Our vision is for environmental sustainability. Our mission has been to make renewable energy systems more affordable for householders since the beginning. Apart from having applied for certification as a renewable energy installer / developer to the Energy Division approximately five years ago and still waiting for paperwork to be processed, we have been advocating for simple net metering arrangements to be permitted. Our company is a member of BREA and has been involved in most of the renewable energy meetings, seminars etc. Our suggestions for this platform have been totally ignored. The utility company has much influence over the FTC and their RER with FIT (now fixed) is designed in their own interest. The people need an advocate for fairness, optimizing ease of implementation, energy security and financial returns.

Allowing battery based utility interactive renewable energy systems to back-feed excess during sunlight and purchase in the evenings will opportune households and small business to adopt RE without the hassle and at lower cost. Realizing savings, in line with the retail rate, having investment linked to international oil prices which provides a hedge against potential devaluation while providing energy security in the  event of utility power outages will encourage many to implement affordable equipment and adopt readily available technology. Supplying the grid during peak periods will save expensive fuels and reduce foreign exchange needed to import. The key is minimizing battery cycling and capacity as this extends battery life and reduces costs.

Persons wishing to install grid tied systems are currently subject to much regulatory confusion. Buy all - sell all arrangements force prosumers to sell low and buy high. This is unacceptable. Free and fair market conditions must be given a chance to work.

Our company stands ready to continue it’s efforts in promoting awareness of the benefits to be had by investors and the country as a result of making participation in renewable energy industry more readily available.

We would appreciate the opportunity to explain how every Barbadian household / SME can be empowered to help solve the tri-lemma of climate change, ‘fossil fuel’ resource depletion and reliance on scarce foreign exchange and contribute quickly toward the triple bottom line.

We must all be incentivized to join the REgeneration if our country is to prepare for potential dislocation and eventually overcome the financial hurdles presently faced.

Energy is the lifeblood of modern society.

It is all connected. Everything we do, affects the whole.

Good governance must encourage healthy behaviors and penalize unwanted practices.

Allowing market forces to function in the National interest is wise.

Socio-Environomics is about instituting policies that consider social and environmental and economic issues as equal partners.

Yours Faithfully,,

Andrew Simpson

Attic Developments Ltd.