct/kWh.

The article places emphasis on the fact that, "in UAE for instance, solar is already cost competitive, with a tender for 200MW of solar going at less than $US0.06/kWh, less than the prevailing cost of gas-fired generation at $US0.09/kwh."