The potential of PV installations for the island of Barbados

The island of Barbados is currently 98% reliant on fossil fuel to meet its electricity generation needs. The installed capacity of photovoltaic solar systems in 2001 was 37kWp. With an average daily solar radiation of 5.7 kWh/m², the potential of the resource is clear to see. This paper examines the future potential of photovoltaics on the island. It draws on the well recognised success of solar hot water heating in Barbados, which since the 1970s has lead to all of the hotels on the island investing in SHW systems as well as more than one third of the island’s buildings (domestic and commercial). Tourism is a principal foreign exchange earner for the island and is also one of the more energy intensive sectors. This paper presents the results of a survey of hotel owners that enquires about their energy demands, how they are currently met and their willingness to consider PV systems. The paper also examines the perceived barriers to the successful deployment of PV systems by home owners and businesses on the island from the point of view of policy and economics.