RENEWABLE ENERGY HAS BEACHED IN BARBADOS

INTEGRATING A HIGH SHARE OF RENEWABLE GENERATION IN THE

BARBADOS GRID

WILLIAM HINDS

CHIEF ENERGY CONSERVATION OFFICER

BARBADOS GOVERNMENT

The armchair perspective

GOVERNMENT POLICYA NEW ECONOMIC

SECTOR Every year government is announced through the Budgetary and Financial Statement

In 2012 the Government announced that Renewable Energy will become and new economic sector joining Tourism, Commerce, Agriculture etc.

The typical indicators or an economic sector are:

1. Several businesses operating profitably

2. Local jobs 3.Local investment ( and

foreign investment through local projects)

4. Skilled workforce 5.Exports 6.Value added 7.Legislation , regulation

and standards

SO

LAR

IM

PO

RTS –

BIG

GR

OW

TH

$$

GRID VS RE GROWTHPEAK DEMAND GREW 3% ANNUALLY OVER LAST

20 YEARS NOW FELL FROM 160 MW TO 150 MW SINCE

2012

PEAK DEMAND NOW FALLING $

RE COULD BE 50% OF GRID

PEAK

IN 5 YEARS !!!!!!

WHAT CAN

WE DO ??

RE 0 MW IN 2010 GROWS

EXPONENTIALLY :

NOW AT 10 MWEXPECTS TO BE 20 MW

IN 12 MONTHS

1.Understand the Grid – Do independent studies

2.Decide the grid – Establish laws to determine who will connect where and how

3.Change the grid – Institute factors that will require the utility and RE producers to change to all for greater RE production

THREE STEP PROCESS TO HIGH

RE IN GRID

Grid

Understand the

1. Hire full time electric engineers / RE Experts

2. Secure critical grid macro data

3. Develop independent grid capacity studies

4. Review/understand utility generation planning

WHAT WE DID IN BARBADOS What happened

Govt Announce plans but

not ready Utility agrees to

be 1.3 % of Peak then

6%Utility limits

expansion till their

GRID study is done

Gov’t Announce plans but

not ready

Govt independent UNDP study

supports 30% immediately 60% possible

with GRID advancement

Utility GRID study complete50% RE peak is

possible

Utility limits RE

to 10% till their GRID

study is done

Barbados/IRENA

Roadmap and GEF-5 Grid study

started

Increase from 1

supplier (utility) to 1000 in 5

years

FOSSIL FUEL :100 YEARSOF SUPPORT

-Guaranteed market (utility)-Guarantee consumer acceptance of fossil fuel prices-Import duty waiver -Loan guarantees to utility- Guarantee profit

- Single company determined our RE electricity USE

NEW RE SUPPORT

-10 Year Tax holiday-Income Tax deduction US $5K yearly --No import Duty or VAT

No duties on • Venture

Capital• Trainin

g• Sale of

Electricity

DECIDE THE GRID 1CHANGE THE BALANCE OF

SUPPORT

Decide the Grid 2: Electric

Light and Power Act 2013

• All suppliers of electricity require a licence

• Once the Minister gives a licence to connect to the grid the utility must comply

• The Minister can set the limits or each source of electricity to enter grid (Solar , Wind , Bio-fuel etc.)

• Utility will propose feed-in-tariffs to be approved by the Regulator

• conditions, fees , duration etc. for each type of licence will be set by the Minister

• Advisory council is established to advice minister and support aspects of Electric Act

Ensure the RE

has a marke

t

CHANGE THE GRIDSOLAR IMPACT ON PEAKING

PLANT

SOLAR ELECTRICITY REDUCES THE USE OF EXPENSIVE

PEAKING PLANT DURING THE DAY. AFTER THIS SOLAR WILL

COMPETE WITH LESS EXPENSIVE BASE LOAD ETC.

THEFUTURE

SMART GRID WITH RE

GRID PENETRATION RECOMMENDATIONS

UNDP RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Smart inverter technology

(Frequency ride through) Yes2. Grid modeling DIgSILENT3. Power curtailment of VRE

during peak4. Tap changer control 5. Energy storage – Utility not

ready6. incentives for small battery

implementation 7. Synchronous condenser is a

synchronous generator8. All smart Grid

Communications

Utility recommendations

a. RE reduces cost of production b. Distributed RE is reduces cost

more than central utility scalec. Advance grid control systems d. Smart Metering - Yes

BARBADOS Now 37 w/per capita - 10 MW FOR 270,000 PEOPLE

BARBADOS in 12 months 74w/per capita - 20 MW FOR 270,000 PEOPLE

BARBADOS Utility study capacity 80MW 296W per capita

TOP COUNTRIES IN SOLAR PV IN THE WORLD (Watts/capita)

reneweconomy.com

1. 40,000 solar Water Heaters gives a tradition of solar

2. 10 MW committed/installed. Will double in 12 months and again every 2-3 years.

3. High electricity cost of over $US0.30 /KWh)

4. With a peak demand of 150MW RE can easily saturate the grid

5. 100 or more PV/RE installers. 95% of installers are local

6. Over 1000 solar PV systems in place since 2010 (37 W/ capita). Electricity law allows Minister to offer licence to anyone if justified

7. Exponential growth in RE (Solar)

8. Current restriction to 150KW or under will change in 2015

9. Grid studies by Utility and Government point to high penetration of RE power vs peak demand (53 %, 30-60 %)

10.95 % of investment is local

10 KEY FACTS

The End

Ren

ewab

le Energ

y has b

eached

INBARBADOS