Global Courant
San Pedro Sula, Honduras.
Energy rationing, implemented by the National Electric Energy Company (Enee), as a measure in the face of the generation crisis facing the country, has increased the interest of hundreds of Hondurans in residential solar energy systems.
In interview with THE PRESSthe renewable energy generating agent, Samuel Rodríguez, said that in recent weeks, his company has received hundreds of calls from people requesting information about solar panels and their costs.
Rodríguez believes that in order to solve the crisis in the national energy system, effective policies are needed, investment in the distribution network, and it will take at least 20 years to make the state-owned company efficient again.
However, he points out that in the short term, an option for Honduran homes is the implementation of hybrid systems, that is, installing solar panels with their respective inverters and batteries, to generate and store energy that can be used during the day or when there are rationing.
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They are the companies specialized in residential solar energy systems that sell first generation equipment in Honduras, according to Samuel Rodríguez.
The electrical engineer explained that solar panels by themselves have the capacity to generate energy from 6:00 am to 5:30 pm, to supply a home during the day, but if families do not consume everything they produce , “this goes to the Enee system and ends up losing”.
Reason why, according to what he said, it is necessary to buy batteries, to store the energy that is produced during the day and to be able to use it at night.
Prices
Asked about the costs, the expert replied that this is usually one of the main obstacles, since solar power plants require “a good capital investment.”
In this case, he said that a solar plant with the capacity to supply an average house, generating about 3 KW, has an approximate cost of L75,000, including its respective battery.
294,600
Lempiras is the investment that a self-sufficient solar energy system requires to supply a home, even during the hours of greatest demand.
Rodríguez clarified that this is not enough to power air conditioners all night, so he considers it more convenient to use a hybrid system, which will reduce the energy bill by up to 50%.
However, he pointed out that “if the aim is to be self-sufficient and not depend on Enee, the investment in a higher capacity plant could exceed $12,000”, for which reason he reflected that it is necessary for the Government to create incentives, such as loans with a rate of 5% so that Hondurans can opt for renewable energy.
Regarding the useful life, he indicated that the panels and inverters can last 25 years, while the batteries last 8 years.
Rodríguez recommended that Hondurans seek advice from responsible and experienced companies before investing, that provide first-generation equipment, installation and maintenance services.
