Plans to create approximately 4 megawatts of ground-mounted solar capacity at Hope Estate and some 2.5 megawatts of solar car-port capacity at the Walter Nisbeth Road (Pondfill) parking lot (see Thursday newspaper) were generally welcomed. Utilities provider GEBE is finally joining the global movement away from fossil fuels.
Many had been wondering what was taking so long, as all other five islands from the former Netherlands Antilles already have sizeable renewable energy sectors. This not only helps bring down electricity cost and pollution, but also makes them less dependent on overseas imports.
GEBE’s intentions will require a battery energy storage system expected to provide 25 to 26 megawatt-hours of power, supported by about 11 megawatts of inverter capacity. Proposed locations include Pond Island, Zagersgut and Mullet Bay.
But that is just one step. A fair green energy buyback for excess generation by individuals should also be established to promote private investment in solar panels or windmills.
All this must be done carefully, however. Curaçao to a large extent depends on wind turbine farms for its electricity and recently experienced outages when the wind suddenly dropped sharply.
The same can happen with solar panels in the event of extreme cloud coverage over an extended period. Sufficient storage capacity and a responsible production mix therefore remain crucial elements for a successful transition process.
