Every year millions of tourists flock to the Caribbean to enjoy the region
Electricity Wheeling Framework Determination Notice
Office of Utilities Regulation
Jamaica Public Service Company Limited
Electricity Wheeling Framework
Determination Notice
July 9, 2013
Abstract
An amendment to the Amended and Restated All-Island Electric, Licence 2011 (the
KINGSTON, Jamaica, July 7, CMC- Jamaica is to partner with Cuba to manufacture and assemble cost effective solar light panels locally.
This partnership forms part of the government
ABSTRACT
Towards the Domestic Adoption of Wind and Solar Energy Technologies: Assessing Awareness, Knowledge, Attitudes and Predicting Householder Behaviour
Davina W. Gayle
This exploratory study assessed awareness and knowledge levels of Jamaican household heads, their attitude towards microgeneration technologies specifically wind turbines and solar panels, as well as the likelihood of them changing from conventional energy sources to renewable using these technologies.
The diffusion of innovations theory, theory of reasoned action and theory of planned behaviour formed the theoretical framework of the research.
Two hundred household heads living in urban and rural, lower to upper class neighbourhoods, with ages ranging 19 to 85, participated in a KAP survey. Respondents were selected based on a mix of quota, convenience and purposive nonprobability sampling.
The findings showed high awareness levels of microwind turbines and solar panels; low to moderate knowledge levels of these technologies and the renewable energy they generate; generally a favourable attitude towards both; and a modest percentage of household heads indicated the likelihood of installing a wind turbine or solar panel in the near future.
Further research is needed.
It is recommended that although some household heads may be willing to make the change from conventional energy sources to wind and solar powered using microgeneration technologies, intervention is needed from government and civil society, for there to be wide scale behaviour change.
Keywords: Davina W. Gayle; Wind and solar energy technologies; Jamaica
NB: This study was not commissioned by the JSEA, but was intended for the public domain, via organizations such as the JSEA, to help promote the use of Renerwable Energy in Jamaica
Full Document
http://jsea.org.jm/docs/Wind%
Opposition spokesman on Industry, Commerce and Energy Gregory Mair is proposing that the administration make it mandatory for all government buildings to be fitted with solar photovoltaic systems.
“Every government building must have solar panels energising their lights, fans and other equipment. Not only will it bring savings in foreign exchange used by JPS to purchase fuel, but it will also reduce the electricity bills of Government and stimulate the growth of an industry of which Jamaica could become the Caribbean leader,” Mair pointed out during his contribution, last week, to the Sectoral Debate in Parliament.
He also wants the Government to introduce policy to make it compulsory for solar photovoltaic systems to be installed in government-related schemes.
“Let the Government drive demand in solar energy. If done properly, we could see an industry where we have solar photovoltaic panels and solar heating assembly plants exporting to the Caribbean and, by extension, the world,” he added.
Discussing how this project could become a reality, Mair said the Government should make the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) more efficient.
“As we are aware, the PCJ is funded by the one per cent commission earned from the sale of fuel to Petrojam. The PCJ does not require all this funding and the majority of it should be dedicated to building this industry. It is a win-win all around,” Mair explained.
Turning to the PetroCaribe agreement, Mair argued that Jamaica could pay for fuel purchased under this accord with goods made locally, not only manufactured items but also produce.
According to Mair, Article IV of the PetroCaribe agreement states, among other things, that, “With regard to deferred payments, Venezuela shall be able to accept that the partial payments be done with products, goods and/or services, previously agreed by the parties, based on preferential rates proposed by the Government of Jamaica.”
He noted that Venezuela imported a lot of products and Jamaica had failed to take advantage of this clause of the PetroCaribe deal.
“Our Government should meet with our counterparts in Venezuela, like many other countries have, and agree on the goods we will be selling them in exchange for their fuel. Once this is done, Government should encourage the establishment and expansion of the industries that will capitalise on this arrangement,” the opposition spokesman stated.
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Opposition spokesman on Industry, Commerce and Energy Gregory Mair is proposing that the administration make it mandatory for all government buildings to be fitted with solar photovoltaic systems.
“Every government building must have solar panels energising their lights, fans and other equipment. Not only will it bring savings in foreign exchange used by JPS to purchase fuel, but it will also reduce the electricity bills of Government and stimulate the growth of an industry of which Jamaica could become the Caribbean leader,” Mair pointed out during his contribution, last week, to the Sectoral Debate in Parliament.
He also wants the Government to introduce policy to make it compulsory for solar photovoltaic systems to be installed in government-related schemes.
“Let the Government drive demand in solar energy. If done properly, we could see an industry where we have solar photovoltaic panels and solar heating assembly plants exporting to the Caribbean and, by extension, the world,” he added.
Discussing how this project could become a reality, Mair said the Government should make the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) more efficient.
“As we are aware, the PCJ is funded by the one per cent commission earned from the sale of fuel to Petrojam. The PCJ does not require all this funding and the majority of it should be dedicated to building this industry. It is a win-win all around,” Mair explained.
Turning to the PetroCaribe agreement, Mair argued that Jamaica could pay for fuel purchased under this accord with goods made locally, not only manufactured items but also produce.
According to Mair, Article IV of the PetroCaribe agreement states, among other things, that, “With regard to deferred payments, Venezuela shall be able to accept that the partial payments be done with products, goods and/or services, previously agreed by the parties, based on preferential rates proposed by the Government of Jamaica.”
He noted that Venezuela imported a lot of products and Jamaica had failed to take advantage of this clause of the PetroCaribe deal.
“Our Government should meet with our counterparts in Venezuela, like many other countries have, and agree on the goods we will be selling them in exchange for their fuel. Once this is done, Government should encourage the establishment and expansion of the industries that will capitalise on this arrangement,” the opposition spokesman stated.
Read more:
Still recovering from last year
GTM Research Senior Analyst Shyam Mehta provides actionable intelligence for the solar module manufacturing industry.
ERIC WESOFF: APRIL 25, 2013
GTM Research Senior Analyst Shyam Mehta spoke at this week’s Solar Summit in Arizona on solar module manufacturing. Rather than preaching “big ideas [and] grand narratives [that] don’t always give you actionable intelligence,” Mehta tried to provide real-world data points and tried to “start from the ground.”
Here are a few of his points and the accompanying data.
The performance gap between p-type mono-crystalline silicon and multi-crystalline silicon is narrowing
Efficiency gains in conventional multi c-Si have accelerated and the gains have come “without significant increase in capex or material cost,” according to Mehta. Yet mono crystalline still commands a 4 cent to 8 cent per watt premium in sales price. Mehta suggests that the value proposition for p-type mono continues to deteriorate.
P-type might make sense in highly real estate-constrained Japan, but in the long term, Mehta sees n-type mono as a key to maintaining the efficiency advantage of mono. Panasonic, SunPower and Yingli are working on n-type cells.
Are 72-cell modules the future?
Mehta noted that 60-cell modules are the current standard but there are 72-cell, 96-cell, and 128-cell modules available. He said that 72-cell modules have gained significant market share because large modules can reduce balance-of-system costs by up to 7 cents per watt.
The 60-cell modules still have an advantage over larger modules in that they are more rigid, can be carried by one person, and more modules can be fit onto complicated rooftops.
Mehta suggests we will start to see increasing numbers of larger and different sized modules that are “highly segment-specific.”
Will module prices just keep dropping?
Spot pricing for polysilicon, as well as for cells and modules, has actually risen 5 percent to 15 percent this year. Is this an indication of a sustained price increase? Mehta points to some salient data from GTM research — 81 percent of ASP reduction over the last two years has come from margin evaporation and polysilicon. He notes that non-silicon materials such as glass and encapsulants have little cost-reduction potential remaining.
Long
Minister of Science, Technology Energy and Minining, the Hon. Phillip Paulwell.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the motion in this 2013/2014 Budget Debate, truly a critical point for our country, our economy and the well being of our people.
Over the past 15 months, as we negotiated this new crucial IMF Extended Fund Agreement from the ru