St. Maarten Private Eye

When it comes to energy, St. Maarten is extremely wasteful, take a drive around the island late at night and see all the lights people have around their houses, throughout the night. See all the streetlights, business security lights, the airport lit up even though it is closed. The floodlights at the harbor on all night, even when closed, even the lights all along the cruise pier are on all night. Or take a walk along airconditioned Front Street during the day, store doors wide open and cool air blowing down and out of them.

St. Maarten needs to move towards energy independance by converting to cleaner and greener energy sources, of which there are 4 prime options, Solar, Wind, Wave and Goethermal. In the meantime, immediate action should be taken to reduce energy waste and overuse.

Saving Energy

Billing for energy use should increase once it reaches a certain amount, if homeowners or business owner use more than what is set as an acceptable amount (a cap) then they should start paying more for everything they use over that amount. This will have an immediate effect as people start taking an interest in how to reduce their useage. That Plasma TV which uses 4 times as much energy as a regular tube TV may no longer be so attractive to those who currently want one. People will themselves start implimenting energy saving ideas.

Homes and businesses are excessively lighted, some will claim this is for security reasons. This argument falls flat on it's face when pressure, motion and light sensors are so readily available as part of security systems. An office building does not need to be lit up all night with floodlights, it is done is for asthetic reasons only. This is starkly obvious in the riduclous lighting of the cruise ship pier and harbor and airport at night, millions of dollars are being wasted for no good reason.

Stores should be required to have thier aircondioners situated a certain distance away from open doors, steetlights should be put on alternate timers after 2pm, same with traffic lights and nessesary security lights. A ban on old style light bulbs should be implimented over the next two years. Electronic devices such as stereos and tv's that have standby options should also be regulated and taxed accordingly.

What can you do now?
Replace those bulbs, install timers, turn off electronics and lights when not in use, get rid of that water heater and put a solar heater on your roof, use a fan instead of an airco. There are also many simple day to day things you can do, be more discerning when you grocery shop, choose locally grown produce over those that come from thousands of miles away. Buy a plug in razor, or one with rechargable batteries, or a $12 razor sharpener. These are many things that you can do and they will become apparent to you if you pay some attention and use common sense.

You can find lots more at Energy Saving Trust, Saving Energy by Professor Questor and the Carbon Trust.

Alternative Energy Solutions for GEBE

Solar Power

Solar power is part of our future, how can it not be in the Caribbean? In many parts of the world, homes are being equiped or built with solar cells on or in the roof, these can power most needs of a energy concious residential home. At night these homes draw energy from the national grid, during the day, when most are unoccupied, they contribute energy to the national grid.

GEBE should be at the forefront of a long term program to install all businesses and homes on the island with Solar roofs incorporated into the grid. Consumers who opt for this system will benefit from lower energy bills, even after the monthly finance and service charge has been added, (this would depend upon installation size). GEBE would have a guarenteed monthly income from each installation, which would grow, with which to finance the loans needed to start such a program, I estimate less than $10 - $15 million. The program would also provide employment, not only as installers, but also to maintain the weekly, bi weekly or monthly service and maintenance visit included in the contract.

As the income grows, due to the expanding number of installations, the loans would get paid off, leaving scope for GEBE to continually expand the coverage and upgrade the technology as it becomes available. All around the world there are companies and people researching and improving solar energy on a continual basis and it is already at the level where is finanicially and environmentally practical and attractive.

This program is possible, it would not break our banks or our incomes, it would go a long way towards making SXM energy independant and considering how much we rely on the outside world to survive, this is not a bad path to follow all things considered. Solar roofing is now becoming available in various forms, as panels, as roofing tiles, in a roll out carpet form and perhaps soon as a sort of paint. What is missing is the political will and a lack of vision from those in a position to make it happen.

The airport would be a good place to start, then Prime, other businesses with large roofs with a seperate attractive program for homes. Coupled with a change in how electricity is billed, with excessive overuse being charged more excessively, this would force people to be more energy concious and have a major positive impact upon our contribution to GW and Climate Change, a huge leap forward for St Maarten and it's people.

Anyone got $10 million to help start it off? Perhaps the EU does, maybe all it needs to for Mr Brooks, MD of GEBE, to put together the business plan and go ask for it. You don't know unless you ask eh?

NYT Video - Do a search here for Solar Subdivision

NAPS Solar Energy Solutions

Canadian Solar Building Research Network

Wind Power

While Solar could supply a large part of an energy concious community's needs, it would not be enough, wind power is the next option. Wind farms are springing up all over the world, many of them out at sea. If they can be built to withstand North Sea and NW Atlantic storms, then they can be built to withstand Hurricanes too.

Report - Design of wind turbines in a tropical cyclone zone - PDF File

I recommend reading the following article for more on the current status of Wind Energy, from which I quote....

Big investors are looking to smaller projects or groups of small projects bundled together.

Offshore turbines are more expensive than land based to install, but there are a few little islands and rocks, like Hen and Chicks, Groupers, Spanish Rock, Isle Forche and others that could be suitable. The only land which would be suitable on the Dutch side would be between Back Bay and Guana Bay, an area which I would oppose as I think it should be made a nature preserve. There are concerns about how they would affect bird life, these must be addressed and studied, I am suggesting only a few. Tops of hills are an interesting possibility and would have less effect on bird life, some would find they look good, some would find them ugly, I can only say I would rather see that than GW.

The energy production of a wind turbine is largely dependant upon the level and consistency of the wind in the location they are situated, on average they produce between 2-3 MW daily, according to GEBE, current demand on SXM peaks at about 51 MW and they have a capacity to generate 71MW. Considering the waste levels now, we estimate the demand could be reduced, over a couple of years, by about 25% minimum without much sacrifice. Wind is also an option for homes, perhaps a combination of both solar and wind on homes and small businesses could make most totally energy independant.

Wiave Power.

Although we don't get much of a tide here in the tropics, we do get currents and waves, the newly developed Pelamis Wave Energy Converter may well be a very attractive option to look into. When you remember that a Memorandum of Understanding was signed over a year ago to join the grids of Anguilla and St. Barths to St. Maarte/Martin, it would be fair to say cooperation is on the menu when it comes to energy production as well as distribution.

The Pelamis Wave Energy Converter - Official Website

Dozens of possibilities for wave power energy.

Geothermal Power

The picture above is the only Geothermal plant in the Caribbean located in Guadaloupe, it provides 10% of the island's power. I am unsure how sensible or practical this is for SXM, but it would seem very practical for Saba and Statia.

Geothermal Power Plants in Central America & the Caribbean.

Geothermal Power - Wiki

Putting it all together.

Current Demand = 51 MW
25% waste reduction = 39 MW
50% Solar and wind residential and business = 20 MW
10 MW Wind Power (5 turbines) = 10 MW
10 MV Wave Power (5 Polamis Snakes) = 0 MW

It is possible to reduce our dependance on fossil fuel energy by at least 75% within the next 2 or 3 years and to become a fully green energy island within 5. It would cost less to get it done than it has cost to build our airport and harbor, it will cost much more if we do plan and prepare for the consequences of our past behavior.

One possible power source, incinerators, has been addressed in the Waste section.

(Note - Development and building cannot continue in the manner and rate it is today and this matter is addressed more in the Economy and Development section. It includes clean energy efficient standards, codes and legisilation.)

Please feel free to share yout thoughts and ideas, links and questions below. One thing is for sure, those in the oil business won't like my plans.

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