Alternative Energy in Costa Rica: Solar energy.

Recently I visited the latest Costa Rica Construction Fair and noticed that there are a lot of companies offering solar water heaters and just a few offering photovoltaic systems that generate electricity despite the fact that solar energy will become a more cost effective and attractive energy source in the future.

Since many of you have showed interest in sustainable solutions for your home in Costa Rica, I wanted to share some information I gathered while doing a study/research on solar energy market and what Costa Rica government is doing about energy subsidies.

In this scenario, if you want to go green and decide to purchase a solar energy system you have 2 options:

1. You an either buy a solar water heater that can provide with instant hot water in your shower, pool or kitchen or …
2. You can buy a hybrid or full solar thin film photovoltaic system.

If you decide to go with option one, there are about 10 or more companies offering residential water heaters that range between $1,100 and $1,850 approx per system.

Prices vary depending on the device’s construction materials quality, origins, installation and warranty. Most companies guarantee savings of 30% off your electricity bill and a return of investment of 2 to 3 years.

Option number two may only include just one company installing a full photovoltaic system that requires long term return on your investment ROI of 10 years or more.

Those two are great ideas, but rather selfish ones. We should be moving towards grid party systems (like the ones in California), where everyone is connected to a power net and any excess in electricity generated by a home, goes back to the net which is responsible for balancing energy between it’s members, so energy is distributed as needed and nothing goes to waste.

In Costa Rica we don’t have those systems yet, but people are eager to invest in alternative energy like the solar one, despite the fact that water heaters need almost perfect solar conditions, and there’s no such net metering structure provided by local electricity entities.

The problem Costa Rica has is a legal one. ICE (the government owned power company and main energy provider for the country) is not allowed to buy it back if generated by other groups. ICE has a monopoly in this sector (as most government owned companies in other sectors) so that makes things a bit difficult for some people.

Despite this situation there are some efforts being made in the public sector.

Costa Rica is starting to write it’s own story moving towards alternative energy resources. ICE has a pilot project in which they install a two way metering system which allows them to calculate your own home’s electricity production.

For example if your energy consumption is 500 kilowatts a month, and your own private system generates 300 kilowatts. ICE will deduct a maximum of 300 killowatts from your bill and only charge you for the 200 killowats.

Lately at CoopeGuanacaste, there’s the possibility of renting solar panels if you live in an isolated area, and Compania Nacional de Fuerza y Luz announced last May that they will be installing solar panels over 500 roofs (in Spanish) under a pilot project financed by the company.

Looking for national energy independence is quite the quest for many countries, and Costa Rica has an advantage: the country is rich in renewable energy. Options like solar, wind, sugarcane water burning, geothermal and biomass energy can help in lowering the dependence on hydroelectricity.

Don’t hesitate on drop me a line if you are interested in getting any help finding alternative energy resources in your location.

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Written by Costa Rica Architect Gloriana Mejia of DottArchitecture
who focuses tropical modern architecture and believes in following very basic principles: simplicity as a guide for good design, compact areas as a solution for space, passive solutions for sustainable architecture and context as a main character of the frozen music that architecture is….

If you want more information about hiring an architect to help build your home in Costa Rica, please contact my friend Gloriana Mejia using the simple form below:

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.