The Tribune

As we prepare for summer, and all the sun that comes with it, many Bahamians are interested in using that sunlight to power their pool pumps. We saw in our last article that homes with even the smallest pools can save more than $1,500 per year by making a solar upgrade to their pump. Those savings increase significantly as your pool gets larger. The question is: How do you upgrade?

When it comes to solar pumps, there are two main options:

• Option 1: Upgrade to a solar pump, or

• Option 2: Pretend to upgrade to a solar pump. Believe it or not, most of my clients pick the second option.

In our last article, we discussed the first option in detail - upgrading to a solar pump. This involves replacing your current pump with a solar-compatible one and installing all the panels, wiring and other components as closely as possible to the new solar pool pump.

Now we will discuss Option 2 - pretending to upgrade to a solar pump. My clients always give me funny looks when I introduce this, but let me explain what I mean. When I say "pretend to upgrade to a solar pool pump", I am saying that your second option means you keep your current pump, and do not buy a new one designed to draw solar power directly. Instead, add a small, expandable grid-tied solar system to your home or business that will produce enough power to offset the cost of your regular pump running. Thus, you will run your pump for free with energy from the sun.

Though Option 2 can work with other pumps, let us consider your pool pump, for example. If it runs six hours every day, you can put a grid-tied solar system on your property that will produce the same amount of power the pump uses. If your pump runs during daylight hours, your solar system can help power it. If your pump runs when there is no sunlight then, during the day, your solar system can help cover the cost of other things you are running instead. This is one of the key benefits of Option 2; whether or not your pump is running, your solar system can provide the same reduction for your electricity bill.

Now that we have covered both options, do you have a better idea which one is right for you? For convenience, you can use the points below to help you compare upgrading to a solar pump with Option 1 or Option 2:

Advantages of Option 1 (upgrade to a solar pump)

• No need for Bahamas Power & Light (BPL). You will not have to run wires to connect your pump to the utility. This is especially useful if you do not want to have to dig up your landscape for trenching and wiring.

• Reliability. Your solar pump runs whether or not BPL is on, which is convenient during the rolling blackouts in the summer.

• You may be able to connect to BPL for extra power if needed. If your pump needs to run at night, or if you do not have enough space for sufficient solar panels to run the pump, some solar pumps allow you to connect to BPL for extra power.

Disadvantages of Option 1 (upgrade to a solar pump)

• More expensive than Option 2. This only stands to reason. Adding a specialised pump plus the solar component is more expensive than adding just the solar component.

• Wasted power. Since Option 1 connects the solar directly to the pump, if your solar pump does not need to run all the hours that the sun is out, the extra power goes to waste. It cannot power other things in your home or business.

• Running at night is costly. If you choose to connect to BPL, you lose some of solar's benefits. Otherwise, to run at night, you will have to buy batteries and related components.

• Maintenance on solar systems can also be more expensive because you may need a specially-trained solar professional for the pump.

Advantages of Option 2 (pretend to upgrade to a solar pump)

• Maintenance. The solar components are maintenance free. If your pump ever needs maintenance, it will cost no more than what a regular pump costs because it is just a regular pump.

• No wasted power. Since your solar in Option 2 is connected to your whole building, it can easily power other things when your pump is not running. Now that BPL is allowing grid-tie, Option 2 will even help you save money on the electricity bill when nothing in your home is running.

• No batteries. This reduces your required start-up investment if your system must run at night. It also eliminates battery maintenance.

• No new pump. Since you do not need to buy a new pump with Option 2, you initial cost is reduced.

• Easily expandable. Let us say that you get the solar to initially power your pump, but in a few years you will want to add more solar to power more of your home or business. It is easier to increase your system size later with Option 2.

Disadvantages of Option 2

(pretend to upgrade to a solar pump)

• BPL Connection required. All grid-tied solar systems require the utility in order to function. Your home or business will need to be connected to BPL for your system to work. You can talk with your solar specialist about hybrid options to get around this, but they increase the cost.

• Your solar pump shuts down during blackouts. This is a standard safety feature on grid-tied solar systems called Anti-Islanding. It ensures your system does not shock people working on the electric lines. The pump and solar system automatically resume when utility power is restored (if you have a generator, it can be used to power the pump in a blackout).

We have found ways to harness the sun to pump our pools, run our air conditioners, cool our attics, heat our water or power our properties. Summer is fast approaching, Bahamas. Why not talk with an energy specialist to determine how your can use our summer sun to save money and reduce your dependence on BPL?

• NB: Joshua Key is general manager for SuperGreen Solutions Bahamas, located on Wulff Road next to FYP. SuperGreen Solutions is one of the premier advisors, suppliers and installers of domestic and commercial energy efficient solutions.