ja largest solar farm caribbean

[RichD]

Re: ja largest solar farm caribbean

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kia</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

agreed mostly but there is some growth toward solar powered communities too

http://www.apsja.com/main/richmond-writeup.php </div></div>

that isn't really a solar powered community.. solar water heaters and some solar street lights is all i see

[kia027]

Re: ja largest solar farm caribbean

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RichD</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kia</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

agreed mostly but there is some growth toward solar powered communities too

http://www.apsja.com/main/richmond-writeup.php </div></div>

that isn't really a solar powered community.. solar water heaters and some solar street lights is all i see

</div></div>

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">All the street lights there have solar panels attached to them. All the houses have solar water heaters and solar panels. This is a community that is highly promoting energy conservation and how to go green,&quot; Lyn told Environment Watch during a recent tour of the community which is still under construction.</div></div>

[kia027]

Re: ja largest solar farm caribbean

And in Kingston.....

[RichD]

Re: ja largest solar farm caribbean

Kia,

the big problem with all this is that they still are not able to go off grid. That is the direction they need to go. No JPS connection at all .


if a significant number of households are in the position where they are jumping on and off the JPS grid won't this spell problems for the JPS and for other householders.


they have a few examples of people going of grid but it still is very expensive.

[kia027]

Re: ja largest solar farm caribbean

If JPS uses net metering allowing unused power to go back into the grid, the cost savings will help to maintain or lower rates to those not using solar power.

Solar panel installation is expensive and I suspect not subsidized by the government as it is done in the US and other countries so one has to really view solar panel use as a long term investment. So at this time only the wealthy who can afford it can make the investment. On the plus side the cost of materials has come down and perhaps a solar plant factory in Jamaica may be a way to lower the costs to residents and increase its usage islandwide as well.

[RichD]

Re: ja largest solar farm caribbean

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kia</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If JPS uses net metering allowing unused power to go back into the grid, the cost savings will help to maintain or lower rates to those not using solar power.

</div></div>

how does that solve the potential problem of demand spikes and troughs?

[kia027]

Re: ja largest solar farm caribbean

I am not sure but wikipedia gives a generalised idea how

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Smart meters add continuous communications so that monitoring can be done in real time, ..... with an interactive tool to manage energy usage, as net metering). .... Real-time information enables grid operators to isolate affected areas and redirect ... in an automated fashion in real time, coordinating demand to flatten spikes.Eliminating the fraction of demand that occurs in these spikes eliminates the cost of adding reserve generators, cuts wear and tear and extends the life of equipment, and allows users to cut their energy bills by telling low priority devices to use energy only when it is cheapest.[34]</div></div>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_grid

[RichD]

Re: ja largest solar farm caribbean

i would suspect that the grid in Jamaica is many many years away from being a smart grid.


I fear a drive towards this technology which is not very carefully thought out, planned and coordinated will cause sever hardship to a lot of people. Imagine if the government mandate smart meters and the power company turn around a pass the cost to customers.

[barosa]

Re: ja largest solar farm caribbean

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RichD</div><div class="ubbcode-body">i would suspect that the grid in Jamaica is many many years away from being a smart grid.


I fear a drive towards this technology which is not very carefully thought out, planned and coordinated will cause sever hardship to a lot of people. Imagine if the government mandate smart meters and the power company turn around a pass the cost to customers.

</div></div>
Smart meters are gonna be introduced to the grid as is being done overseas regardless of the growth of solar households in Jamaica. I doubt the government would go out of their way to mandate smart meters thus reaping the anger of the electorate when the power campany pass on the cost. JPS and/or others if they were to do so on their own, would either absorb the cost or pass it on to customers.. The latter is likely because, dem love to fatten dem bottom line at the expense of consumers..

Btw, the example of solar built homes in Kingston is the way to go.. I wonder if the builders get JPS to agree to provide &quot;hook up&quot; befrore or after they build..

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