First Solar To Grid In Ragged Island makes ’60 Minutes’ Appearance

#NASSAU, NP – March 4, 2020 — As of Saturday, February 29, 2020, the first solar power had been sent to the Ragged Island Microgrid from the solar field near Gun Point, Ragged Island.

Bahamas Power and Light Company Ltd. (BPL) Director of Grid Solutions & Support Services Burlington Strachan reported that BPL teams have completed the work to tie in the solar field, and on Friday the first commissioning tests were done on the solar field, with power being sent to the grid for the first time under test conditions.

Those tests were successful, bringing BPL a significant step closer to completing the installation of the first solar baseload generation in our national grid. Next steps include continuous testing of the facility and moving on to installation of battery storage at the generator site.
Ragged Island’s renewable microgrid is an important first step in The Bahamas’ energy transition to more cost effective, sustainable and resilient solutions. This project is also one of the first in the Caribbean to feature Category V hurricane resilience and over 90% renewable energy generation.

BPL has partnered with Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) to assist with implementation of sustainable and resilient energy solutions across the Family Islands. RMI sees the Ragged Island Microgrid as the “critical first project that BPL needs to properly operationalise solar and storage as primary dispatch.” According to the Institute, the Ragged Island Microgrid sets the perfect precedent for the other Family Island’s power systems.
The development of the Ragged Island Microgrid supports the commitment of the Government of The Bahamas that Ragged Island would become a “green island” in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, and the progress of the project was the subject of a recent visit by the renowned CBS News programme “60 Minutes.”