Locals Urged To Consider Solar Solutions
Sunny Side Solar is working with home-owners who would like to install a DIY solar system under their supervision and is urging locals to consider the option.
A spokesperson said, “The benefit of power alternatives and self-reliance was starkly demonstrated on Friday after a day-long utility outage. Bermuda is moving to a more distributed source of power incorporating solar and perhaps offshore wind generation.
“Biowaste fuels and green hydrogen power are other alternatives in the pipeline globally. With renewables, households can consider building a system to capture and store their own energy to power their home.
“Many Bermudians have added solar to their source of electricity. The Government of Bermuda is encouraging installation of solar with a rebate. Sunny Side Solar is a local non-profit solar company that is working with home-owners who would like to install a DIY solar system under Sunny Side Solar supervision.
“They will help families through the whole process from design to commissioning and interconnection with BELCO. Sunny Side Solar is looking to sign up homes this year, so that a bulk orders of supplies can be placed.”
Nick Hutchings of Sunny Side Solar is spear-heading the effort, saying: “We want to help households that can really use the savings on their power bill and who represent what has been to date, an underserved market.”
“We would like to get the word out to Workmen’s Clubs and other community groups whose membership are interested in solar and who already have the requisite fundamental skills necessary to complete such projects.
“Not only can they install solar for themselves and gain valuable skills enabling them to assist their neighbors, but they can also reach out to their members to see who can best use the addition of solar. The technology has improved, and the costs have come down. The Government rebate is not going to last forever, so the time to get solar is now while the rebate is still available.
“Finally, there is the possibility of these homes connecting with each other to form smart ‘micro-grids’ in the future as a part of the new distributed power generation system.
“This grid will be able to assess where the power is being generated and to where it should be shunted. Many of such smart grids require AI or artificial intelligence to manage the complexity. The capacity of existing telecoms systems has recently been upgraded which will help facilitate the transition to a smart power grid for Bermuda.
To take this evolution a step further, Mr Hutchings envisions a “transition to electric vehicles or EVs which have battery capacity inherent in the vehicles” saying that “they can actually serve as sources of power into your home grid after being recharged through brake friction and solar energy, however, convenient recharging stations would also be required as an integral part of the smart grid.
He notes, “With the price of EVs declining, it will not be long before the cost of an EV will be less than a battery back-up for the home. Since you are buying an EV anyway, the home battery backup capability under the hood is free. It all can make dollars and cents, as well as reduce the harmful carbon emissions which are wreaking havoc with the global weather patterns.
“It’s a Christmas gift to the world and can generate work for Bermudians. For more information go to www.sunnysidesolar.org so that solar installations can commence early in 2021.”
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