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For those of you living in Costa Rica and who pay your own utilities, you may be interested to know (just in case you haven’t heard) that ICE is now permitting “grid-tied” electrical systems.
Basically, an array of photovoltaic panels is installed at your homesite and connected to a 15 amp breaker in your circuit panel. Then, when the sun shines on your panels, they make electricity which goes back into ICE’s electrical grid via your electricity meter. In effect, you are selling your power back to ICE and thereby reducing your monthly bill.
ICE’s rate structure for electricity is “laddered”. The higher your usage the more expensive those last kilowatt hours are. So a grid-tied system essentially cuts off or cuts down your consumption at those high-cost levels.
None of this is the same as “going off grid” in which case you would be completely disconnected from ICE and wholly dependent upon the electricity you generate and store on-site. That is an add-on possibility, however.
There are a couple of companies in Costa Rica who are doing these installations. The one we’ve talked to so far has projected a payback of about 8.5 years. That’s about a 12% guaranteed annual return on investment. Where else can you get that?
But the picture gets brighter. ARESEP, the utility regulatory agency, has already approved a 5% increase in ICE’s electricity rates (effective in February, I think) and is likely to approve an additional 12% increase in the near future. If those and other rate increases are approved, and it seems that they always are, then the payback becomes more attractive still.
If you have or can raise the capital, a grid-tied system might make economic sense for you.
[quote=”DavidCMurray”]For those of you living in Costa Rica and who pay your own utilities, you may be interested to know (just in case you haven’t heard) that ICE is now permitting “grid-tied” electrical systems.
Basically, an array of photovoltaic panels is installed at your homesite and connected to a 15 amp breaker in your circuit panel. Then, when the sun shines on your panels, they make electricity which goes back into ICE’s electrical grid via your electricity meter. In effect, you are selling your power back to ICE and thereby reducing your monthly bill.
ICE’s rate structure for electricity is “laddered”. The higher your usage the more expensive those last kilowatt hours are. So a grid-tied system essentially cuts off or cuts down your consumption at those high-cost levels.
None of this is the same as “going off grid” in which case you would be completely disconnected from ICE and wholly dependent upon the electricity you generate and store on-site. That is an add-on possibility, however.
There are a couple of companies in Costa Rica who are doing these installations. The one we’ve talked to so far has projected a payback of about 8.5 years. That’s about a 12% guaranteed annual return on investment. Where else can you get that?
But the picture gets brighter. ARESEP, the utility regulatory agency, has already approved a 5% increase in ICE’s electricity rates (effective in February, I think) and is likely to approve an additional 12% increase in the near future. If those and other rate increases are approved, and it seems that they always are, then the payback becomes more attractive still.
If you have or can raise the capital, a grid-tied system might make economic sense for you.[/quote]
Thank you for the information David. I am happy and proud to report that we are totally off-grid and have all the creature comforts we want including a pool. ICE is nothing but a legal mafia squeezing gringos for money. I am sure you know about the “tiered” system that ICE uses to calculate your bill right? What a blatant travesty. If anyone wants the number to an excellent solar company here in CR send me a PM and I will give you the contact information. HAPPY NEW YEAR!Thats right David. And if we take a look at oil prices you can see why ARESEP will approve rate hikes. $92 a barrel today and going to over $105. The ICE cannot keep up with the economic growth in Costa Rica as the lag time to build new electrical generating capacity is not as fast as the growth in energy demand. This “demand gap” is filled by the quick deployment of fossil fuel burning generators, which are not only expensive because of the fuel component but the maintenance and capital costs are huge when generators are only used to supply peak outputs. Solar is cheaper than ICE $0.19 /kWh vs $0.33 kWh and also helps offset this peak demand when most needed. Why? Because when the sun is shining the brightest during the high season and tourist and seasonal owners have the air conditioning cranked up, the hydro plants are producing less power. Solar just makes good sense as it is producing the most amount of energy when it is needed, during hot sunny weather.
If CR is to meet the CO2 Neutral targets it has set for itself then the continual addition of fossil fuel plants must be stopped. Offsetting a homes energy use with solar PV is an easy, quick and cost effective way to do just that.
Just to note;
Hybird (wind) and mini-hydro (water) renewable energy systems are also reconized by the ICE reversable meter program. Not soley photovoltaic.
All have their unique advantages and disadvantages and should be decided case by case, depending on your property location and so forth.
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