Alternative energy providers in Barbados have given the thumbs up to a new Fair Trading Commission (FTC) ruling, but they are fuming that a cap restricting how much power they can produce is still in place.
The FTC released a new billing system and metering arrangement yesterday following an application from the Barbados Light & Power (BL&P).
As a result, BL&P will buy all the power generated by residential customers installing renewable energy systems that are larger than two kilowatts (kW) while those customers will have no choice but to buy all the electricity they need from BL&P.
The “buy-all, sell-all” system, said Mark Hill, Innogen Technologies’ chief innovation officer, would still see customers receiving zero bills based on the surplus power they produced.
Homeowners who buy systems, most of which are using solar energy and are smaller than 2kW, will keep the option to use the electricity that they generate in order to run their homes and then sell the excess to BL&P.
The issue of the power cap was not before the FTC but alternative energy officials said it was criticial to the future of the sector.
