Published On:Friday, November 13, 2009

By CHESTER ROBARDS

Business Reporter

crobards@tribunemedia.net

A BUSINESS owner who took his property off BEC's electricity grid by setting up a solar-powered system yesterday urged more companies and households to follow suit, as private power generation was not illegal, according to the Bahamas Electricity Act.

Graham Weatherford, speaking as a panellist at the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce's 2009 Energy Conference, also decried the Government's decision to import 100,000 fluorescent light bulbs because they contain mercury, which he fears could cause contamination when discarded after use.

Instead, Mr Weatherford suggested the Government consider the use of Light Emitting Diode (LED) light bulbs, which demand far less energy to power and last a lot longer. "They last longer than me," he said.

Several weeks ago, Mr Weatherford took his alarm business off the grid, mainly because power fluctuations were destroying - and had destroyed - several computer systems and air conditioning units he uses.

He added that he almost lost his entire store to a fire after a brownout sparked a fire in his air conditioning unit.

Mr Weatherford's original position on private power generation was that it was quite legal, until he read a newspaper article in which the minister in charge of the Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC), Phenton Neymour, warned citizens not to interfere with the electricity grid if they decided to produce their own energy.

He said the Government's policy on alternative energy and the language of the Bahamas Electricity Act were too ambiguous to risk the $3,000 fine that could be imposed on him for generating his own "clean" power.

The Bahamas Electricity Act, with regard to private power generation, reads: "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 standby 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 offense 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 one $150 for each day that the offense continues."

After studying the Act, Mr Weatherford argued that generating 250 Kilowatts of power was largely unnecessary for a typical private residence, but that that amount of output could run "four small hotels".

He also maintained that implementing private power generation through solar systems can create a niche market that would employ a number of Bahamians.

According to Mr Weatherford, the Government, through Mr Neymour, should tout his solar power generating facility as the way forward for energy production.

The Government, in its National Energy Policy, (NEP) are studying the potential for private power generation through various sources, including solar power.

On a national level, it has been determined thus far that waste-to-energy could be the best option for renewable energy in New Providence, while options for solar and wind energy are being explored for implementation in the Family Islands.