Solomon Perkins

Happy Anniversary Sunny!!

Saying happy anniversary to Sunny, the code name for my solar project, it is also my father’s pet name. September 16th mark one year, since I installed and turn on my solar off grid system. Time flies, as I reflect on the amazing journey I’ve had, I wish to share a few lessons I’ve learned and the impact it has on the community.

Benefits

Sunny, continues to churn out energy from sun up to sun down. The 600Watt 24Volts two-panel solar system sits quietly at my house and provides many benefits from:

• First, it is 100% reliable. Suffice to say, there were instances when I didn’t realise that power were out in the community.
• The community likes the project. News travels fast and my neighbours got word of Sunny and were able to see the potential of the system. Members often ask to have their device charge during lengthy JPS outage.
• Neighbours noticed the benefits and want in. One went as far as to request a setup similar to mine after seeing the potential of the system.
• My father has become more energy conscious. He now understands the various metrics and how it should be used.
• With the plug and play model, the setup is easy to maintain.

Power Generation

It has generated over 0.5MegaWatt (500Kilowatts) of electricity, that is equivalent to about $35,000 worth of electricity bill.

Lessons Learned

Oh my, did I learn a lot! This DIY project opened my eyes and brain to the universe of electricity. At this point, I’m a self-certified electrician. I now have a huge appreciation for electricity and how to safely wire the house.

Often time I hear about electric items consuming more power during hot temperature but I didn’t expect it to be that excessive. Our refrigerator utilized twice as much energy in during the month of August, we eventually moved it to a cooler location in the house and noticed that consumption went back to normal.

Climate change is real. This project increases my level of awareness as it relates to my contribution and my role in reducing the impact of climate change. Prior to installation, I had a low carbon footprint as I don’t own a car and practise recycling, but Sunny lowered it even further.

Connecting with nature is mind-blowing. There is something remarkable when I switch on the light or open the refrigerator and it dawned on me that my entire electricity came from the sun. Solar energy generation is nothing new, but due to capitalism it was not the primary source of energy powering the planet. It is a privilege to experience this technology as the world continues to restore renewable energy to its rightful place.

There is a quote which states: “once you go black, you can’t go back”. After install Sunny, I had a similar thought: “once you go solar you can’t go back”. After experiencing first hand the power of nature I was motivated to do more. I even went further and build a prototype biodigester plant.

Mother nature does have a way of showing her secrets once you take the first step.

The Geeky Stuff

After much speculation and research, I now have one year worth of data about the system and how it functions in a tropical environment.

Batteries are the most critical part of the system. Sunny is able to store and deliver power through the day & night without having a discharge lower than 50%. Here are a few more specs:

• Battery Brand: Victron
• Battery Type: Absorbent Glass Matt (AGM) Deep Cycle.
• Battery Bank Voltage: 24V
• Battery Bank Amp: 200AM/Hr

Energy generation is one thing, but using that power efficiently is another important element. One of the first rules of solar is that you cannot use as much as you generate. By having efficient equitpment you can stick by this rule. We abide by that rule by having LED light bulbs, efficient refrigerator and LCD TV.

Another important factor, as shown on the diagram above, is the life cycle of a battery. It showcases how often are you allowed to discarge batteries before it begins to affect its performance. Based our current discharge rate, we have about 1500 cycles (approximately 4 years) before we see an impact in performance - fingers crossed.

Renewable For Life

On a national level, businesses are making the move to solar. Companies such as: DHL, NCB, BluePower, VMBS, Grand Palladium, PriceSmart, RainForest SeaFoods, Digicel and Island Grill are using solar to secure their energy. Consequently JPS now offers a solar package. Jamaica has seen a major boost and I believe the residents should get in on the action.

Having experienced the power and the unlimited potential of solar energy, I will make an extra effort to share this knowledge by helping others in any way possible. Sunny has open my eyes as to how we should be living as one with nature. After this experience I don’t believe I can ever own a house and not have solar panels installed.

Happy anniversary Sunny and keep shining!