Bahamas RESG Registration - May 11, 2015

Although the tentative date  for the beginning of the GridTie  Programme application process is scheduled to begin in September, registration  for the programme and registration of existing alternative energy sources, is targeted to roll out on Monday, May 11th, 2015. A summary of the Renewable Energy Self Generation Program and answers to frequently asked questions  can be found at the following BEC  website link:  RESG FAQ'shttp://www.bahamaselectricity.com/doingbusiness/resg_program.cfm 
 
In a recent press release, Kenred Dorsett, Minister of the Environment and Housing announced that,"The RESG programme will permit applicants operating wind and/or solar systems to tie into the grid; thereby assisting in the reduction of their electricity costs and lessening the demand for electricity."

Minister Dorsett goes on to say that "All persons and businesses currently generating energy through alternative energy sources, including those who do not wish to connect to the grid, are required by law to register their systems. This exercise will assist the Government in creating an inventory of alternative energy generating systems throughout the country."

Statistics on the number of persons and business that successfully complete "registration of existing" alternative energy systems, and  those that complete the "registration" and "application" for the GridTie Pilot RESG program will be of special interest. Stay tuned . . .

A copy of the RESG Registration Form can be viewed and downloaded here. Residential Energy Self Generation Registration Form in PDF Format.

 

A Tesla in Every Garage!

Tesla Motors promotes the new "PowerWall" Lithium Battery System

Not so quick! Not the car, the battery!  
But can't you just visualize one of those sexy-cool looking Tesla Lithium Battery packs on your garage wall? Well, I can. The "PowerWall" as it's being marketed by Tesla Motors may just be the missing link to sleek, maintenance free battery backup power for your home or business. As remarked on www.TeslaMotors.com, "Current generation home batteries are bulky, expensive to install and expensive to maintain. In contrast, Powerwall’s lithium ion battery inherits Tesla’s proven automotive battery technology to power your home safely and economically. Completely automated, it installs easily and requires no maintenance."

It's true, the 7kWh and 10kWH capacities of the PowerWall system won't make a fan of AGM or Flooded batteries jump for joy. However, you have to admit the idea of a $3,500 10kWh Lithium battery system, not including installation, isn't too shabby. Remember when VHS recorders first came out? I sure do. I think I paid over $850 for mine. Today, your can purchase a feature laden DVD player for under $100. Not that we'll see a comparable price reduction on that scale, but the odds are over time we'll see prices drop as production kicks into gear and "lithium battery" begins to trend. Consumers who have already made a decision to implement  renewable energy self generation systems, have a new player on the scene to consider for battery backup power. What did Bill Gates say, something about a vision of seeing " . . .a computer in every home". Hmmmm, now Elon has a vision of a lithium battery system in every home.

Thinking out of the box, Tesla is also targeting utilities. From a broad perspective the implications for public utility companies are mixed. Batteries could represent an impending threat to the status-quo. Presently, as Liam Denning wrote in a recent Wall Street Journal article, "the grid and power stations are the battery, providing power on demand. When that demand shifts to a customer-controlled battery, the utility sells less electricity." However, with peaking demand for renewable energy systems and falling solar equipment prices, utilities are jumping on the band wagon with the addition of renewables in their portfolios. As Liam noted,  regarding utilities, "their instinct is often to slow the adoption of distributed energy—for example, in the form of special charges for solar-panel owners—this is politically difficult. And, over time, it actually encourages grid defection."

I had to read  Liam's last statement over a again. And when I did, what jumped out at me was a phrase I hadn't come across before. "Grid Defection". That sure sounds like an an exit stage right to renewables with battery back-up to me. Or the contrary, with utilities embracing and integrating battery storage capacity into the utility grid as Southern California Edison has contracted to do. Here's the progress so far.

Southern California Edison

Edison International is proud of its efforts to help create a market for battery storage systems and its work with Tesla to bring this technology to customers. Southern California Edison (SCE), the regulated utility subsidiary of Edison International, has developed the nation's largest battery storage system and has contracts in place for an additional 264 megawatts of storage, including projects using Tesla batteries. SCE is working with Tesla on three demonstration projects that can help drive down the cost of battery storage systems for residential and business customers, as well as EV drivers. These demand response demonstration projects will test communication capabilities and explore rebates to customers who allow SCE to manage their battery charging in order to increase the use of renewable energy while ensuring continued grid reliability.

SoCore Energy, a subsidiary of Edison Energy, which is Edison International's portfolio of competitive businesses and equity interests in emerging companies, is working with a client to design and install Tesla batteries at two of their retail properties in Southern California. The sites will feature Tesla battery units that will be charged with electricity from the grid during nonpeak hours at night. The two battery systems will be able to store up to 400 kilowatts and 600 kilowatts, respectively. SoCore Energy is working with its client to identify additional locations for potential battery installations. SoCore Energy is not the same company as Southern California Edison, the utility, and SoCore Energy is not regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission.

Ok, so here's the plan, a.k.a. "dream". Save up and grab the 10kWh PowerWall first and then move up to the Model S! Yeah that's it! I can see it now.

EM: An ounce of prevention?
We normally discuss topics surrounding renewable energy, energy efficiency measures, smart homes, and cool wifi gadgets to monitor energy usage at home and at work. But for today lets make a slight turn and chat about EMP and Solar Flares. What? I know, but just hang on for a minute. You'll appreciate the turn in direction when you read the punch line at the end of this post.

A few days ago I came across this interesting article that had been buried deep on the NASA Science News website.  The subject was  how severe space weather can effect electronic devices and communications here on earth. You can read the complete article for yourself here. "SevereSpace Weather"  The following excerpt sums it up.

"Electric power is modern society's cornerstone technology on which virtually all other infrastructures and services depend," the report notes. Yet it is particularly vulnerable to bad space weather. Ground currents induced during geomagnetic storms can actually melt the copper windings of transformers at the heart of many power distribution systems. Sprawling power lines act like antennas, picking up the currents and spreading the problem over a wide area. The most famous geomagnetic power outage happened during a space storm in March 1989 when six million people in Quebec lost power for 9 hours."

Don't Worry, Be Happy!
Chill-out and relax. Or Chilax, as we're  encouraged to do in a Dec 2014 article published in www.BusinessInsider.com.  We're reminded that  "Solar flares are a rather common occurrence that, if strong enough, could cause a huge catastrophe on Earth by causing mass communication disruptions and power outages." However, there's no need to be worried or build a Faraday cage around your entire home. Astrophysicist, and host of StarTalk Radio, Neil deGrasse Tyson explains what a solar flare is and why we should all "chilax."

EMP and ElectroMagnetic Waves
We're so wired! Solar electric power systems, grid-tied and off-grid PV, electronics, communications, etc. would all be effected by a severe electromagnetic event. The last major solar event occurred between October 29 and 31st 2003. In an article published in Space.com, by Elizabeth Howell, she notes that "Airlines that usually flew over the pole diverted their routes to lower latitudes, and airborne magnetic and geophysical surveys were delayed or cancelled because they could not collect data. GPS accuracy fell, which affected consumers as well as the military. The Department of Defense, in fact, had to cancel a maritime mission due to communication interference, USGS officials said."

Punchline: Remember to Chilax! No need for alarms, but it may be wise to consider some form of shielding measures for your sensitive electronic devices. You'll find solutions from inexpensive, simply constructed shielding boxes and bags to rather large, elaborate and quite expensive Faraday Cages. There are even products in development to protect your PV Panels and Solar Electric System.  In the meantime, chill . . . and on your next coffee break, read up on the subject of Space Weather at NASA.

SECURING ELECTRICAL POWER in the BAHAMAS
With the frequency of power outages recently experienced in New Providence, the government announcement to select PowerSecure International Inc as the preferred bidder to manage BEC could not have come at a better time.  PowerSecure will manage both generation and transmission/distribution, for a period of five years.

Changes at BEC will begin taking place in short order. Why? There is an obvious mandate in the wording of the agreement to see a measurable return on investment within the 60 month duration of the contract.

Meanwhile, the public is anxiously awaiting detailed guidance on RESG application, registration, installation  and production parameters.

The Smart Money is on Renewables
Summer is just around the corner and the heat is on! For some middle-income American households it's a dreadful time of high utility bills. For others it's time to relax on the front porch with a glass of lemonade, without a worry or fear of sky-high  electric  bills.  Why the disparity when solar system installation costs have fallen, and financing options and incentives are on the rise? Regardless of the choice for or against solar, in a recent forward-looking report, the United States Energy Information Administration forecasts renewable energy will be the fastest-growing power source through 2040. Residential solar is on the rise and has become commonplace in communities across the USA. Commercial and residential solar capacity is on pace to increase internationally as well.  International renewable energy statistics can be viewed at the following link  US EIA  for North America, Central and South America including the Caribbean, Europe, Eurasia, Middle East, Africa, Asia & Oceania.

MidAmerican Energy, a company that business magnate Warren Buffett is affiliated with, has put more than $15 billion into renewable energy projects, largely without loan guarantees. It's also notable that utility companies in the USA are in large numbers investing in solar generation facilities.  

To help you on your journey, no matter which country you live in, here's a handy tool to get your started that's Free to use.  NREL's PVWatts^® Calculator estimates the energy production and cost of energy of grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) energy systems throughout the world. It allows homeowners, small building owners, installers and manufacturers to easily develop estimates of the performance of potential PV installations.

So take the time to review and implement energy saving measures prior to purchasing a solar electric system for your home. Here's a handy link to "Home Advisor". With the ENERGY STAR^® Home Advisor, you can create a profile of your home's energy efficiency features and get a prioritized list of energy-saving recommendations customized to your home. As illustrated below, we can see the impact a solar initiative can have when progressive programs are in place. Solar electric is indeed a very smart choice for your money!

GHP : GeoThermal Heat Pump
Efficiently Cooling your Home or Business in the Summer
Maintaining indoor air comfortably Warm in the Winter.

The Bahamas is a prime location for the use of GeoThermal Heatpump Technologies. A GHP system will keep you comfortably cool in the summer, dramatically lower energy costs,  reduces the use and handling of ozone depleting refrigerants,  and if powered by renewable energy supplies, supports optimum utilization of natural resources of this beautiful island nation.  Geothermal HVAC systems have been used for more than 60 years. With the recent passage of the 2014 Electricity Amendment Act, renewable energy self generation (RESG) and GHP just might be the perfect couple to keep your eye on!   

So why the interest in GHP?
It's interesting to note that in an article published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) addressing "whole house" energy efficiency and the environmental performance of homes,  it was stated that "Air conditioners use about 5 percent of all the electricity produced in the United States, at a cost of over $11 billion to homeowners. As a result, roughly 100 million tons of carbon dioxide are released into the air each year, an average of about two tons for each home with an air conditioner." But even more interesting in comparison is that over 70% of the energy used in a typical U.S. home is used for space conditioning. That's huge!

So the question is, do you really want to turn a conventional Air Conditioning system on in the peak of summer and watch your meter spin faster than the blades on a food blender? [Repeat after me "Locked Rotor Amps"! (LRA). We'll touch on the electrical demands of conventional Air Conditioning system, single-stage, two-stage, variable speed and DC-Inverter technology in our next edition. ] Now back to the current thread, . . . Do you use ceiling fans as the first line of defense to the summer heat? Is your ceiling fan supplied by renewable energy, from the RESG system you just installed? Well my friend you're on easy street. If you can open the windows and take advantage of natural air circulation on a hot summer day and bask in the cool breeze from the Ocean,  that's the best option yet! But as an alternative, it may be time to at least consider proven "eco-friendly" methods to cool your home, office or retail spaces. Don't get me wrong. GeoThermal Heat Pump technology is not the "ONLY" solution. There are many great solutions in the marketplace to reduce your indoor Cooling and Heating expenses. However, if I were a betting man, I would put my bet on GeoThermal.

GeoThermal Heat Pump

So What is a GeoThermal Heat Pump (GHP)?

A geothermal or “ground-source” heat pump (GHP) for short,  is a system that uses the heat storage capacity of the earth as a "heat-sink", or the earth’s groundwater to cool or warm your home. The beauty of the system is based on the fact that, even though surface and air temperatures may be in the extremes,  the ground a few feet below the surface remains at a fairly stable temperature. We take advantage of this temperature difference (delta)  and utilize it to keep our homes comfortably cool in the summer and cozy warm in the winter.

How does  a GeoThermal Heat Pump Work? 

In it's simplest form, in the case of cooling, a GHP moves heat energy from inside your home or office and transfers that heat to the earth or groundwater. It's important to note, that additionally, with the use of a "heat exchanger" the heat removed from the indoor air during the summer can also be used to provide a free source of  domestic hot water (DHW) to replace or supplement your existing water heating system.

Share the Link:  GEOTHERMAL Heat Pump Basics Video

Just how efficient is a GeoThermal Heat Pump?
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has called ground source heat pumps . . . "the most energy-efficient, environmentally clean, and cost-effective space conditioning systems available!"

Doesn't it take lots of space and water for a GeoThermal Heat Pump System?

As shown in the video above, a loop can be buried vertically, using minimum ground area.  Or, if there's a water source, as we see with the shallow water table in the Bahamas, only a small area is required. Water isn't “used” or "depleted". It's returned to the water source after it's passed through the a heat exchanger and cooled your home or office space.

A picture is worth a thousand words, and one of the best GHP system illustrations I've seen comes from Summit Mechanical Systems in Montana. The image pictured lower right depicts the basic concept of heat exchange fundamentals of a vertical GeoThermal Heat Pump system. This is just one type of GHP that would  work exceptionally well in the Bahamas

Economics of Green Housing and more energy efficient choices
By 2016, a Wall Street Journal article predicted that green housing will grow from $36 billion a year to as much as $114 billion. That’s approaching 30 to 40 percent of the entire housing market. Imagine the impact a focused green housing program in the Bahamas would have. Employment, training and promotion of the amazing natural resources the Bahamas has to offer. Sand, Sea, Sun and so much more!
What about the cost of GHP?
GHP systems installation costs are typically higher than that of other cooling systems, but have lower maintenance costs and much greater energy savings.
Lowering Indoor Humidity is a huge concern!
GHPs excel in the area of humidity control. Most Energy Star (R)  rated GHP systems can improve humidity control by  easily achieving 50% relative indoor humidity. By circulating humid air over the indoor coils, the warmer moisture laden air condenses into water vapor and is removed through the condensation line to the outdoors.

April 18, 2015 - by Austin Livingston


NEXT UP!
Solar Electric / Solar Thermal Air Conditioning  &  Solar Thermal Water Heating

GRID-TIE SOLAR & ANTI-ISLANDING

Anti-islanding!
If you haven't come across this term before, you soon will. The subject of anti-islanding is often brought up when discussing grid-tied renewable energy systems. It's a term that you should become very familiar with if you're considering registering a grid-tie solar system under the terms of the  2014 Electricity Amendment Act.

An important point to understand is that, for safety reasons, a grid-tie solar system is designed to shut down power production to the grid when there is a utility grid outage. Yes, you did read that correctly. For example, it's 12 Noon, the skies are clear, the sun is shining brightly, and your solar system has reached it's peak production for the day. But then suddenly it cycles off and all the appliances and electronics in the home are no longer powered up. Your first thought,  . . .is there something wrong, has the equipment malfunctioned, have I tripped a breaker?  Before jumping to any hasty conclusions, lets first consider that the utility grid is down.  If it is, then your grid-tied solar system is performing just as it was designed. Once utility grid power is restored by the utility company after maintenance or repair,  your grid-tied solar system will automatically begin to cycle back on without any intervention on your part.

A Hybrid System (Grid-Interactive),  will also shut down power production to the grid, but has the expanded capability of powering local loads independently while the grid is down. There is a significant difference between Hybrid and Grid-tie (Grid-dependent) systems. Both have anti-islanding protection, however the Hybrid system typically has an alternate power source, such as batteries, or a propane generator, which can be utilized to power essential local loads in the event of a power outage.

Another Hybrid variation is a dual inverter configuration. A grid-tie inverter matched with a battery-based inverter utilizing an automatic or manual transfer switch. While the grid is up, the system produces power that can feed the utility grid. The batteries remain fully charged from the utility power. When the utility grid is down, the grid-tie inverter cycles off and the battery-based inverter then automatically cycles on and powers local essential loads. Once the grid is restored, the grid-tie inverter cycles on, and is able to power your home, and also feed the grid depending on the power demand in your home.

In summary, anti-islanding protection, is an important safety feature built into compliant grid-tie and hybrid inverters that sense utility grid faults and outages and automatically shuts down the inverter, preventing feeding of power back onto the utility grid.

In the United States, the standard for anti-islanding is specified in UL 1741 and further associated in IEEE 1547.

Under the Canadian electric code, anti-islanding is referenced as, CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 107.1-01 General Use Power Supplies. Refer to side column for further details.

Grid-Tie
On Friday, March 13th, the Bahamas experienced the second protracted island-wide blackout in the course of one year. The following week, on Friday, March 20th, 2015 the Electricity (Amendment) Act, 2014 came into effect. The Act enables persons to install and operate renewable energy generating stations. These renewable energy self generation systems (RESG) will be registered and regulated under provisions of the Electricity (Amendment) Act, 2014, and can be connected to the electrical grid. On March 25th, in the House of Assembly, the Deputy Prime Minister stated, "With the RESG Programme, the opportunity exists to generate energy through alternative energy sources, tie into the current electrical grid, and to receive a credit for excess electricity fed into the grid."  Yes, the same grid currently managed and operated by BEC.

Mark this date on your calendar. March 20, 2015.
It's the beginning of a new era in the Bahamas.