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Tag: Renewable energy

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Alternative Energy Electricity JPS Solar Energy

Energy News – Towards the Domestic Adoption of Wind and Solar Energy Technologies

June 24, 2013

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%20and%20Solar%20Energy%20Technology%20Adoption.pdf

Alternative Energy Electricity News

Brimming with renewables IDB says region has enough alternative energy to fulfil 2050 electricity needs

June 20, 2013

LATIN America and the Caribbean’s renewable energy endowment is large enough to cover its projected 2050 electricity needs 22 times over, according to a new report commissioned by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

The report, Rethinking our Energy Future, argues that lower prices and new technologies are making renewables a viable alternative. Solar, geothermal, wave, wind and biomass sources in this region could produce up to 80 petawatt-hour of electricity.

A solar panel is seen in this photo. Lower prices and new technologies are making solar, wind and other resources competitive with fossil fuels for power generation, according to the Inter-American Development Bank.

One petawatt-hour is equivalent to one trillion kilowatt-hour, roughly three times the amount of electricity Mexico consumes in one year. At present, Latin America generates 1.3 petawatt hour. By 2050, demand is expected to grow to between 2.5 to 3.5 petawatt- hour.

The report addresses a series of myths surrounding renewable energies, noting that several of these alternative technologies have become price competitive with conventional technologies, offer good investment opportunities and should be taken into consideration by policymakers aiming to diversify their national energy matrixes, reduce fuel supply vulnerabilities and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

“Though Latin America uses more renewable energy than any other region in the world, it faces difficult choices as it seeks to generate the electricity it needs to grow without harming the environment,” said IDB President Luis Alberto Moreno. “Renewables are becoming a viable and attractive option that needs to be explored.”

The report was presented yesterday in Bogot

Electricity Government News

Energy News – IMF Letter of Intent for Jamaica, April 2013

June 17, 2013

IMF Letter of Intent for Jamaica, April 2013

Renewable Energy exerpts extracted from:

International Monetary Fund

Jamaica: Letter of Intent, Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies, and Technical Memorandum of Understanding
April 17, 2013

The following item is a Letter of Intent of the government of Jamaica, which
describes the policies that Jamaica intends to implement in the context of its
request for financial support from the IMF.

GROWTH STRATEGY
11. The government is committed to implementing a growth strategy built on time
bound fiscal consolidation and structural reforms aimed at reducing impediments to
growth, complemented by strategic investment facilitation. Among the main impediments to
growth are high public debt (142 percent of GDP as of end 2011/12), low factor productivity and
competitiveness, high energy cost,…

Labour Market Interventions and Reform
15.
The Renewable Energy and Efficiency Technology Programme (in partnership with the
CARICOM Education for Employment Programme) to create a skilled workforce to design,
install and maintain Renewable Energy Systems (beginning January 2014).

Strategic Investments
17.
Implement energy sector initiatives to achieve fuel-source diversification, facilitate
energy conservation and promote liberalization in delivery to achieve progressive
reductions in the cost of energy. Accordingly, the government will:
? Diversify energy sources from oil to gas based and renewables.4

4
!!!!!!! The construction and commissioning by the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) of a 360 Megawatt
Combined Cycle plant by 2015 remains a centerpiece of the medium term energy sector strategy, as well as a
build out of renewable energy capacity.!!!!!!

With regard to the promotion of renewable energy, the JPS All Island
Electricity Licence was amended to, among other things, establish a 25MW ceiling (previously 15MW) for
renewable energy generation capacity to be installed and sold to the JPS grid without competitive tendering. In
addition, in November 2012 the Office of Utilities regulation (OUR) issued a Request for Proposals for the supply
of 115MW of electricity generation from Renewable Energy and the bid period was subsequently extended by
two months to June 2013.

Promote liberalization in delivery through continued efforts to facilitate distributed
generation networks.6

6
In 2011, the Government introduced Net Billing regulation, and in May 2012 issued licenses for the first eleven
participants in the Net Billing initiative. The Government, through the Energy Security and Efficiency
Enhancement Project has provided resources for a US$4.6 million line of credit through the Development Bank of
Jamaica for businesses to implement renewable energy and efficiency-enhancement projects. In addition,
The Development Bank of Jamaica has instituted a J$100 million fund for residential energy loans to finance
renewable energy solutions such as small wind turbines, solar panels or biogas ingesters, while the National
Housing Trust has introduced two loan facilities to facilitate the installation of Solar Water Heaters and Solar
Photovoltaic Panels.

Complete document:
http://jsea.org.jm/docs/IMF%20Letter%20of%20Intent%20for%20Jamaica,%20April%202013%20(041713).pdf

Electricity News

Energy News – CARICOM ENERGY POLICY

April 18, 2013

CARICOM
ENERGY POLICY
In A Nutshell

— —————————-——–

This is a Summary of the CARICOM Energy Policy which was approved by the Forty-First
Special Meeting of the COTED on ENERGY held 1 March 2013, in Trinidad and Tobago

The Goal/ Vision of the CARICOM Energy Policy

Fundamental transformation of the energy sectors of the Member States of the Community through the provision of secure and sustainable supplies of energy in a manner which minimizes energy waste in all sectors, to ensure that all CARICOM citizens have access to modern, clean and reliable energy supplies at affordable and stable prices, and to facilitate the growth of internationally competitive Regional industries towards achieving sustainable development of the Community

OBJECTIVES OF CARICOM ENERGY POLICY

In fulfillment of the Goal /Vision of the CARICOM Energy Policy and to assure access to
affordable, adequate, safe and clean energy products necessary for the development of Member States and for the consolidation of the CSME (established by the Revised Treaty of
Chaguaramas), the Community will develop a programme of regional actions in a coherent and comprehensive way in pursuit of the following objectives:

(a) sustainable and secure energy supplies through diversification of energy sources;
(b) accelerated deployment of renewable and clean sources of energy supplies
towards increased energy supply diversification and affordability;
(c) sustained growth of intra-Community trade in energy;
(d) increased energy efficiency and conservation in all sectors, including the
transportation sub-sector;
(e) establishment and enforcement of labeling and standards for the importation of
electrical appliances as well as standards for vehicles importation;
(f) increased investment in production, transformation and distribution of viable
energy resources;
(g) strengthening and enhancement of the human and institutional capacities in the
Community energy sector;
(h) programmed expansion of electricity generation, transmission, distribution and
trade;
(i) improved access to affordable energy by the poor and vulnerable;
(j) greater use of renewable energy for electricity generation as well as in the
transportation, industrial and agricultural sectors;
(k) coordinated approach to exploring and establishing an institutional framework
for leveraging financing mechanisms for the development of viable energy
resources;
(l) increased technology transfer and information sharing;
(m) established regional and national targets for emissions reduction with
corresponding mitigation actions;
(n) strategies for maintenance of adequate energy reserves in the event of disasters;
and
(o) Strengthened research, development and innovation efforts in energy sector
especially in areas of clean and renewable energy sources and technologies.

Quantitative Regional level targets for sustainable energy will be established in the context of the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Roadmap and Strategy (C-SERMS), based on rationalization of the potential energy resources and human and institutional capacity which will accompany the CEP and provide a implementation framework engaging all Member State and actors in the energy sector.

SUMMARY OF BROAD CARICOM ENERGY POLICY ACTIONS

In order to realize the Goal/Vision for the energy sector of the Community, it is the Policy of CARICOM to:

SECURITY OF SUPPLY AND FUEL DIVERSIFICATION (Chapter 1)

1. Ensure increased energy security through timely access to adequate, reliable and
affordable supplies of energy by all Member States of CARICOM.

EXPLOITATION OF HYDROCARBON SOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT OF FOSSIL FUEL MARKETS
(Chapter 2)

2. Secure least cost hydrocarbon resources for each Member State and ensure that
appropriate standards for petroleum and petroleum related products are introduced
and enforced.

RENEWABLE ENERGY (Chapter 3)

3. Diversify the energy sources through increased use of renewable energy in a manner
that assures optimization with other sectors.

ELECTRICITY SECTOR (Chapter 4)

4. Ensure the sustainability of the electricity sector through increased use of renewable
energy, improved legislative and regulatory framework and cross border trade of
electricity generated from indigenous renewable energy sources.

ENERGY CONSERVATION AND EFFICIENCY (Chapter 5)

5. Promote energy savings efforts in all sectors

ENERGY USE FOR TRANSPORTATION (Chapter 6)

6. Promote fuel switching in the transportation sector to cleaner energy sources and
encourage greater efficiency of energy use in the transportation sector.

ENERGY INVESTMENT (Chapter 7)

7. Undertake the necessary reforms in a timely manner to encourage greater investment
in the energy sector.

INTRA-COMMUNITY TRADE IN HYDROCARBON ENERGY SOURCES (Chapter 8)

8. Ensure fair pricing and access to hydrocarbon resources by all Member States to
improve the competitiveness of regional industries.

ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT (Chapter 9)

9. Ensure that energy is supplied and consumed in a manner that creates minimal
adverse impact on the environment.

ENHANCEMENT OF HUMAN AND INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY (Chapter 10)

10. Build and strengthen the human capacity and skills as well as institutional capacity
within the Region, encourage research and development and increase public education
and awareness to ensure energy sector development.

ENERGY ACCESS AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION (Chapter 11)

11. Eliminate energy poverty and ensure access to clean, affordable and reliable energy
supplies by all citizens of the Region poverty.

CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES (Chapter 12)

12. Encourage sustainable energy practices within all other sectors and areas where there
is linkage to energy use such as agriculture, youth and culture, etc.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE (Chapter 13)

13. Establish regional and national targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
in the energy sector and implement appropriate mitigation actions relevant to the
energy sector.

ENERGY AND DISASTER PREPAREDNESS (Chapter 14)

14. Develop strategies to ensure the availability of energy supplies and products and a
strategic response to any oil spill and sustainability of energy services during any
crisis.

TRADE IN ENERGY SERVICES (Chapter 15)

15. Develop strategies to take advantage of opportunities for trade in energy services
regional and internationally.

PRINCIPLES GUIDING ACTIONS OUTLINED IN

THE CARICOM ENERGY POLICY

The CARICOM Energy Policy is guided by the following:

1. Community Mandates on Energy and Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas;
2. Focus on the Regional Level Energy Sector Challenges and Opportunities;
3. Recognition that Member States

News Solar Energy

Solar power boom

April 17, 2013

WITH electricity rates at an all time high in Jamaica, the domestic solar energy market appears to be gaining momentum.

“The last year has been fantastic, and the reason for that is that finally we are getting more and more of an environment where people see energy prices going up and don’t see anything changing very rapidly,” said Maikel Oerbekke, principal of Renewable Energy Developers (RED), a Montego Bay-based company that develops and implements solar energy projects primarily for commercial clients.

Icon Renewables proprietor Moses Chybar with a solar dusk to dawn flood light, which can run for up to 12 continuous hours, at the Jamaica Alternative Energy Expo hosted by the US Solar Institute at the Pegasus hotel.

RED, which specialises in solar photovoltaic (PV) technology from German total system company Schuco, and solar cooling and solar process heating plants from Austrian solar engineering firm SOLID, lists Jamaica Broilers Group and telecommunications giant Digicel among its customers.

Oerbekke, speaking with the Business Observer on Monday at the Jamaica Alternative Energy Expo hosted by the US Solar Institute at the Pegasus hotel, reasoned that locals now more than ever feel “strangled” by the electricity prices of monopoly provider Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS), which recently applied to the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) for a 10 per cent increase on reconnection fees.

“People are saying ‘we have our backs against the wall and we need to do something now’,” he said, explaining the growing interest in solar energy as attendees crowded the expo to view and gather information on some of the latest systems.

RED has done more than US$3 million ($297 million) worth of projects in the last nine months, revealed Oerbekke. Its biggest project to date has been the solar PV and solar cooling system it did for Digicel at the telecoms’ new downtown Kingston headquarters, he said.

In anticipation of growing clientele, RED is awaiting approval from the St James Parish Council to construct a 3,000-square-foot showroom and administrative building in Montego Bay that can stock around 1,500 panels.

“So, we will be even more faster and flexible,” said Oerbekke, noting that “A third of the building will be a showroom and the building will be completely powered by solar.”

Indeed, the Jamaican solar market has evolved dramatically over the last decade, said Damian Lyn, the managing director at Alternative Power Sources, one of the pioneers in the industry.

“When we started 10 years ago, we were told the company would not survive; it had just cost too much to install a system,” said Lyn. “But we stuck with it and it has gone strength by strength overtime.”

Lyn, a former president of the Jamaica Solar Energy Association, said a huge drop in solar panel prices over the years has been a major catalyst behind the industry’s boom.

“When we started in business, we were selling at US$7.50 a watt, now we are below US$1.50 a watt,” said Lyn.

Furthermore, Lyn said Jamaicans are way more educated now about solar than they were in the early 2000s.

“They understand the difference between solar water heaters and PV systems etc, and the savings that they can have,” he said.

Jamaica has an abundance of sunshine, an average of 3,000 hours a year in Kingston, although that falls by a quarter in more mountainous parts of the island, which tend to have heavier cloud cover.

Photovoltaic power generation uses solar panels composed of a number of solar cells containing a photovoltaic material. Photovoltaic cells convert sunlight into electrical energy, which is subsequently stored in a bank of batteries.

Rooftop panels, which could last for 25 to 30 years, will now pay for themselves in as low as four years, said Lyn, noting that the pay back for a battery-based system is six to eight years, and four to five years for one that is grid tied. Until recently, the pay-back period was up to 20 years.

Some say that changes to the regulatory framework has also had a positive impact on the uptake of solar power, with solar electric customers now able to offset their costs by selling back to the JPS, following the implementation of net billing last year. Net billing customers are paid the avoided cost of generation for the electricity JPS purchases, as well as up to a 15 per cent premium on that price.

Meanwhile, several organisations and businesses have switched to solar power, including Sandals Resorts International, which announced in November 2011 that it had teamed up with Panasonic to launch the region’s first ecovillage hotels. The company hopes to turn a profit on its investment in seven to eight years, said its CEO, Adam Stewart.

What’s more, GraceKennedy subsidiary Dairy Industries is reportedly going with a 60-kilowatt solar system shortly and Lyn himself is currently installing a 100 kw system for the American International School of Kingston.

Still, the Alternative Power Sources boss said he hopes to see more corporate entities getting involved in solar energy.

“A lot are still sceptical. I think, on the corporate end, they still don’t fully understand the paybacks, while the residential person who feels it more, knows it,” he said.

Against that background, Lyn feels the residential market

Alternative Energy Electricity Government News

PCJ To Upgrade Lighting Facilities To Save Energy

March 11, 2013

The Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) says it will be spending $5.6 million to upgrade the lighting facilities in three public-sector entities as part of efforts to drastically reduce their energy bills.

The upgrading work will be carried out on the May Pen and Spanish Town hospitals, as well as the Jamaica Police Convalescent Centre (JPCC).

According to the PCJ, this is projected to result in energy savings of 29,780 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, which translates into cost savings of more than J$950,000 annually.

Under the programme, the maternity ward at the Spanish Town Hospital will be retrofitted with fixtures “and other equipment” to reduce the use of electricity in the facility.

“The upgrade will cover restrooms, storerooms and general patient areas, most of which will be equipped with sensors to regulate lighting based on occupancy. The PCJ anticipates that the improvements will cut the hospital’s energy usage by 36,000 kWh per year,” said Dr Peter Ruddock, manager of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficient at the PCJ.

Similarly, the PCJ will be installing a solar photovoltaic system, rehabilitating old lighting poles and replacing existing halogen lighting with LED (light-emitting diode) lamps.

In addition, the JPCC is set to reduce its energy usage by 17,000 kWh per year as a result of the lighting-efficiency improvements recently undertaken at that institution.

The PCJ said during the last fiscal year, it invested more than J$53 million on public-sector energy-efficiency projects which are projected to result in more than $19.7 million in savings annually.

Read more:

Alternative Energy Electricity Government News

Caribbean targets 47% renewables by 2027 Jamaica expected to hit 12.5% with 115 MW project

March 8, 2013

CARIBBEAN Community (Caricom) energy ministers have approved an initial target of 47 per cent renewable energy contribution to total electricity generation in the region by 2027.

The ministers approved the target last week in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, at the special meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) on Energy. They also set 20 per cent and 28 per cent renewable energy targets for 2017 and 2022 respectively, breaking new ground in the push towards alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, and bio-energy, according to the Caricom Secretariat.

Jamaica is highly dependent on imported petroleum to meet energy needs, with a little more than 90 per cent derived from imported oil and the rest from renewable sources. The country, through its national energy policy, has set a target of 20 per cent renewable energy by 2030, but Energy Minister Phillip Paulwell has repeatedly expressed a desire to move the goal to 30 per cent by 2030.

Paulwell, who was travelling to Venezuela to attend the funeral of Venezuelan President Hugo Ch

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