ARESEP and entrepreneurs differ on solar panels cost

Body suggests applying 20% ​​discount; Acesolar group dismisses possibility

April 06th,2015

The Regulatory Authority for Public Services (Aresep) and the Costa Rican Association of Solar Energy (Acesolar) differ on prices of solar panels in Costa Rica.

On the one hand, ARESEP claims that the devices are too expensive for Costa Ricans and suggests low. On the other hand, entrepreneurs Acesolar claim that prices are attached to the middle and discarded cuts of great magnitude.

An average household consumes -of four members-month 250 kilowatt hours (kWh). If you would like to supply all that demand with solar, that family must invest at least $ 4,800; the average cost of two kilowatts (kW) installed, according to studies by the Regulatory.

This, despite the fact that these modules are not taxed.

Marlon Yong, director of the Center for Development Regulation in ARESEP, estimates that prices are too high, especially for households, would therefore suggested that companies sell them 20% cheaper.

Thus, according to Yong, small generators begin to recover their investments from the first year -from the purchase of active- and not from the seventh, as at present. The lifetime of these devices ranges from 20 to 25 years.

"Right now, for residential cases, I think (panels) are very expensive (...) While in the United States each panel 1KW costs $ 733, here its value is between $ 2,400 and $ 2,700," explained Yong.

A 'no'. On the idea of reducing the selling prices, the manager of Acesolar, Jorge Blanco, said it is unlikely and clarified that "companies are not making exaggerated" but covering costs and having a minimum gain, no greater than 20%.

"Here the prices are low relative to other countries in the region. The market is open, competition is intense. The panels are imported from North America, Europe and China and, hard, you can lower your price, less than that in the international market also down, "he said.

Complex. Cheaper by 20% the cost, as proposed ARESEP, would be about the price of installation of panels, which also includes the rate of initial network interconnection, then the access, generators must pay each month distributors, most of them clustered in the House of Power Distribution Companies and Telecommunications (CEDET).

These rates are not yet defined; ARESEP would have them ready by April 15.

To Blanco is not responsible thinking in decreasing prices and investment recovery times without defining what those amounts will also clarify other values, such as the sale of kWh generated and the award of public service.

Rather, Acesolar launched a counter to the Regulatory Authority: who are the distributors signatures which 20% decrease costs.

"If low access rate, low recovery time of investment. What worries us is that, according to our calculations, that rate will be very high (proportional to the total energy consumption) and the user would be paying each month, "said White.

In the case of CEDET, made ​​by firms such as the Administrative Board of Cartago Electrical Services (Jasec), their claims are others , for example, that small-scale generation is not for ARESEP and even lead hikes in the light.

Aval parks

The solar farms in the hands of private companies are possible in the country since March 26, the day that a methodology for new photovoltaic generators was issued. According to the 7200 law, these plants may not exceed 20 MW of installed capacity, and selling fees shall be fixed by ARESEP as costs and audited information that you give each company.

To that parks are able to operate, these should be selected through competition by ICE (only entity that can buy energy). On March 27, the Institute announced that competition will bring 10 MW of solar, which will be awarded to two private plants of 5 MW each. The contest deadline has not yet come to light.

Source: 'La Nación'