Residential Solar Starting to Thrive in Virgin Islands

Over the past year, Virgin Islands residents, businesses and government facilities have been going solar like never before. The federally-funded, Energy Office grants that helped fund many solar energy projects (such as the three in the photographs attached) are no longer available. But even without rebates, some solar photovoltaic (PV) dealers in the Virgin Islands report that business remains brisk and residents continue to call and ask how they can get PV systems installed at their homes.

The economics of having a PV system in the Virgin Islands are looking better and better as fossil fuel becomes more costly. After all, once the system is paid for, the power generated is pretty well free. While the initial investment remains a problem for some, the amount of up-front capital needed to go solar has gotten smaller since the initiation of the net-metering program in the territory a little over five years ago. Also the announcement of the closing of Hovensa has sparked additional interest in alternative energy. Kelly Gloger, Managing Partner, Solar Delivered, says, “We have seen a quadrupling of monthly sales since the January announcement that HOVENSA would be closing.”

Gary Udhwani, CEO of Eco Innovations, says, “Systems have come down so much in price that the rebate does not make any difference anymore.”  He adds that he believes the rebate program was to get the solar business off the ground and that it accomplished that.

Instead of buying batteries for storage, residents in the net metering program can send excess power to the Water and Power Authority (WAPA) and retrieve it when they need it—essentially using WAPA as their battery. About 100 residents are now taking part in the net-metering program. The program is limited to 20-kilowatt (kW) systems for residential customers and 100-kW systems for commercial customers. In the aggregate, WAPA is allowing net-metering systems to total 5 megawatts (MW) on St. Croix and 10 MW on St. Thomas.

WAPA must set limits on renewable generation because of the need to maintain the stability of the power distribution system as increasing levels of renewables are brought online. Unlike traditional sources of energy, which are constantly available or “dispatchable,” wind and solar resources are intermittent in nature. So when the wind doesn’t blow or the sun doesn’t shine, keeping the lights on becomes more of a challenge—especially for small island grids.

Presently, those 5 MW and 10 MW limits seem a long way off, but they may well become a concern for WAPA in a year or two. Just six  years ago, the Nature Conservancy’s 7.9-kW PV system in Little Princess on St. Croix was recognized as the largest in the Virgin Islands. Now, it is not even close. Installation of systems larger than 8 kilowatts have become weekly events in the islands.

Something else new is that residents, with just a couple clicks of the mouse, can get real-time data on how PV systems are producing in the Virgin Islands. The Energy Office has a Web page that provides links to pages providing that information. The webpage is located at: (http://www.vienergy.org/AAenergy/pages/solar%20power.html). For example:

·        The Enphase Energy (https://enlighten.enphaseenergy.com/public_systems) website features a clickable map that links to information about 24 different solar system installations in the Virgin Islands, including present power production and the history of power production at each site. Also displayed is information about how much pollution is being reduced by using the solar panels instead of burning fossil fuel to produce the power. People concerned about the environment may be pleasantly surprised by how much carbon offset their neighbors have achieved.

For people who want to know how much power is produced by the largest PV system in the islands, the one at the Cyril E. King Airport on St. Thomas, they can go to http://www.alsoenergy.com/satcon/PowerLobby.aspx?sid=26542&source=Satcon&lang=en-US.  This system is estimated to produce enough electricity to save the Port Authority roughly $900 a day on its WAPA bill. Rough calculation, shows the system producing about 644,000 kWh’s per year.

·        The Montessori  Academy on St. Thomas has a website that incorporates the data from its PV systems into a learning tool.  It can be found at http://www.vimsia.org/Home/green-school/solar-4-schools

·        Students at the St. Croix Educational Complex will have such a tool available to them when they return to classes in the Fall. One World Sustainable is donating a 1-kW PV system and will be installing it at the school this summer.

Although wind energy market has not taken off as quickly as the solar market in the Virgin Islands, it too has seen growth, and there is a site where residents can get real-time data on an active wind project. The data comes from the turbine installed at the St. Croix Reformed Church. That site is located at http://stcroixreformed.org/our-wind-turbine/.

EDIN-USVI Workshop June 2012

Energy experts will be convergin at the Bjerget House, 56-58 Hill Street, Christiansted, St. Croix, USVI on June 11. This workshop will focus on ongoing projects and strategies for achieving 60% clean energy by 2025 as part of the Energy Development in Island Nations (EDIN) Virgin Islands (USVI) project launched in 2010 with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The EDIN partners will meet with members of the USVI Energy Action Team, project working groups, local VIenergize Partners, and other community clean energy champions at the U.S. Viking/Bjerget House on St Croix. The historic site is receiving energy efficiency upgrades this spring, thanks to a DOE grant administered by the Virgin Islands Energy Office as part of the Wise Investments Save Energy (WISE) program. The workshop will be followed by a 5 p.m. cocktail reception hosted by EDIN-USVI VIenergize Partner Quality Electric Supply (QES) to kick off its Energy Week events, including the QES Renewable Energy and Water Production Conference.

Seminars to Highlight Energy Efficiency

 in Building Codes

The V. I. Energy Office urges architects, drafters, contractors and others to attend the Department of Planning and Natural Resources' Division of Building Permits training seminars during the week of January 30-February 4, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  The free seminars will be held at the UVI CELL Center on St. Thomas and at the UVI Extension Service on St. Croix.

The seminars, presented in collaboration with the International Code Council (ICC), emphasize reduced energy consumption and cost.

The knowledge presented will assist home owners and business to look at how their facilities are run.  They may find that significant energy cost savings can be achieved through proper installation and maintenance of mechanical systems and physical components of the home.  Specific questions answered include:

•      How to apply International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) requirements to real-world situations
•     The purpose, criteria and basis for the energy code compliance
•        How to meet plan review documentation and recordkeeping requirements
•      How to identify essential code components for energy-efficient thermal envelopes, mechanical design principles, and electrical power and lighting systems
•       How to identify borderline scenarios as compliant or noncompliant
•      How to acquire certification through energy conservation examinations

The IECC is one of the International series of codes adopted by the 25^th Legislature of the U.S Virgin Islands pursuant to Act No. 6697.  This code sets minimum energy efficiency requirements for designing, constructing and renovating buildings.

St. Croix Church breaks ground for 10Kw turbine

St. Croix Reform Church received one of 20 grants issued by the Energy Office with funds from the America Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. On Nov. 13, the Church broke ground for a 10Kw Bergey wind turbine.

The total cost of the turbine and tower installation is $66,000. A $50,000 grant is coming from the Energy Office and $16,500 is from the Church Reserve Fund. Based on current rates and consumption, the church's Task Force estimates that over the next 15 years the turbine will generate between $126,000 and $185,000 in energy savings.

"Or God finds many ways to give gifts. Winds have blown over this hill since the beginning of creation,” Pastor Rod Koopmans said in services before the  groundbreaking ceremony for the turbine.

“We are excited about using the wind God has made to create our own energy,” he said.

For a slide show presentation see http://www.slideshare.net/EnergyOffice/church-groundbreaking.

Assessment Training

Energy Assessment Training St. Thomas

The U.S. Department of Energy in affiliation with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory is offering an  Energy Assessment Training Course  Nov. 7  through Nov.10 at the University of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas Campus, UVI-CELL building.

The objective of the course is to teach state-of-the-art, assessment techniques using analysis and assessment tools. Through completion of the course, trainees will have the resources needed to conduct comprehensive, energy assessments. Targeted trainees include energy managers, facility managers, resource efficiency managers building engineers, HVAC technicians, and electricians.

The week-long training course includes interactive presentations each morning followed by hands-on walk through assessments each afternoon. The trainees are taught to use on-site assessment tools, fill out data collection forms, use analytical tools created by NREL, and generate a comprehensive energy assessment report. Trainees will receive a workbook that includes copies of the presentations and data collection sheets.

For more information about the Energy Assessment Training Course, contact: Jesse Dean at jesse.dean@nrel.gov or 303-384-7539

St. Thomas Airport Solar Array online
The Cyril E. King Airport's new solar array has been producing megawatt hours of power since it was energized this September. You can see a breakdown of how much energy it is producing each day, or even an hour by hour breakdown, if you want. You need only to click onto this link -- .

http://www.alsoenergy.com/satcon/PowerLobby.aspx?sid=26542&source=Satcon&lang=en-US

You will have to download a small software program, but it is worth it as you get a good overview of the project.

Energy Office Wins Award

On Oct. 4, the V. I. Energy Office was awarded the 2011 Public-Private Partnership Award for Innovation by the National Council for Public-Private Partnerships (NCPPP). The Office is being recognized for the development of the  Energy Alliance Program, which was launched earlier this year, to address soaring energy costs within government agencies.

“During Energy Awareness Month, it is particularly noteworthy that we receive this recognition from the NCPPP for the efforts being made in the territory by the Government of the Virgin Islands. Through this program and other innovative efforts under the VIEO, we are leading the territory’s energy revolution, especially in the area of energy conservation, while leveraging support from the private sector to achieve our energy consumption reduction targets,” Gov. John P. de Jongh, Jr. said.

The V.I. Energy Alliance Program utilizes Energy Service Companies to undertake large-scale energy efficiency retrofit projects at existing public facilities. The approach has been used to retrofit eleven public schools in the Territory, with an anticipated annual savings of $1.1 million to the Department of Education. The cost of the efficiency improvements are paid through the energy savings over the life of the project, thereby requiring no increased cash outlay. The Energy Service Companies provide a performance guarantee on their work and assume initial responsibility for maintenance.

The award was presented at an awards banquet  in Tampa, Florida.

"Crisis often breeds innovation, and I am proud to be a part of this effort that has developed a sustainable model for increasing our energy efficiency that has been deemed worthy of national recognition,” VIEO Director Karl Knight stated. Knight also thanked the staff of the VIEO, Bostonia Partners, and other Government agencies involved in the initiative.