AES Panama announced that during 2020 it will invest in the construction of four photovoltaic parks, which will have an installed capacity of 10 MW each.
The development of the parks that will be located in the provinces of Herrera, Los Santos and Chiriqui, will be in charge of Elecnor S.A., the company to which AES Panama awarded the construction contracts.
The Salvadoran government is preparing to begin the tender process in 2020 to build a new photovoltaic plant in Usulután, which will have a capacity of 20 MW and will require an investment of approximately $19 million.
The project of the new solar power plant is contemplated in the General Budget of the Nation of 2020, therefore, if approved by the Legislative Assembly, the Executive Hydroelectric Commission of the Lempa River (CEL) will initiate the public tender next year.
AES and Corporación Multi Inversiones inaugurated a 10 megawatt solar power plant in Guazapa, El Salvador.
The plant was inaugurated on 29 October and forms part of the Bosphorus project, which consists of the commissioning of 10 power generation parks of 10 MW each.
In the Dominican Republic, the design and construction of a photovoltaic solar park with an installed capacity of 3 MW, to be located in the community of Barrero, is being tendered.
Dominican Republic Government Purchase EGEHID-CCC-LPI-2019-0002:
"The Project consists of the design and construction of a photovoltaic field of 2.9Mw to be injected into the National Interconnected Electric System SENI.
The non-tax exemption of equipment that generates solar energy, together with the gaps in its regulation, are some of the factors that make investments more expensive in Nicaragua.
The plant that AES El Salvador has inaugurated in La Union, required a $160 million investment, and has 44 thousand polycrystalline-type photovoltaic modules, in an area of 149 sqm.
Pasaquina is the first of ten solar power generation plants that AES El Salvador and Corporación Multi Inversiones plan to build in the three phases of the project. It is expected that the plants will start operations gradually over the next two years.
The Congress of Costa Rica has finally approved a $500 million loan for the state electricity company to carry out electric generation and transmission works, including three geothermal plants.
Of the total amount of the loan with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved by the Legislative Assembly, close to $200 million will be used to finance the Pailas II, 50 MW, and Borinquen I, 55 MW geothermal projects, both in Liberia, Guanacaste.
Contracts with the winning companies in the tender for 170 MW of energy, involving the construction of the first wind farm in the country and three solar plants, are estimated to be worth $340 million.
From a statement issued by the Ministry of Economy:
The Economy Minister Tharsis Solomon Lopez, presided over the signing of contracts which distribution companies in the country drew up for new power generation projects awarded as a result of the International Competitive Bidding.
The company Celsolar S.A. has been granted a provisional license to build a photovoltaic plant with installed capacity of 20 MW AC at the output of inverters and 25 MWp DC, in Gualaca, Chiriqui province.
It is estimated that in 2025 an average 1 MW ground mounted solar energy system will have an average cost of 73 cents per watt, 36% less than the current cost.
Advances in technology and growing experience in the manufacture of solar energy systems are contributing to the gradual reduction of their cost, giving them an advantage over other sources of power generation, such as fossil fuel.
Six months after the regulations come into force in Costa Rica less than 150 requests have been logged to set up distributed generation systems.
Some attribute the lack of interest to the cost of installing the panels and the return on investment being in the medium term. Jorge Blanco, spokesman for the Costa Rican Association of Solar Energy (Acesolar) believes that "...
Consideration is being given to removing the ceiling of 500 kW in installed capacity for solar power plants producing energy for self consumption.
The proposal by the Public Services Authority (ASEP) emerged as a result of the public consultation which was carried out on the rules to generate solar power for self consumption by households and businesses.
The law passed by the Assembly provides incentives to the construction, operation and maintenance of solar power plants and installations.
From a statement issued by the National Assembly of Panama:
In order to promote the establishment and operation of photovoltaic systems, the legislative plenary approved Bill 267, in a third debate, which amends and adds provisions to Law 37 of 2013, which establishes an incentives scheme for the promotion of construction, operation and maintenance of solar power plants and / or installations.
Construction of photovoltaic systems are part of the list of projects in the energy sector for which environmental impact studies were presented in December 2015.
The report entitled "Construction Projects in Panama - December 2016", prepared by the Business Intelligence unit at CentralAmericaData.com, provides a detailed list of major construction projects for which environmental impact assessment (EIA) studies were presented to the Ministry of Environment in December.