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Michlic.. First of all, a $400 electric bill would represent a usage of around 1900KwH’s. Where I live, in Guanacaste on the Nicoya peninsula as well, 700Kwh of electricity is around $140/month.
My bills show 2 levels of charges: which are plus taxes and other charges
0-200 – C61.00 colones per KWH
200+ – c86.00 colones per KWH (25% increase)So using the 700KWH at a cost of $140/month, depending on where you live and how many hours of sun per day are expected, and your orientation, you can expect between 4 and 8 hours of direct sun light a day. In Guanacaste, you could expect 10 hours during the dry season. But normally there is cloud cover part of the day, so that should be estimated and determined.
If you received 4 hours of direct sun per day, you will want a 7.5KW system. If you can average 8 hours of direct sunlight per day, you could get away with 4KW system. That means the total wattage of the panels needed are 4000w or 7500w. Using 200 watt panels, that means you would need 20 to 36 solar panels in the array depending on how much sun it gets.
If you are connecting to the electrical grid in order to roll back your meter (Grid-tie) there is no need for a battery bank in the design. Over the long term that requires additional maintenance costs, and avoiding that expense is the whole reason to connect into the grid. Instead of the battery bank you will need a Inverter, which changes DC current to AC for use in your home and to sell to the electric company.
The cost of such a system in Costa Rica varies depending on the brands and quality of materials used. There are lots of affordable solar panels being imported from China, which can be of high quality and be a lot cheaper, but some prefer to use panels manufactured in Europe/Germany, or Japanese which tend to me more expensive.
Id recommend Sur’s Polyurethane Wood Sealer, with 2 coats your good to go for a least a couple years.
I have not had any luck finding a bullion dealer here in Costa Rica. If you bring them in, your supposed to file a declaration form if their value exceeds $4000, its a “Export Declaration for Commodities” if they are leaving the US. If you don’t file the form and you get caught plan on them being taken away and paying a big fine to get them back. Silver, Gold, etc. needs to be declared if they are coins/bullion.
[quote=”Scott”]I have heard good things about that place VictoriaLST and is that the same place that brews their own ales too, right?
Scott
[/quote]
The Gingerbread house does not brew beer. I agree that they have great (though pricey) food but the Chef also has a attitude problem that many people complain about. Restaurants should provide a overall pleasant “experiance” not just food..
As to the place in Lake Arenal that brew’s there own beer, that would be the newly opened “Volcano Brewing Company” http://volcanobrewingcompany.com/ which is a Hotel/organic farm/restaurant/Micro-brewery.. their restaurant is pretty good but I would not say Excellent, though the whole place is beautiful and the beer is great and brewed on site. They also offer tours of the brewery and their Organic Gardens (where they produce the food to be used in the Restaurant).
Also in the Lake Arenal area, Brisas de Lago does indeed have the best food on the Tilaran side of the Lake. Also very affordable.
I’ve been researching this for a while, have talked to lots of people, heard lots of stories, and I have a pretty good idea how it works, what they look at, and how they make the decision. They look at quite a few things, and they look it up themselves, they really don’t even want to look at “what you bring them” such as letters, etc.
First they look at previous travel history, where has this Tico been before. Trips to Europe, or anywhere out of central America really, is a big plus. They want to know you will be a tourist, so having been a tourist before in other countries prior to the US probably helps.
Second, prior to the interview they have already looked at your financial information. If you have been working and have been making (and saving) money, etc. A bank account with $4,000-$5000 is helpful. People have been asked, by the interviewer “how are you going to use the money?”. The correct answer would be to buy clothes, pay for the hotel, rent a car, etc. They want to know you have money, and intend to use it on your trip.
Third, they look at your assets and occupation. If your a Engineer who has been working in CR for years, has a office, etc. your probably going to be allowed in (plus the things above, good sized bank account and previous travel history).
If you have just one of the three I mentioned above, your probably not going to be given a Visa. If you can convince them, with at least 2 of the things I mentioned, and the Interviewer is in a good mood that day, you will probably get a visa. This is not so much inside knowledge, but it is what they normally look at. And it all has to do with assets/money/and travel history. A letter from some Gringo’s holds no weight what so ever. Having a Mom/Dad who own land doesn’t help much either.
You might have better luck posting this in a Renewable energy/ Do it yourself installation type forum.. I doubt anyone here has used that specific system.
You’ll find 2 bedroom “Tico style” homes for around $350-400, esp. if your looking for a furnished home.. but anything nice like what your used to in the US is going to be more expensive. I would say “a good price” is around $400 for a 1 bedroom and $600 for a 2 bedroom, furnished, TV, washer/dryer and maybe even a swimming pool for that price. There are Condo’s that might be around that price range as well. You could contact a real estate agent in the Jaco area, and if they do not do property management they might recommend somebody who does. You might find some deals on craigslist too but there are so many adds now days its hard to filter out the good ones.
Hi Sue,
Couldn’t you install a LP (liquid propane) system to save on gas? How much total did you spend on the car, plus shipping and the work you mentioned you had done? Also could you provide the contact info. for the shop that did your paint work? $270 sounds incredibly cheap for the work you had done, I wonder about the quality of paint and how it primed and dried.. I have a older Toyota Hilux that I want to have repainted/restored so Im interested in contacting this body shop for a quote.. Thanks
Its not just Costa Rica that is changing, its everywhere. At least Costa Rica today is way better off then the US in so many ways. Does anyone really want to think what this planet will be like in 50 years? Look at what has happened in the last 10, and multiply it by 100X. Robots, cloning and DNA modification, mass spying programs, pollution from so many different sources its impossible to count, government/corporate (one word) control of all resources, enslavement of the population through taxation and dependence, wars and killing for economic benefits (only)..
Its here, its now, happening today. Does anyone really want to think that far into the future? Just enjoy life while its good, enjoy today, enjoy tomorrow.. that is, if you are lucky enough to be in a position to enjoy it.. many people on this planet aren’t – they are suffering in one way or the other, either mentally of physically. Most of the ones that are suffering mentally simply do not realise their lifestyles are stressful and damaging (and thus unhappy), nor do they have the open-mindedness to change it.
The sad thing is that so many Americans actually have the economic resources and ability to live a happy life here in Costa Rica. But they have been programed to think otherwise, which also has to do with thinking to far into the future.. Will I have a big enough pension to just stop working?.. that’s a big worry and question for many people, and is what keeps so many people working into their late 60’s and 70’s. Its the “Money mentality” that goes along with all those other horrible things that are happening on this planet. Its the way to keep people in the system, working, paying taxes, and being taken advantage of – is the mentality that you cannot live a happy life without money, or less of it at least.
I read the article and I would also agree that not only is it accurate, its right on the money! I’m a younger, not retired person (25 years old) and have been happily living in Costa Rica for over 5 years. I live in the same area as these folks do, I live on the same budget, and enjoy the same things they do (except coffee,and plus surfing :). I feel not only blessed to have ended up here, but I feel its the only way to live a life worth living. Pollution, traffic, huge supermarkets and mega-malls, cell phones that track your every move, contaminated water, pharmaceuticals, genetically modified food.. all those things that are ruining this planet and society are not found here like they are in the US (in Guanacaste, at least). Costa Rica provides a cleaner, healthier, more sustainable (and thus cheaper) standard of living. Its easy to be happy living in such a beautiful place, you just have to slow down, relax, and enjoy your surroundings..
Look what happens to retired folks when you start mentioning their pensions going away! They just don’t want to hear it. Doomsday scenario, conspiracy theories, whatever excuse to ignore reality.. Does nobody here realise that the US is bankrupt, and not only is this possible, but almost certain to happen??
First off, does anyone here realise and accept the fact that the US is bankrupt?
Much more bankrupt then Greece for that matter, much, much more bankrupt then any country on the planet. Now will the funds be taken away or will they simply lose all their value to inflation? I would expect the money would be taken away, stolen or “reinvested”, in a attempt to keep the dollar afloat, until its eventual collapse which would happen soon afterwards.
Its really either one or the other. No matter what, the US has to default on its debt, and soon, which would cause a crash of the dollar, and before that happens the US will do anything to keep this system going short term.. 10 years from now, I really don’t see the government supporting the lifestyle of millions of people after its defaulted on 8 Trillion Dollars + in debt.
If I were retirement age and had an option, I would take a 1 time payout and invest in Gold/silver to hedge against inflation. Also invest in a property, the security, food/water sources, anything to make money less of a problem in the future.
This is not doomsday scenario, this is not conspiracy, this is information that Scott wants to put in front of you, to help you make long term educated decisions. Do what you want with it.
Even if you find it hard to comprehend, just think, is a bankrupt government in a position to send you checks every month? The problem is, Americans have been so accustom to having everything provided for them, a quality of life that has been constant for too many years, they just cant comprehend that things can change.. for the worse..
Hey Doug!! Its Jarryd.. I never knew you posted here!?
I can say that Doug does have some of the nicest furniture I have ever seen, period. But Tilaran is a bit far from most people who live at the beach in Guanacaste, but if your looking to furnish a entire home with some of the nicest custom furniture money can buy, it may be worth it to get in touch with Doug’s guy. Otherwise the place I recommend does some great work as well, and may be more convenient for most smaller jobs. Sarah ended up using Alfredo who I recommended, lets see what she has to say about it when the work is done.. 🙂
Because its custom furniture we are talking about, and something you will want to check the progress of throughout its construction, choosing a wood worker in a place you pass by or can get to is a must. Unless its a big furniture company which can send photos of progress, if you want to make sure your getting what you paid for is a good idea to make random “checkins” to see progress. The furniture maker I mentioned previously is right off the main road to Liberia, I find it convient that when I am having work done I just stop by when Im heading to Liberia.
By locating what you need, mean cutting off another neighbors chain link fence parts and selling them to you? You might wanna check the serial numbers off any used stuff you buy! Have you tried Abonos Agro?
I live near the beaches of Playa Grande, Conchal, Flamingo, and Tamarindo, and I drive up to Lake Arenal on a weekly or biweekly basis (2nd home there). Its a pretty easy drive and if driven at night (less truck traffic on the road) I can get to the lake in about 2 hours. It would be more safe to say 2 and a half hours with more traffic. I would recommend the beaches around here, both Playa Grande and Playa Conchal are beatiful, clean, white sand beaches. Playa Avellanas, Tamarndo, Langosta, Tamarindo, Brasilito, Flamingo, are all within a half hour drive. I would say this is the place to be if you want to see some nice beaches, as there are many to chose from.
If you plan to go to La Fortuna (Lake Arenal) which has the hot springs, and lots of canopy tours, waterfalls, etc, you can drive from San Jose via San Ramon to La Fortuna (about 3 hours). After La Fortuna you can drive around the lake to Tilaran which takes about an hour and a half, and from there drive to the beaches via the Pan American. Or, instead of going to La Fortuna, you could go directly to Tilaran from San Jose via the Pan American Highway, which also takes about 3 hours from San Jose. Though theres not as much “touristy” things to do in Tilaran, its still a very nice town near the lake.
