Phenton Neymour

Published On:Friday, September 11, 2009

By CHESTER ROBARDS

Business Reporter

crobards@tribunemedia.net

THE MINISTER responsible for the Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) yesterday warned that anyone powering their properties or businesses through alternative energy sources should stay within the law.

Phenton Neymour, responding to yesterday's Tribune Business article entitled Business owner close to escaping BEC through $35k solar investment, said there are regulations in place regarding private power generation that should be adhered to.

According to Mr Neymour, those who retrofit their home or office power supply with an alternative energy source should take care not to adversely impact any BEC assets.

He said he had not heard of Sure Alarm's move to solar power, but the Government was reviewing the regulatory framework for the energy sector "with a view for allowing independent power producers".

Owner of Sure Alarms, Graham Weatherford, told Tribune Business that he was close to being completely power independent and off BEC's grid, via the installation of a $35,000 solar-powered electric system currently capable of running everything in his store except the air conditioners.

Mr Neymour said he had mentioned several times that the Bahamas could move more towards the use of solar power, namely the use of solar water heaters.

The Government had also sought to encourage the use of this method of power generation by allowing the importation of solar panels and their peripherals to be duty free.

However, the Bahamas Electricity Act states: "Except with the approval of the Minister, and in conformity with any conditions to which any such approval may be made subject, no person other than the Corporation shall install or operate in New Providence any generating station with a generating capacity exceeding 250 kilowatts."

This was "provided that the prohibition imposed by this section shall not apply to any stand-by generating plant, which is used only for the supply of energy in case of the failure of the energy supply by the Corporation or other emergency. The Minister shall not refuse his approval under this section for the installation or operation of any generating station by any person in any case in which the energy required by such person cannot be supplied or cannot be supplied within a reasonable time by the Corporation.

"Any person who installs or operates or permits the operation of any generating station in contravention of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine of $3,000 and, in the case of a continuing offense, to a further penalty of $150 for each day that the offense continues."

President and chief executive of Wind Sun Water Company, Elton Smith, argued that this part of the Act asserts private citizens can generate their own power as "the average 2,400 square foot household only needs approximately 6 to 8kw to operate properly (including air-conditioning). The vast majority of Bahamian homes can do this today quite legally".

He and other advocates for alternative energy then suggest that due to the high number of power outages experienced, and damage to property as a result of brownouts from the BEC power interruptions, one can be completely justified in choosing to outfit a house or a business with "clean" power.