Caribbean Solar staff is all smiles on their company’s third anniversary.
ST. JOHN — The successful St. John energy start-up Caribbean Solar Company is celebrating its three-year anniversary by thanking their customers.
“We are very appreciative of our customers support,” said St. John native Kevin Schnell, and we want to do our best to make sure they know it.
Their customers are obviously very appreciative of Caribbean Solar Company which was named 2015 Small Business of the Year by the local Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC), Environmental Champion 2015 by the EPA, and back-to-back “Best of V.I. Awards” for 2014 and 2015 from the V.I. Daily News.
“We have also been fortunate enough to win projects from Gallows Point and Grande Bay, which are both being installed this summer (Gallows Point project is currently in progress),” Schnell added.
The “Grid Independence Program” that we are developing as well as information about our expanded monitoring services that will make energy consumption transparent and enable the end user to change consumption habits, which will ultimately save money by reducing energy consumption.”
Full Service Solar Company
Caribbean Solar Company (CSC) is a full service solar system design and integration company that was established on St. John by Maya Matthews-Sterling and Kevin Schnell of St. John in 2012.
“CSC is a customer service driven solar energy company who is dedicated to providing quality systems to residents, business owners, nonprofits and governmental agencies throughout the Virgin Islands,” said Schnell. “We are committed to continued education to ensure that we are apprised of the latest advancements and best practices in our industry.”
“We have built our company on basic business practices: follow through with our promises, deliver a quality product and stand behind our work,” Schnell said succinctly.
“A part of our success is also derived from the loyalty we have given Solar World which is our solar panel manufacturer and supplier, and the endless support they provide us,” Schnell explained.
“We also work very hard to retain a quality installation crew that delivers the superior workmanship that we expect,” Schnell added. “That being said, you can’t get anywhere unless you like what you do and we are passionate about our work, which is incredibly helpful in keeping us motivated.”
Future of Solar Power?
“As energy storage (i.e battery technology) options continue to flourish and become less expensive, it’s my opinion that the future of solar will look much different than it does now,” Schnell opined.
Currently, the majority of the solar panels installed in the VI are grid connected without energy storage, Schnell explained.
“In the years to come, more people will choose to go off-grid, which is also referred to as grid defection,” Schnell predicted. “The advancement of energy storage systems and sophisticated monitoring and controls equipment will enable more and more people to be utility grid independent.”
“That being said, we would prefer to see a “big picture” plan that would include a larger penetration of renewables into the utility grid and less grid defection,” Schnell admitted. “However, without the implementation of grid-scale energy storage this will not happen.”
WAPA Planning for Renewables
WAPA is working through an Integrated Resource Planning Process (IRP Process) with the assistance of an engineering consulting firm, he explained.
“The development of the IRP Process is meant to serve as a roadmap for meeting anticipated customer energy needs for the next 20 years,” Schnell said. “I applaud this effort by WAPA and look forward to the progress of the IRP.”
