The rollout of photo voltaic power initiatives throughout St. Kitts and Nevis is predicted to extend in 2024 as the federal government is near establishing a feed-in tariff coverage to make funding into photo voltaic power worthwhile.
A feed-in tariff is the funds or credit score owed to unbiased energy producers that put power through photo voltaic PV or different renewable power sources into the nationwide electrical grid. On the Oct. 4 version of the tv and radio programme InFocus, Timothy Antoine, Governor of the Jap Caribbean Central Financial institution, stated that the institution of a feed-in tariff in St. Kitts and Nevis and different regional nations should be finished “rapidly” in order that the unbiased energy producers, which can embrace owners or corporations, can calculate their returns.
Minister of Utilities Konris Maynard, stated that the federal government is at present engaged on a feed-in tariff coverage.
“That’s already in prepare, and we must always have a draft coverage very, very shortly,” stated Minister Maynard throughout an look on Wednesday’s (October 11, 2023) version of InFocus.
He added that the federal government will set up photo voltaic panels on houses to be constructed as a part of the housing revolution. The contribution from the panels can be guided by the feed-in coverage when it’s finalized.
“It’s not simply adequate to inform everybody to place photo voltaic panels on the grid,” Honourable Maynard stated, noting that if there’s a sudden drop in contributions from unbiased sources attributable to overcast skies it will possibly negatively influence the producing capability on the St. Kitts Electrical energy Firm Ltd (SKELEC) energy plant.
“In the event you put all of those photo voltaic panels on the grid you might be really decreasing the necessity for energy on the energy station,” the utilities minister expressed. “In the event that they [SKELEC] flip down their mills however then abruptly there’s a massive overcast of clouds, energy is no longer going into the system. It should destabilize the grid if SKELEC will not be in a position to energy again up their mills in time so it’s a technical factor the place you must ensure all the balances and all the nuances are accounted for.”
Minister Maynard famous that the federal government stays dedicated to decreasing the reliance on fossil gasoline, notably as the value of oil is already spiking because of the Israel-Hamas battle and St. Kitts and Nevis transforms right into a Sustainable Island State.