(CNS): The utilities regulator, OfReg, has cleared CUC to interconnect with another 3 mega-watts of power generated by domestic rooftop solar and small wind turbines under its Consumer Owned Renewable Energy (CORE) and Distributed Energy Resource (DER) programmes. Applications opened Monday and available power is expected to be snapped up quickly given the continued popularity of both programmes.
OfReg said that adding the capacity to the grid before CUC rolls out its battery project was essential to the continued promotion of both the programmes, offering “stability to both consumers and the industry”.
CUC Vice President Customer Services and Technology, Sacha Tibbetts, said CUC supported the decision taken by the regulator. “This additional capacity will give more customers access to the CORE and DER programmes and we anticipate that we will see an increase in the number of customers who will sign up,” he said.
CUC “anticipates that the extension to the programme will be rapidly taken up by our customers and will assist in our goal of reducing Grand Cayman’s dependence on fossil fuels”, he said, adding that the power company “remains committed to promoting and developing renewable energy as a source of electricity generation”.
Programmes like CORE and DER “play an important role along with utility scale projects”, he said.
Even with the additional 3MW, however, Cayman remains far short of the ambitious national energy policy target of generating 70% of power from renewables by 2037. Currently, only around 5% of power generated in Cayman comes from green sources.
To date, just 674 of CUC’s 32,000 customers are connected to CORE, generating 7,667.31 kilowatts, providing a total CO2 reduction of approximately 6,958 tonnes per year.
The DER programme was introduced in January 2018 and allows customers to consume electricity generated by their own renewable energy system. Under the DER programme customers are also able to sell to CUC any excess electricity produced and exported to the grid at an avoided cost-of-generation credit rate.
“Incorporating the lessons learned by other jurisdictions from early net metering programmes, DER customers are billed with a demand rate structure. The use of demand rates aligns the fixed costs of providing a grid interconnection and standby provision to the customer with demand charges, avoiding any potential cross-subsidization between DER and non-producing customers,” CUC said.
During this latest application for customers, the rate mechanisms for the DER programme will remain unchanged. The recently established CORE Feed in Tariff rates published during the last capacity reallocation determined a rate of $0.175/kWh for solar PV systems 5kW and below and 15 cents for systems between 5kW and 10kW which will apply to this release.
Core has allowed customers to connect small scale solar systems or wind turbines to CUC’S distribution system and to reduce their monthly energy bills by generating their own electricity while remaining connected to the CUC grid.
But this is subsidized by …….
Source: https://caymannewsservice.com/2021/12/ofreg-clears-more-domestic-wind-solar-power/