high renewable penetration.“Right now,we are seeing efforts for a feed-in tariff for energy storage as well as a regulatory framework for application process and licensing,” Roach explains.“The government has been working recently on establishing competitive procurement, which would allow developers to make applications to supply, build, and operate energy storage systems.” This transition toward storage integration represents an important evolution in Barbados’ renewable energy approach. Like many island nations with isolated grids, Barbados faces unique challenges in balancing intermittent renewable generation with consistent power demands. The push for energy storage solutions signals a maturing market moving beyond simple grid-tied solar installations toward a more resilient and flexible energy ecosystem. MEETING DIVERSE ENERGY NEEDS The visual evidence of Barbados’ renewable energy transition is unmistakable across the island. “If you drive across Barbados, you’ll see a number of solar farms across the landscape ranging from around a hundred kilowatts to 500 kilowatts up to a megawatt,” Roach points out. “Many of them are in the range of maybe 250 kilowatts to one megawatt. As the cap for a single size system was pushed larger, you found that more and more of those larger systems were indeed solar farms, granted that roof sizes are limited for some of the larger systems.” Williams Solar’s portfolio mirrors this diversity, with installations split between residential and commercial applications. While residential systems typically average around five kilowatts, commercial projects can reach up to one megawatt in capacity. This scale difference means that despite residential customers representing approximately two-thirds of Williams Solar’s total client base by number, commercial installations account for a significant portion of installed capacity. Public reception to solar energy has been enthusiastic, spurred by economic benefits and government encouragement. “From where I sit being one of the points of contact for the public expressing interest in renewable energy, I would say that the public has really embraced it,” Roach says. “They’ve answered the call from the government for people to get involved and invest in renewable energy systems. There’s been a tremendous amount of response over the years and interest for people to own solar farms or certainly be involved in photovoltaic projects.” This broad-based engagement across both residential and commercial sectors has helped Barbados make significant strides toward its renewable energy goals. 80 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 12, ISSUE 03
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