Category: My wife and I returned from a much needed trip to Aruba a few weeks ago. It was where we spent our honeymoon 5 years ago and it took some saving to get back. And, of course, thanks to her parents and their timeshare.
Being that we’re all energy conscious, one of the most notable things is that the island is ripe for both wind and solar power.
The average yearly wind speed is 20 knots (23 miles per hour) and gets has high as 25-30 knots (29 - 35 miles per hour). And Aruba is a desert island. The sun shines almost all the time with the island receiving just 16.1 inches of rain each year.
So why do they create 100% of their electricity from fossil fuels?
As typical, we spent a lot of time sight-seeing, checking out the rock formations, caves, and other attractions and I kept a sharp eye out for solar panels and/or wind turbines. Nothing. Nada. Zip. And I kept hearing natives complain about the high cost of energy (gasoline is selling at around $5 per gallon) and visitors commenting about the energy tax added to their bills - even the timeshare bills.
This country is just begging for solar and wind power. Aruba could easily create enough energy to reduce their oil imports by half. and possibly stop all together. It makes you wonder if there is a way to transfer power from the island to the main land. Even if they skipped over Venezuela (15 miles south) and sent it to Columbia which is not much further. I can only guess that the reason they haven’t done it so far is due to lack of investors.
But times are a changin’ really fast…
And I’ve only found one reference online to suggest that any companies are making an attempt, and that was back in 2004. "U.S. Wind Farming has approached Aruba, St. Croix and several other Caribbean Islands to install Wind Energy Electricity/Hydrogen Cooperatives. Final negotiations and contracts are forthcoming. "
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I am a President of a solar company based in Dallas and I have every intention to move internationally as soon as I can. Many countries can benefit from renewable energies and what is most important these changes can greatly increase the standard of living for people worldwide.
I recently watched a TV show on Discovery called tribal quest. Long story short the show follows a family in Mongolia that migrates constantly to feed their sheep. Every night they connect their TV to their satellite disk. The battery is charged by a solar panel. Other than the all important TV the power is used for heating water and cooking food.
My point is that this technology is for everyone
Tommy Tokar
President
SolarMecca Inc.
214-550-9817 Main
214-550-9817 Ext 704
ttokar@solarmecca.com
http://www.solarmecca.com
Our company, Engysol NV is committed in bringing change into the Aruban energy landscape; we are providing energy solutions using wind and solar energy.
In our time we are getting more and more conscious about the importance of taking care of our environment and the importance of diversifying our energy portfolio avoiding dependence on oil as much as possible and what better way to do this than using the huge wind and solar potential we have in the Caribbean.
We are the distributors of Proven Energy wind turbines in our region, a leading Scottish brand of small wind turbines which thanks to its unique flexible blade design offers uninterrupted energy generation even in hurricane strength wind conditions, quietly rotating at a low constant speed. The turbines are robust and build to last.
The turbines can be grid connected which means that they work directly with the energy supplier automatically transferring the power that you are not consuming to the public net letting the kWh meter turn backwards. Grid connected wind turbines don’t need batteries to store energy which helps reducing the cost of the system, eliminates the need of a storage area for the battery bank and the constant maintenance associated with batteries.
The power generated with the turbines is compatible with the power of the grid due to its effective synchronization.
After installation of the Proven Energy wind turbines you don’t have to worry about the power generation process. Everything happens automatically and only a yearly routine maintenance is required.
The government is supporting the use of renewable energy and currently is exploring the possibilities for subsidies and in other incentives to help our lovely island become greener, together we are bringing change for the better to our doorsteps.
Freddy Vargas
Engysol NV
T: +297 5868399
fred@engysol.com
http://www.engysol.com
http://www.provenenergy.com
With such terrific wind potential the folks in Aruba should not look to their centralized electric utility company to provide a solution but to themselves. With just an average of 10-12 knots, there are residential wind turbines which cost competitive with US electric utility rates and I have to believe that Aruba (like other islands) charges probably 80 to 100% more for electricity (making residential wind power even more cost effective) because it is all hydrocarbon based (and a monopoly). See Southwest Wind Power’s Skystream which can used for grid-tie applications and off-grid ones as an example.
Our AltE University also offers an abundance of free articles on residential solar and wind power.
Sascha
CEO
http://www.AltEStore.com