The Budgetary Proposals 2008 were presented last week by Prime Minister David Thompson and there is one disappointment which we must highlight. The price of a barrel of oil closed last week at $147.00. It is not far-fetched that by year end the price of oil may cross $200.00 given the volatility in the world’s oil commodity market. Barbados like many countries around the world has built its economy on oil. This well known fact appears stupid when we consider that our island is surrounded by renewable energy inputs i.e. wind, sun and sea. The fact that Prime Minister Thompson did not signal that his government had engage in any significant policy initiative at the national level that would lead to a reduced dependence on oil is most distressing.
It is projected that in 2008 Barbados will spend an estimated $275 million dollars which equates to approximately 7% of GDP. While the amount may appear serviceable in the context of the Barbados economy there are some points to note. The amount paid for oil must be in hard currency. This means that the economy which relies on the fickle tourism product must continue to generate foreign exchange. The more significant point is as the price of oil rises; it will have a negative effect on our tourism. Airfares and cruise fares will become more expensive. If we were Prime Minister David Thompson we would be very concerned given our level of dependence on the black stuff.
After seven months in office the BU household is of the view that we must have some urgency on the need create an alternative energy plan.
We acknowledge the tax breaks which were included in the 2008 budget, we have heard the quiet noises of the Barbados Light and Power Company inquiring to Town Planning about their Lambert Wind Project application. We have even heard about Amelot Holdings which is a company that has promised to set up a bio-diesel plant in Barbados by September 2008. But it is not enough! Barbados cannot continue to procrastinate on the issue of embracing a renewable energy solution. Along with saving foreign exchange on our oil import bill, we have to ensure we build a security net for future generations of Barbadians. Is it not incredible that Nevis has created an energy program built on geothermal power? If we are not mistaken, St. Kitts has reordered it sugar cane production to support bio-fuel in the form of ethanol.
Last week in Trinidad Prime Minister Thompson speculated that if the price of oil crossed $200.00, it could threaten the survival of small Caribbean islands like Barbados. Geeze Prime Minister, tell us something which we don’t know. In the Caribbean we are fortunate to have a world-class development bank. Let us bring our brightest minds together and start a public private sector project to create alternative energy. We are sure the Caribbean Development Bank would be only too glad to fund it and lend technical assistance.
54 responses so far ↓
Chris Halsall // July 14, 2008 at 8:16 PM
I would like to make two observations:
1. I have already posted this before, but will again… A viable (although leading edge) option is the Solar Power Tower. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power_tower ) This has the advantage of being able to generate large amounts of electricity, and can store the heat such that power is available during the evening, during cloudy weather, etc.
2. Did you notice in today’s paper — BL&P’s Marketing Manager Stephen Worme being given several tens of column inches to introduce “Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt” (FUD) on alternative suppliers (both individuals and commercial)?
This *can* be done here. This *is* *being* done elsewhere.
Do we have the political will?
Barbadians Still None The Wiser On An Alternative Energy Plan // July 14, 2008 at 8:37 PM
[...] Helena wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptThe Budgetary Proposals 2008 were presented last week by Prime Minister David Thompson and there is one disappointment which we must highlight. The price of a barrel of oil closed last week at $147.00. It is not far-fetched that by year end the price of oil may cross $200.00 given the volatility in the world’s oil commodity market. Barbados like many countries around the world has built its economy on oil. This well known fact appears stupid when we consider that our island is surrounded by renewable energy inputs i.e. wind, sun and sea. The fact that Prime Minister Thompson did not signal that his government had engage in any significant policy initiative at the national level that would lead to a reduced dependence on oil is most distressing. It is projected that in 2008 Barbados will spend an estimated $275 million dollars which equates to approximately 7% of GDP. While […] [...]
David // July 15, 2008 at 6:12 AM
It seems to BU that Barbadians have already started to make the mental adjustment to the high cost of living, not necessarily in their spending behavior though. This is a short requirement for short term survival but what of the long term?
Bush tea // July 15, 2008 at 6:12 AM
David,
The title of this piece is incorrect…
Bajans ARE now much the wiser on our energy plans…
WE HAVE NONE…
David // July 15, 2008 at 6:48 AM
@BT
So sad. We wonder if Barbadians understand that if we don’t have a plan to ensure the sustainability of our island/people all the other issues we gripe about become irrelevant.
Cat Scan // July 15, 2008 at 6:49 AM
In the relatively near future we may not only have to cope with very expensive oil, there may be less of it to be had. As a result it may be rationed or not available at any price. Please take a look at http://www.theoildrum.com for discussions on the World Oil situation.
It is going to take time and political will to make the required changes to an energy system not based on fossil fuels. Yet we continue to dither.
We really need to get very serious about what is going on. Where we are headed at the moment could lead to significant unrest as the changes, required to power down, will be very painful.
Thoughts on possible changes in the near future:
- a much reduced tourist industry due to recession in our markets
- oil rationing due to supply problems or simply it costs too much
- challenges obtaining enough food
- problems delivering medical services
- lack of transportation
- etc.
Yet we have an abundance of sunshine and some wind. We need to start working on solutions now while we still can. It will only get increasingly difficult to address, as we waste more time. We really need another Dr. Colin Hudson.
David // July 15, 2008 at 6:51 AM
@Cat Scan
What we need is leadership!
Leroy Glinchy // July 15, 2008 at 9:31 AM
I don’t know if it it’s really stupid to depend upon oil. When they started their dependency, I’m sure it was just easiest and cheapest to use oil. What’s wrong with taking a few short cuts.
They never planned for enviro-nuts who would completely make it difficult for people to burn the lovely stuff. Also who could have predicted that two countries each of which had a billion people would have any impact on the market? Also, who would have thought that speculators would get into the commodity that underpins the entire world economy? Finally, who is going to take the words of bicyclist seriously?
JR // July 15, 2008 at 9:43 AM
Did we listen or read the same budget? These are the main energy related proposals that I can recall:
1. There is a separate tax allowance of $5,000 per year for each of five years cover the costs of an energy audit. In good Barbadian tradition, this is a continuation of a policy of the last administration. Before one rushes and makes large investments one should probably asses energy use and possible conservation measures. Conservation is the cheapest source of energy available and an energy audit is the first step.
2. If one wants to pursue an alternative energy solution then the ability to interface with the national power grid is critical. The government’s proposal in this budget to allow the sale of power to BLP by independent power providers is laudable and a clear indication of the direction and intent of government policy. ( I agree that the comments from BL&P in today’s paper are less than encouraging)
3. The upfront costs of alternative energy solutions can be quite high and in some cases prohibitive. The proposal in the budget for a 50% of the cost of retrofitting a residence or installing a system to produce electricity from a source other than fossil fuel is a clear indication of the direction and intent of government policy.
4. Duty free entry for items related to alternative energy generation proposed in the budget is in the same spirit.
5. A government waste to energy project.
6. A commitment by government to lead the way by using its properties for generation of electricity from non-fossil fuels for sale into national grid.
I am not sure it is fair to say we are no clearer on the policy. Maybe you are worried about the implementation, which is another issue, but I think the policy is quite clear.
I found Mr. Worme’s comments today somewhat negative. The devil is always in the details and I respect his comments in terms of the details. But there is no perfect system and there are a number of working models around the world we can draw on.
With the oil price stuck in the $140s can we afford not to look at alternative solutions.
Green Monkey // July 15, 2008 at 10:35 AM
We really need another Dr. Colin Hudson.
There are around us if we know where to look. Unfortunately the corporately controlled media and the powers that be have no desire or motivation to pass on their message, so even now their advice is generally ignored or written off in mainstream society as the impractical ravings of Luddites and eco-fanatics.
What is of utmost concern is to keep the economic merry-go-round turning and its riders content (aka fat, dumb, happy and consuming) as long as possible. Unfortunately when it runs out of lubricating oil and the bearings on the ride seize up, momentum will ensure the riders will likely find themselves deposited abruptly and uncomfortably on the ground without a refund from the carnival operator for their uncompleted ride, or even the offer of so much as a bandaid to cover their scratches, bruises and broken limbs.
Another Colin Hudson?
More Colin Hudsons can also be found at: http://www.globalpublicmedia.com
Chris Halsall // July 15, 2008 at 11:49 AM
@GM — thanks for the article. Interesting.
And while I admire Wendell Berry for his position, I think it is important to communicate that we as a society do not have to loose any of our luxuries and abilities — we just have to do things a little differently, and use new technologies.
Simple behavioural changes also go a long away. For example, when driving, being less aggressive with acceleration and deceleration are remarkably effective at lowering fuel consumption.
I am always amazed at how the average Bajan seems to take extreme thrill in accelerating as quickly as they can on the road. Only, of course, to have to break hard in a short distance. Since we don’t have vehicles with regenerative breaking, this simply means all that energy disappears as heat.
Walking short distances is also a reasonable idea. One of my offices used to be up in the Wildey Business Center, just beside the canteen. My jaw would drop as I watched people *drive* the 200 meters from another office building to get lunch!
Alternative energy generation is a viable, tried, tested and proven technology domain. Heck, there are *profit* *opportunities*. Many other countries have individuals investing financial and intellectual capital in such things.
Barbados, and the entire Caribbean, with a much larger amount of annual sunlight than most regions are in a perfect position to capitalize on this. All it will take is some confidence, some money, and some work.
Again, we don’t *have* to give up anything. We just have to use what is available to us in smarter and more thoughtful ways. But we *do* have to start doing this *now*.
(IMHO)
Georgie Porgie // July 15, 2008 at 2:22 PM
I agree we dearly miss Drs Hudson & Headley.
These two men were serious about sustainable development!
Simple, serious, brilliant men!
Meg // July 15, 2008 at 4:02 PM
I think the whole solar energy to generate electricity which we then send back to the grid is a brilliant idea, after all, we have the sun (though not lately).
Unfortunately a basic system for that would probably cost over BDS$100,000/house, depending on the electric needs.
If the government would give incentives for buying these systems, I’m sure there would be more people who would be able to afford to buy in. And in the end, it could help all of us…
Floyd // July 15, 2008 at 4:49 PM
I was rather pleased to see the government move strongly to provide incentives in the area of alternative energy generation. Such initiatives are clearly urgent given the persistently high price of oil and concerns about global warming. It is generally accepted that the ability to have Independent Power Providers (IPPs) who interface with the national grid, greatly facilitates the adoption and proliferation of alternative energy solutions.
I have nothing but the greatest respect for Mr. Worme and the Barbados Light and Power. However, I am having some difficulty with his comments in the media which seem to suggest that Barbados needs to jump over various seemingly insurmountable hurdles to facilitate the interface between the Barbados Light and Power and IPPs.
The Renewable Policy Network for the 21st Century reports that at least 48 countries—34 developed and transition countries and 14 developing countries—have some type of policy to promote renewable power generation, and these have existed since the 1970s. The most common existing policy is the feed-in law, which has been enacted in many new countries and regions in recent years. A Feed-in Tariff (FiT, FiL, Feed-in Law or solar premium) is an incentive structure to encourage the adoption of renewable energy through government legislation. The regional or national electricity utilities are obligated to buy renewable electricity (electricity generated from renewable sources such as solar photovoltaics, wind power, biomass, and geothermal power) at rates set by the government.
By 2005 at least 32 countries and 5 states/provinces had adopted such policies. Among developing countries, India was the first to establish feed-in tariffs, followed by Sri Lanka and Thailand (for small power producers only), Brazil, Indonesia, and Nicaragua. Three states in India adopted new feed-in policies in 2004, driven by a 2003 national law requiring new state-level policies (the old feed-in laws during the 1990s were gradually discontinued). In the first half of 2005, feed in policies were enacted in China, Ireland, Turkey
I respect Mr. Worme’s superior knowledge and experience in this area, but the fact that so many countries have been able to adopt such systems suggests to me that the challenges are surmountable with effort and will. Also, the experience of these countries means that there are several working models to look at and we do not have to reinvent the wheel. As the number one developing country in the world, surely we can implement an effective and efficient policy in an expeditious manner.
David // July 15, 2008 at 6:22 PM
@JR
As BT et al have already made the point. BL&P is a company in the business of making money i.e. creating shareholder value. If they facilitate a grid which can buy excess power from citizens what does that equate to?
On the matter of government policy regarding incentives to create alternative energy sources it appears that you are missing the point. The issue of creating an alternative energy plan must be treated as a national imperative.
Green Monkey // July 16, 2008 at 3:38 AM
A Peak Oil Media Guide from http://www.theoildrum.com
JR // July 16, 2008 at 8:50 AM
I am in full agreement with you on that one David, and I think the budget was a major step in that direction.
Meg // July 16, 2008 at 11:04 AM
In places in America excess electricity is run back through your electric meter to reduce your bill.
You don’t get money back for any credits so BL&P doesn’t have to pay for this form of energy production.
I don’t see how it would affect shareholders in that scenario….
If I am missing the point, it is only because the writer hasn’t made it clear enough, David.
The real problem is, that to install a solar system costs close to BDS$100,000.00, sometimes more – and that’s one of the cheapest alternative energy systems available to us. Even if the government subsidizes half that, someone is still $50,000 out of pocket.
Are you going to pay that? Will you pay for mine too? You expect corporate Barbados to shill out that money? Why? What do they get in return?
The Government needs better incentives for the average homeowner to buy in to alternative energy that is just as an important imperative as the switch itself.
Because when it gets to a point where gas and diesel and electricity are rationed in Barbados, corporate Barbados is not going to suffer.
That’s when these alternate energy systems will become profitable to large Barbadian businesses. And that’s when they will install them, but probably just for themselves.
Kay // July 16, 2008 at 11:26 AM
BL & P are in business to make a profit for shareholders agreed. But if the public can no longer pay for their product because the country has beenbankrupted by wasting foreign exchange on something that they can produce locally, i.e. solar power then the shareholders shares will not be worth anything.
It would behove them to encourage local investment in solar systems and at least the shareholders could get some return on their shares. And I believe that funds are available through the EU and other agencies for small developing countries to put alternative energy in place.
Chris Halsall // July 16, 2008 at 11:43 AM
@Meg…
Mr. Worme, I feel, introduced both legitimate concerns, and general confusion to the discussion. This was, IMHO, intentional.
He is absolutely correct that power grids are an extremely complicated domain. It makes telecoms, for example, look like a cake walk. As an example, did you know that there different types of loads on the grid? Resistive, inductive and capacitive — and each introduce a different type of behaviour upon the supply.
And Mr. Worme is correct with his statement that if BL&P do not have a guarantee from the IPPs for availability of supply, that BL&P would have to ensure they still had the generation capacity for the entire island. This would require capital investment, which might not actually be used.
However, he also introduced a couple of straw men. The biggest, in my mind, is his statement “if [BL&P] pay the same rate [as they sell at] to these individual home and business producers, then the final cost to BL&P would be more because they would also have to cover the cost of transferring the power to their plant.”
This is incorrect. IPP’s contribution does not get returned to the BL&P plant, but rather is consumed by other customer’s nearest the IPPs. It simply means that BL&P’s plants do not end up feeding as much power into that area.
Also, it is very common for monopolies to argue that loss of profit is a cost. This is complete rubbish. Further, the suggestion that the Government should subsidise [the] cost of power transfer is ridiculous — where does this money come from? The consumers…
Lastly, I would like to agree with Mr. Worme that this should be looked at very carefully, with an extensive consultation opportunity with all stakeholders. And I commend the idea of bringing in the IDB to assist.
However, during this exercise, I would suggest that the entire “co-location” situation with the BL&P pole system be examined closely, and be brought under the regulatory authority of the FTC.
Without saying more than I can (without facing yet another lawsuit), currently this is “self-regulated”, and *may* not be optimal…
I also want to again state that I *really* hope someone examines closely the Solar Power Tower idea. The reason being is it can bank power, and thus supply electricity during non-sunny periods. Including several *days* of cloudy weather.
Lastly, let us not forget that this is being done elsewhere. There is absolutely no reason it can not be done here. Yes, there are issues to analyse and work out, but they are not intractable.
The Devil // July 16, 2008 at 11:54 AM
Here is something on PV systems that may be of interest.
http://www.belizefirst.com/documents/520kwSolarPVFeasibilityStudy.pdf
Trained economist // July 16, 2008 at 4:53 PM
I take Floyd’s point though, this has been done in a number of countries and we do have to reinvent the wheel.
Trained economist // July 16, 2008 at 4:54 PM
That should be, we do not have to reinvent the wheel on IPPS feeding inot the national grid.
Meg // July 18, 2008 at 11:17 AM
Hi Chris.
I agree, I doubt it’s a simple matter of IPP’s sending electricity back to the grid.
But as we all continue to point out over and over again it can be done, and has been elsewhere
I believe Government will have to seriously think about offsetting the cost to BL&P regarding the changes needed to make this system work (the cost of transferring power to the plant, I presume Mr. Worme means as in making the plant capable of receiving power instead of just sending it out).
IPP’s contribution must be capable of being returned to the plant…. what happens if everyone has solar power capabilities? There is no nearby to receive power (especially on a work day), but all IPP’s will require power on an evening/night and that has to be stored somewhere when collected during the day.
Granted we could all keep batteries at our homes, but who really wants to spend another couple thousand on that?
Regarding availability of supply from IPP’s, I don’t know about anyone else in here, but I don’t think I can make the clouds only come with rain at night.
We can’t promise that it will always be sunny out, we can’t say that the solar systems will never break down; we can surmise however that they proabably won’t all break down at once and that in the coming years oil will first become too expensive and then run out unless something is done worldwide now…. Does that help the BL&P?
Regarding the ‘Solar Power Tower’, although it’s a good idea, where would it go? We already know space is growing smaller by the minute in Barbados. Is it something that can be put on top of pre-existing buildings? Or will that cause controversy like high voltage lines? We don’t need another thing that ‘might’ cause cancer.
I don’t think anyone here disputes the fact that it will be costly, and I think we all agree that it is important and urgent (See David? Didn’t miss that whole imperative point after all).
I think, the first thing that needs to be done is have BL&P on board and capable of handling the new system.
Until then, like Trained Economist and others have said, we’re not reinventing the wheel… we’re just spinning ours.
Chris Halsall // July 18, 2008 at 1:26 PM
@Meg: “There is no nearby to receive power (especially on a work day), but all IPP’s will require power on an evening/night and that has to be stored somewhere when collected during the day.
Granted we could all keep batteries at our homes, but who really wants to spend another couple thousand on that?”
Just to clarify an *extremely* important point…
BL&P themselves do *not* have the ability to store electricity. In fact, no one does… Electricity should be modelled simply as an energy *transport* — literally “flux”. Electricity must be generated a few nanoseconds before it is consumed.
In order to “store” electricity, it must be converted into another form of energy (and then back again); batteries by way of chemical reactions. And the laws of thermodynamics shows that energy cannot be converted from one form to another without loss.
(Strictly speaking, my above is not *entirely* true. Capacitors do store electricity directly, but they are very limited in their (no pun intended) capacity.)
With regards to where one might put a SPT facility — how about the same location in St. Lucy, where BL&P are considering putting their wind farm? In fact, a SPT can generate more electricity, more reliably and in less space, than a wind farm.
With regards.
Kay // July 18, 2008 at 4:19 PM
The option of people putting systems on their roofs would mean that the BL&P would not be footing the bills to purchase the equipment nor would maintaining them be their problem. They would just be selling electricity that someone else had paid to produce. Surely that must look like a profitable business to be in.
Chris Halsall // July 18, 2008 at 4:40 PM
@Kay…
With the greatest of respect… What Mr. Worme is (correctly) arguing is if the IPPs cannot guarantee a supply, then BL&P would be obligated to have available the generation capacity for the entire island as the “Universal Service Provider”.
As I said above, this could mean that capital investment would be required by BL&P to ensure this capacity, even if said investment / capacity might not be used (and thus, not generate revenue / profits).
It is not a matter of the capital investment of the IPPs’ kit. That is completely immaterial to BL&P’s argument.
Kay // July 21, 2008 at 8:12 AM
And don’t they have the equipment already working plus the plans for upgraded equipment which will also use diesel? And isn’t Germany doing what we are talking about, as well as California? Also how is it that telecommunication companies no longer have a monopoly but BL&P would be the “Universal Service Provider”?
Meg // July 22, 2008 at 8:09 AM
Chris,
Up in St. Lucy sounds reasonable, maybe they could do both…. when there’s no sun they can use wind power (can we put solar panels on wind turbines?).
Well, I’m not sure of how the different systems work but I imagine they can work together, i.e. BL&P can run a diesel generator while IPP’s run alt. energy into the grid.
Although Mr. Worme has a good point, I’m not sure where he’s looking (as in how far in the future), when it starts I highly doubt that there will be enough IPP’s to cover electric needs for Barbados, so they will still need diesel for electric production, and probably close to their normal usage.
I don’t see it hitting off overnight (especially at the cost), so I would imagine that BL&P would find their diesel needs to be slowly less as more people joined on.
I don’t work in BL&P at any level so I don’t know whether they have any contracts with their suppliers regarding diesel amounts needed and pricing according to the amount required.
That I imagine would be a problem (if they have a contract to buy a certain amount for x number of years).
Once the change over occurs slowly, I think BL&P is more than capable of working out a plan to suit the diesel demand… The biggest problem would be if they’re in a contract.
Hants // July 22, 2008 at 9:21 AM
BL&P is like General Motors. They will not change their business model until people stop buying their product.
The Government should provide incentives and the Banks should provide financing to individuals willing to convert their homes to solar.
I guess we are waiting and hoping to strike oil offshore.
Meg // July 23, 2008 at 11:40 AM
Lol @ General Motors.
Oil or a volcano…. anything so.
Chris Halsall // July 23, 2008 at 2:18 PM
@Meg… With all due respect…
“I’m not sure of how the different systems work but I imagine they can work together…”
(IMHO) Imagination is a wonderful thing. It is, in many ways, by definition, what makes us human…
But imagination is only the start. Imaginative insight must be then supported by rigorous analysis within the context of science — within provable knowledge domains. And more often then not, our imagination is proven to be nieve. A great man once said: “I have a dream!”
I, personally, dream of a day when there is no hunger; there is no hatred; there is no wanting… I “imagine” this is possible. But, alas, I don’t find myself (our ourselves) there. Yet…
To speak directly to your above — yes, a SPT can co-exist with a wind farm. However, the engineers would have to ensure that the heliostats have clear line-of-site to the collector target. (Technically, each individual heliostat could be forgiven not having direct line-of-site to the sun for a short period of time, if a windmill tower happened to be in the way…)
(For what the above is worth….)
Keith Headley // July 23, 2008 at 6:16 PM
Hi everyone
serious internet problems. Glad to see such a mature discussion.
I recently bought a video entitled “zero point energy”. Now while I don’t agree with everything I saw on the video, I decided to look up all the inventors listed.
Every single one of them is either in jail, has given up inventing, been discredited, abandoned their company, or is under serious (guns in the night type of thing) harassment.
It was amazing.
Chris, I will admit there is nothing wrong with heliostat power. While my father loved the idea I personally for no technical reason (just the rumblings of my subconscious – let me say up front IT CAN WORK!) don’t personally like the idea.
Please let that stop no-one from putting one up. That’s just me personally. There’s no logical reason behind it.
The challenge all Bajans face is that BL&P considers PV somewhat “out there” technology. Heaven only knows what they think of heliostats.
All I have to say to everyone is yes, according to the box we are energy doomed, because we MUST depend on oil.
Think outside the box. We are Bajans after all . .
Chris Halsall // July 23, 2008 at 6:59 PM
@Keith… With all due respect. Please never mention my name… I promise to reciprocate…
For the record, there is no associate between us; nor will there ever be…
Kindest regards to all….
Keith Headley // July 24, 2008 at 5:47 PM
To the person who does not want me to mention his name; I promise not be as obviously uncomfortable with acknowledging someone may have a good idea beside myself as you obviously are.
Chris Halsall // July 24, 2008 at 6:45 PM
To the “other”(s) who shall remain unnamed… ((grin…) (wink…))
(IMHO) there is a need today for “those who can” to “do”…
There is a need for “those who can” to not simply state the obvious…. to state the known… or to personally profit from their knowledge…
There is a need for “those who can” to go past this, and to embrace their knowledge and wisdom, and to then challenge themselves with the resulting synthesis… And then to do…
(Again, IMHO,) There is a need…
Are you listening, the other(s) who (shall) remain unnamed?
(Or, perhaps, I’m simply talking bullshit? Time will tell…)
RE Engineer // July 27, 2008 at 5:58 AM
Hello everyone
I am happy I found this blog site as it has given me quite a bit of insight into the state of the energy sector here in Barbados. I am a recent graduate and I pursed studies in engineering specializing in sustainable energy systems, which are more or less systems that incorporate conventional and renewable forms of energy production along with energy efficiency techniques to produce a sustainable package. I have been raiding the internet and trying to contact various private and government places to see where I can fit in and I have learnt more reading through these blogs so far than any other place.
Firstly I was wondering if anyone could shed some light on how I can get my hands on the budget’s energy sector development proposals. Furthermore I would like to know if there is anyone in the blog ‘crowd’ who works in the energy sector who is not an employee of the BL&P.
I believe I may be able to shed some light on the lack of a concrete RE policy and investments of the BL&P out side of the ‘alternative’ energy field. In most countries both developed and developing there is much uncertainty about the state of the oil namely its extraction, and refining. As well as in the production of electricity. Many speculate that the rise in oil prices has been caused by one or more of four factors:
1. Political ploys to regulate world energy consumption and the rate of development.
2. The peak oil paradigm.
3. A refining capacity bottleneck.
4. Thermodynamic recovery limitations.
All this said it is difficult to produce models in an uncertain climate, so many countries which have the resources have poured much resources (though insignificant in comparison to their GDP) into renewables and research of energy alternatives because although there is much discrepancy and indecision as to the cause and result of current energy issues one thing that is unanimous is that oil reserves will be depleted at some point in time and steps must be taken to reduce and eventually eliminate our dependence on oil. However time periods are very tricky as investing in the wrong technologies or investing in those still under developed can have serious repercussions. So I say all this to say that in many cases governments are scared of implementing new technologies especially in the renewable energy sector, yes many of these things have been tested and proven to work in many occasions but in many occasions many have failed. And one of the interesting peculiarities of renewable energies is that they are usually very site (climate) dependent and expertise dependent (in terms of design and installation). So I am not shocked at the government’s conservative attitude towards new-energy policies. Please note that this does not mean I condone the current pussyfooting around the matter either, because blessed is the man who can see opportunities before they become obvious.
So solutions………education, investment, research and development. What is best for us? Solar PV? Wind? Solar thermal? Biofuels? Wave energy? There are many debates as to which is better and most economical etc but we can only determine such by developing scaled pilot projects of each giving engineers the chance to ‘fiddle around’ with the technology determining the best configurations and the lowest costs. With this preliminary information informed decisions can be made for larger projects and larger investments. That is the general model for any renewable energy project in any part of the world. No one is going to invest millions upon millions of dollars to import solar panels be it at the individual or governmental level without an assurance that they will work well and last as long as they should. I know many would say that there are a few installations working well throughout the island (I have gathered info on the ones at the Future Centre, Harrison’s Cave and Seawell) but from my (albeit limited) research into these systems there seems to be little to no empirical data on their performance to date only estimations or singular readings. So narrowing down and testing all viable options and even those that may not seem viable (maybe have a ‘real’ national innovators competition with a section specifically geared towards renewable energy inventions and applications and ‘real’ recognition and ‘real’ incentives) is the first step towards a concrete policy. At the end of the day BL&P cannot be castigated for covering their own butts, it is the first law of business, keep your company afloat. It is up to us to constantly present our concerns until others listen. I will be approaching government with my ideas and try my best to exercise what I have learnt and all those who have the expertise, the technical know how or just the drive and interest in the topic should be doing the same.
David // July 27, 2008 at 6:07 AM
@RE Engineer
Thanks for contributing to the debate. We are interested to hear your views as outlined in your comment re:BL&P. Please send us your thoughts by clicking on the contact is button at the top right of the page.
Chris Halsall // July 27, 2008 at 12:13 PM
@RE Engineer… welcome.
The more serious and trained thinkers we have working on, educating about, and lobbying for alternative energy solutions, the better. We have a lot of work to do….
And while I agree entirely with your above, I would also further argue, however, that a fundamental and critical component of this problem space is a logical, workable policy framework. This is why I’m pleased with the suggestion of bringing in the IDB to assist; policy can be as tricky as the engineering.
Anyway, again, RE Engineer, welcome to the discussion. One question for you: are you based here in Barbados, or away? The reason I ask is that many of the contacts and information you’ll be requiring are not easily available remotely.
RE Engineer // July 28, 2008 at 1:01 AM
@Chris Halsall
I am currently based here in Barbados, for now at least, but I have been battling with if I will stay and if so for how long. In my field, here in Barbados, it would be very difficult to get the exposure that I would need to hone my skills. Plus I would like to pursue further postgraduate education which will be difficult if I do not have a well paying job.
J // July 28, 2008 at 1:29 AM
RE Engineer there are a lot of fully funded scholarships out there, available to Bajans especially if you have at least upper second class honors and a year or two of work experience.
J // July 28, 2008 at 1:46 AM
Dear RE Engineer:
You might want to try this blog which lists various scholarships available to Barbadians:
http://caribbeanedsource.wordpress.com/strictly-scholarships
Best wishes
reengineer // July 28, 2008 at 3:15 AM
@ J
Thank you for the info., the link you sent is not working says the blog does not exist, not sure if you have misspelt some part of it. Please check.
Thanks
chalsall // July 28, 2008 at 12:21 PM
@reengineer… “In my field, here in Barbados, it would be very difficult to get the exposure that I would need to hone my skills.”
I would like to take *extreme* exception to this statement. (In a friendly and encouraging way!)
I would argue that Barbados is a *perfect* place for someone with your educational background!
J is absolutely right. You could easily get underwriting for further postgraduate “paper” — probably incorporating your work here. And/or, find some “money people”, and start leveraging on commercial opportunities that exist here and now.
(Don’t bother with the “run your car on water” thing though — someone else has already cornered the market… (wink))
Seriously. My experience has been that all the education in the world doesn’t mean a thing until you’ve been *using* want you’ve learnt for a while….
RE Engineer // July 28, 2008 at 2:54 PM
@ chalsall
I agree with you that all the education in the world means nothing if you haven’t been using it for a while. And that is exactly why I know I will find difficulties here. My goals are system design and consulting and one can only profess to be an expert in such if you have a certain amount of experience under your belt, working under a learned engineer and ultimately working solo. This means following case studies and working in a hands-on environment. Just like a doctor can’t learn to treat or operate on a patient from reading books, the same applies for engineers. I concur that work here can be incorporated into a postgraduate dissertation but I am not only speaking about studying I am talking about working in the environment. Assisting in the design of sustainable energy systems, supervising their installation and commissioning, monitoring their performance, troubleshooting and evaluation of performance data. That is generally the job description of an RE Engineer and I honestly do not see myself being able to do any of those things here at least not in the near future. Education is not cheap and I do not believe it should be wasted and that is what I see a lot here, Prof. Beckles has said he wants a UWI graduate in every household etc. which is a good dream but it could also give rise to what I consider a waste of education; where a person who is trained in one thing works in a field that they were not trained to do. Then what was the point of getting that education since they aren’t fully exploiting it. Sometimes it is better to go abroad and gain the exposure and then return with the knowledge and expertise to really make a difference and open businesses, create new opportunities etc. Not saying that is always the case, but I am not seeing many options otherwise. I was hearing about the Renewable Energy Centre which was in the plans for the last administration but I have heard nothing about it since then. I worked with BL&P on the wind farm project and that is just stagnant for the most part and probably won’t get underway for another 3 to 5 years. Solar water heating companies and not interested in paying a design engineer, just supervision and maintenance work is generally done. I know of no photovoltaic installation companies, the fuel cane plant is yet to get off the ground in any serious way. This leaves government which I still need to explore fully to see the ‘real’ status of the energy sector. If not I will find myself working in education or mechanical maintenance which is not what I was trained to do, not to mention not my passion.
Anonymous // July 28, 2008 at 3:19 PM
To RE Engineer
Leave B’dos and quickly. Get on with your life. Do not second guess yourself. Read your own post @2:54 and see that you have answered your concerns. To stay here is to simply throw your dreams and education away!
chalsall // July 28, 2008 at 3:54 PM
@Anonymous… Thank you.
You have just showed your hand to a degree I don’t think you appreciate.
@RE Engineer… I will return….
chalsall // July 28, 2008 at 4:22 PM
@RE Engineer…
Please note this language is not my returning to your immediate above, but simply my seeking additional information to do so…
1. Where did you get your aforementioned degree? Which institution?
2. (A somewhat loaded question) Who paid for it?
3. (If you’re willing to share) Who was the head of the department?
@RE Engineer: please seriously consider responding to my above three questions, as I feel they are very appropriate to the immediate matter at hand…
Thanks and regards to all.
RE Engineer // July 28, 2008 at 4:46 PM
@ chalsall
Not sure I care to divulge all that information on such an open forum but I can say I studied extra regionally, a partial scholarship (not from the Barbados government) and my parents paid for my education along with summer jobs and degree-based work internships. The head of department not sure how that would be helpful since I don’t see how you would even come to know her but it is Dr Aidee Cruz. Hope that was of some help to ‘the immediate matter at hand’.
J // July 28, 2008 at 5:33 PM
Dear RE Engineer:
Please try this link , once you get to the site, click on scholarships. If it does not work from this blog, then try typing it in manually.
http://caribbeanedusource.wordpress.com
Best wishes
J // July 28, 2008 at 5:34 PM
I just tried it from this blog and it is working fine now.
RE Engineer // July 28, 2008 at 6:35 PM
Thank you J
Chris Halsall // July 29, 2008 at 11:28 AM
@RE Engineer… Namaste.
Thank you for answering my above… I will speak directly to it shortly.
But first, if I may please go high-bandwidth, and layout the situation as I see and model it…
1. Axiom: There are raw, unexploited *opportunities* for alternative energy solutions here in Barbados, and the region.
1.1. Observation: Other than hot-water systems, there are almost *no* deployed alternative energy solutions in use here. (The exceptions are demonstrations of PV. Some to drive refrigeration!!!)
1.2. Observation: There are existing, commercially viable solutions which could be developed / marketed / purchased. PV is not the only option for the consumer.
1.3. Observation: Most people focus on electrical generation. Why not more bio-fuel and *any* refrigeration? Pumping? Desalination?
1.4. Observation: Technology development leads to Intellectual Property (IP). (Patents, et al.) Stock markets *like* IP.
1.5. Observation: There’s *money* to be made here! Lots of it!!!
2. Axiom: There is educated engineering “talent” here in Barbados.
2.1. Observation: The local “talent” don’t seem able to find a serious job market.
2.2. IMHO: Trained local talent should be *gold* here!
3. Question: Where the *hell* are the Entrepreneurs?
3.1. See 1.5. above.
4. Question: Where the *hell* are the “money people”? Take some risk, assemble a team, and enjoy some serious upside?
4.1. Observation: few if any available solutions require *any* government participation to be viable *now*. (It wouldn’t hurt, though…)
4.2. Recommendation: Any assembled team should include policy / legal talent for the uncertain regulatory side of the environment. Get those concessions to make it even easier for the consumer to invest in the technology.
4.3. See 1.5. above.
(To be continued…)
Is Barbados Resting On Its Laurels? « Barbados Underground // December 22, 2009 at 10:48 PM
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