Solar company reach 50kw milestone

Alternative Energy Systems Ltd. said its residential division has installed enough solar power systems to generate a record 50 kilowatts of power for homes in Bermuda.

It claims that makes AES the largest supplier of solar energy in Bermuda.

Tim Madeiros, CEO of AES, said: “I am thrilled to have reached this milestone not only because of the hard work I have put into building my business, but also because it shows the growing conscientiousness of Bermuda residents with regards to the environment.”

One reason people on the island may be embracing solar energy more is the new interconnection policy, which enables those residential customers who have small-scale renewable energy generation systems to sell excess electricity back to Belco at the same rate that they pay for power.

Carlos Amaral from Devonshire, an Alternative Energy Systems client who had a 10 kilowatt system installed last month, said: “I’ve gotten my first electricity bill with the new system and there is marked reduction.

“I can monitor the system online and I can see that the power being generated during the day by the sun offsets the consumption of energy at night.”

Like many people, Mr. Amaral’s initial hesitation about installing a solar energy system was the upfront cost. However, Government incentives and the electricity buyback scheme from Belco prompted Mr. Amaral to go ahead with the installation.

“The return on investment is there when the system is paid off.

“I know the cost of electricity will continue to go up, so it made sense for me to take control of my energy costs now with solar power.”