Several companies recently showcased their solar and wind-powered generating sets at the Alternative Energy exhibition held at the Umana Yana and we decided to ask members of the public how much they knew about these two types of energy and if they would switch. These were their responses.
Abigail Budhoo, housewife – `I don’t know much about these two types of energy but I know that they are an alternative to electricity. I think that it would be less costly to use these types of energy than current. I would prefer the solar power because it would give off more energy that the wind. I would still have the wind powered system as a back up though. I think that having a solar powered system will be a wise investment and a better choice to switch’.
Parbattie Panday, housewife – `I heard of these two types of power when the Prime Minister mentioned it on the news some time back. If these two alternative sources are cheaper of course I will switch. I would prefer the solar powered energy though because when it is charged fully, it can last for three to four days without getting sunlight. If rain falls one day it would still be able to power your appliances and lights with the energy that is stored. I would invest in a solar panel once I can afford it. We wanted to buy a solar panel before we moved into this area but it was too expensive’.
Ameer Goolab, graphics designer –
`I don’t know much about these two types of alternative energy but I have heard about them before. I would prefer the solar powered energy because it is all about heat which has more energy. I would consider switching soon. I will do so even if it means I have to make a sizeable investment. Blackouts will always be a problem’.
Carol Hope, teacher – `I know a lot about solar energy. I was living in here without light for quite a while so I used to depend on solar energy. The only problem was that there wasn’t enough energy to push my fridge. I had three solar panels but I give them away to someone who doesn’t have electricity. I will consider getting a big one to put on my roof. When I had the small ones the fridge, iron, washing machine and water pump couldn’t operate but the lights and a television worked. I had the panels up to two years back when we received electricity in here. Even if I decide to switch back to solar power, I will still keep my electricity. The company will have to prove to me that the solar panel can power all of my appliances. I will go with solar because I don’t know much about wind’.
Albert Singh, taxi driver – ‘When I moved in here, I had a solar panel that supplied power to my house. It powered the lights and a small black and white television. I think that if you have a big solar panel and an inverter connected to a battery everything in your house will be powered. I think that having a solar panel will work out cheaper that GPL. I would go with this type of power because I don’t know much about the wind powered-energy. Solar is simpler and the battery can store current for a while once you have a good battery. I would consider switching in the near future. I think that it will work out cheaper although a sizeable investment has to be made. You will make the investment and after that you wouldn’t have to pay for anything. I sold my panel when I got light in here two years ago. I regret that now’.
Cecil Ramdatt, NDC chairman- “The solar energy and wind energy have to be combined to power a home because one alone cannot power fridges, freezers and other appliances. You will have to initially use a panel to put on the inverter and to do that you would have to invest over half million dollars. That is why initially people are not switching. In the short term it is better to stay on with GPL [Guyana Power & Light] but in the long run the solar and wind energy would be cheaper and you would make back your money. But people cannot afford the initial investment. They can take a loan from the bank but I don’t think the combination is available in the market. If it was, a lot of people would have gone for it. For me, if the combination can suffice my needs I would definitely switch from GPL. The combination is necessary because if it is raining you would get a little wind but there would not be much heat for the solar. So there would be one or the other working at some point in time.”
Pravinchandra Deodat, Number 66 Fisheries chairman – “I believe it is good to have the solar or wind power energy and I welcome it. I spoke to some people from the US and they said if we would put down wind chargers where there is lot of breeze it would cut a lot of cost. In Guyana everything runs on fuel and because of the international crisis the fuel would raise often and the government cannot control that. But they can encourage people to switch to alternative power. I know it would cost a lot to set up but in the long term it would be more profitable. Environmentally it is good too because it would not pollute the air. I find that generators cause a lot of harm to the atmosphere. If I get the opportunity to switch and it can be done at a reasonable cost I would definitely go for it. We get a lot of sunlight in this country and it can work well here. A few people started to use it already and they say it is very beneficial.”
Coreen Thomas, former nurse/midwife – “I do not know much about the solar or wind energy but I see my neighbours have it. They use it when there is a blackout like a standby and they say it is very good. I would not switch to that though because I heard it is very expensive to set up. My neighbours paid $800,000 for everything. But for persons who can afford the cost they should use it because it would be better for them.”
Cayum Yasseen, overseas-based resident – “I would not consider switching right now because I don’t think it would be cost effective. I do not know of the cost to set it up, the maintenance cost and if there would be a back-up technician available in case something goes wrong. I would also like to know if rain or dull weather would jeopardize the system in terms of charging it. I have a long way to go before I can think of going to solar. In as much as GPL has a high cost and we get blackouts sometimes, I think that is better than the solar and wind energy. I don’t think Berbice is ready for that either. To me that system is mostly suitable for the remote areas as residents there do not use much lights and appliances.”
Arnold Persaud, retired headmaster – “In the 50s my uncle had a wind charger at Albion so I know a little about that. It looked like a fan and was mounted on a derrick. He used to contain the current in glass batteries. It was cheaper but it did not give current for the fridge, just the bulbs. I think people who can afford to set it up should do so because it would work out cheaper in the long run. To me once a few people start others would see the benefit and they would follow. Maybe by then the price would even go down. But I am a pensioner and I cannot afford to switch. I would be content to go with the GPL power because I am paying $7,000 to $8,000 per month. I am quite satisfied with the power I receive and the manner in which it comes.”
