Although energy consumption on our Island varies day to day, according to Belco statistics, last year we consumed approximately 630 million kilowatt hours of electricity.

With the global warming threat at an all time high, it’s time to start considering reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and concentrating on the way of the future — renewable energy. Although they seem unsightly, wind turbines are one of the latest forms to be considered on the Island.

“At the end of the day, it’s a case of getting renewable energy accepted into the community,” says owner of Lanier Business Systems, Tim Miller. “Wind turbines just happen to be the poster child.

“They’re going to be the biggest, the most obvious — similar to how the satellite dishes were back in the 1980s — they’re going to be in your face.”

Humans have been harnessing the power of the wind to create energy for thousands of years.

Ancient Persians were using wind energy to pump water before the birth of Christ, and wind-driven ships explored the world long before any type of engine was invented.

As recently as the 1920s, over a million wind turbines pumped water and provided electricity to farms in North America.

The renewed interest in wind energy came about as the need to develop clean, sustainable energy systems outside of those relying on fossil fuels became apparent. Thanks to vast improvements in modern technology, wind turbines have come a long way from the days of grinding grain — they now can provide more reliable, cost effective, pollution-free energy for individuals and the community.

How do they work? Wind turbines produce electricity by using the natural power of the wind to drive a generator, and almost all wind turbines consist of rotor blades with rotate around a horizontal hub that is connected to a gearbox and a generator.

The power is controlled automatically as wind speed varies, although machines are stopped at very high wind speeds to protect them from damage. Commercial turbines range in capacity from a few hundred kilowatts to over two megawatts.

A potential addition to our energy supply mix, wind energy, like other renewable forms of energy, mitigates reliance on fossil fuels. Wind is a clean, sustainable fuel source that is becoming less expensive, as technologies improve and more turbines come into use. However, according to Susan McGrath-Smith of Belco, the necessary “large-scale wind farms require space, which is problematic for Bermuda”.

“There are few locations on the Island for a land-based wind farm, and large wind turbine farms offshore would require very careful consideration of risk to the marine environment that will arise during construction,” she says.

“The best application of the technology, therefore, might be smaller wind turbines installed for individual homes or businesses.”

Paving the way, architect for s.h.y. Architecture, Simon Hodgson, along with Mr. Miller, is in the process of installing a residential wind turbine on his parents’ propwind turbine on his parents’ property in Somerset: “We’re still creating the analysis on the cost and we’re hoping to lobby the Government to get some subsidies on duty relief so it’s more affordable and cost effective.”

One major concern raised by planning in regards to the introduction of wind turbines into a neighbourhood was noise level, but Mr. Hodgson avers they are “hardly audible above normal background noise”.

According to Mr. Miller, based on the sizes available, at first cost a wind turbine can range anywhere from $3,000 up to $9,000, and that’s not including the cost of shipping, duty and installation.

On top of that initial cost, a second challenge involved in putting a wind turbine up in the air, Mr. Miller admits, is figuring out what to do with the output: “There are basically three options. One is to connect it to a hot water heater, that’s what we’re proposing to do in Somerset. The second is to connect it through a battery bank so the turbine charges the battery and to let the house run off that.

“The third option, which is the preferred option, would be to tie into Belco. But that’s down the road. Belco has to look at it overall and see how it fits into their policy of emissions. But for any sort of renewable energy to be widely accepted into Bermuda, Belco has to be a major component, otherwise it wouldn’t be feasible.”

When a customer is not using the power generated by wind, solar or other renewable technologies, Mrs. McGrath-Smith explains that excess power could be sold back to the grid, which would help offset the cost of investment in renewable technologies and further reduce the customer’s electricity expense.

“However, there are technical and safety considerations associated with doing this, as Belco needs to know how much power is being generated and transmitted at any give time to ensure the reliability of electricity supply to the Island and that these systems are isolated when Belco is working on the lines,” she adds.

Customers would in the first instance save money on energy by generating their own wind power.

“Renewable systems in the future may enjoy some form of customs duty relief. In some jurisdictions outside Bermuda, customers have also the option of selling excess power back to the grid,” she continued. “In Bermuda, at the moment there is no provision for customers to sell excess power to the grid, but we are in the process of planning expansions to our transmission and distribution system, which will provide some scope for importation of renewable power to the grid.”

This plan is being developed in tandem with a review of applicable best practice regulations governing utility employee and general public safety, reliability and protection of security of overall electricity supply as it relates to interconnection, she says, adding: “We are also reviewing potential capacity contributions that may be captured by small-scale renewable sites so that it can be incorporated into Bermuda’s overall energy strategy and Belco’s planning margins.”

As far as the future of renewable energy sources in Bermuda is concerned, Mrs. McGrath-Smith said Belco is researching all forms of renewable energy, with the intention of ensuring that the best solutions for their customers, shareholders and employees are put in place.

As to whether any contribution by our small Island home will make a difference in the grand scheme of things, she said: “When vehicles, cruise ships and Belco are taken together, Bermuda is still a very small producer of greenhouse gasses, so the effect would be minimal, but that’s not the point.

“No matter how small, we have a responsibility to be part of the solution.

“Also, Bermuda is a microcosm, perfectly situated to be a model of energy efficiency.”

Harnessing the power of wind