Switching Bermuda from fossil fuels to renewable energy is more complex than we realise, according to scientist and author David Chapman.“Bermuda faces interesting challenges because of its small size,” Mr Chapman told Hamilton Rotary, in a talk on the role of renewable energy systems in sustainable development for small island states.“Sustainable development is something that in Bermuda has arisen as a major topic, especially in our recent Tucker’s Point debate,” he said.Bermuda’s main supplies of oil come from Venezuela, Trinidad and the US, but the small size of the Island’s fuel pipeline make it more suitable for transporting lighter, and therefore more costly, varieties of fuel.In looking for alternatives, he said, solar panels might not necessarily be the right devices for Bermuda when we could potentially be using more wind power.Examining data from the Bermuda Weather Service, Mr Chapman said: “The amount of solar radiation hitting Bermuda peaks in the summer months, which will come as no surprise. There is potentially a synergy with wind devices, since wind in Bermuda tends to peak in the winter months.”He said: “Potentially the best solution might be a combination of solar and wind. During the months when solar energy is not as high, you’re able to use the wind.”Wind strengths also vary across the Island, he added.“Wind data shows that over the course of a year, the highest winds come from the southwest of the Island.”For homes along the South Shore, “investing in a wind turbine might be better than making an investment in a solar panel”.Bermuda’s smallness limits how we would use wind power as well.“After the Tucker’s Point debate, I think people’s reactions to a plan for 50 wind turbines out at North Rock would be interesting,” he said.Proposals that Bermuda could use its own waste to generate power also need to be more closely examined using local models, he said.“The perception that the waste in Marsh Folly could solve our energy needs is a bit of a far cry,” Mr Chapman said, noting that his rough calculations of the energy available from waste dumped at the facility indicated 300,000 kilowatt hours in a year, while Belco’s own figures for residential sales show 200 million kilowatt hours in a year, he said.“I think there’s a lot more to be learned about it,” he said.Mr Chapman is currently finishing a doctorate in Sustainable Energy and Energy Security from Royal Holloway College at the University of London.