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Solar (Photovoltaic) Energy Generation in Panama


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Disincentive for Solar Energy?

Arguing that consumers will have energy availability even if they do not use it, in Panama a proposal has been made to tax the use of solar panels for purposes of self-consumption.

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Due to the disagreements caused by the proposal which proposes establishing a fee for using of solar panels for self-consumption, arguing that the consumer has the possibility of using the national energy distribution network, the Public Services Authority (Asep) has decided extend the consultation period by 60 days.

See "Central America: $1.6 billion in Energy Projects"

For his part, the administrator of the Asep, Roberto Meana, explained to Prensa.com that " ... The consultation period will begin from when the entity issues a resolution in which another process is called, in order to deal solely with the proposal for charging self-consumption clients.'The aim is to receive opinions and evaluate them' ... It is not about any tax on the sun or punishment. It is a charge addressed to those who upload energy to the network.'"

See also: "Energy projects in Panama" 

In contrast to the proposal to impose a fee, the specialist in energy issues Mónica Guillen, said that " ... this proposal could be interpreted as an initiative that contradicts what is stated in the National Secretariat of Energy's national energy plan 2015-2050 and the commitments established in the Paris Agreement on climate change."

 

https://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/main/Disincentive_for_Solar_Energy

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U Turn Over Tax on Solar Panels

Due to the controversy that has arisen, the ASEP has decided to exclude from the discussion of adjustments to the Tariff Regime the proposal to tax the use of solar panels for self-consumption purposes.

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Although the imposition of a fee for the use of solar panels for self-consumption purposes has been removed from the discussion, the Public Services Authority (Asep) stated that the 60-day deadline to receive comments on the subject is still valid.

See "Central America: $1.6 billion in Energy Projects"

The decision made by the Asep was announced on Tuesday May 29, through a publication made on the institution's social networks, where it explained that " ...The issue of tariff charges to customers with solar panels for self-consumption or other means of renewable generation has been excluded from the public consultation on the adjustment to the Tariff Regime. "

See also: "Energy projects in Panama" 

Regarding the subject, Prensa.com reports that " ... The proposal, which for now will not see the light, emerged in the context of the tariff review of electricity distribution companies ENSA and Edemet Edechi (Unión Fenosa), which will be in force from 2022 to 2026. It was never mentioned who had the idea of applying the rate, but it is assumed that the energy distributors were the ones who pushed for the proposal."

The article adds that " ... The measure would be a relief for customers and companies involved in the generation of solar energy, who warned of how harmful it would be to apply a penalty rate or tax to customers that take pressure off the energy distribution network."

 

https://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/main/U_Turn_Over_Tax_on_Solar_Panels

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Solar Energy Not Being Leveraged

In Panama, the 18 photovoltaic generation plants that together have an installed capacity of 143 MW, are still waiting for the government to grant new contracts.

Wednesday, August 1, 2018

According to statistics from the National Energy Secretariat, last year the country had an installed generation capacity of 3,423 MW, of which 4% corresponded to solar energy parks. 

Several of these plants were developed by entrepreneurs who decided to take advantage of the incentives for construction and operation that were first provided with approval of a law in 2016.

However, since the Panamanian government has not introduced new contracts for the purchase of solar energy since 2014 , " ... companies that have invested in solar generation plants to sell energy to distributors are living in uncertainty because they have not called for new tenders to contract energy using this kind of technology."

See "Central America: $1.6 billion in Energy Projects"

The article adds that " ... It is not known if Empresa de Transmisión Eléctrica, S.A. (Etesa), which organizes the tenders, is planning to tender energy purchases in which photovoltaic generation companies could participate."

See also "Electricity works for $12 million"

In relation to tenders in the energy sector, at the beginning of the year Empresa de Transmisión Eléctrica reported that it would be considering not carrying out any more specialist tenders for generators using renewable resources, instead that these would have to compete with all types of generators.

 

https://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/main/Solar_Energy_Not_Being_Leveraged

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Panama steps up solar use to fight climate change

skyline.jpg

SOLAR PANELS coming soon to a building near you

Posted 19/06/2019

IN LINE with its commitment to the Paris climate accord, Panama will install in the next few months 100  solar panels in public and private buildings throughout the country which stop the emission of 106,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) and provide a boost to solar thermal energy.

The devices are part of the pilot project "Termosolar Panamá", promoted by the Government and UN Environment agency, and will save more than $3 million in fossil fuels says the Energy Secretariat. said.

"Panama invests annually between 140 and 253 million dollars in subsidies to fossil fuels," said the institution.

The installation of the heaters will also help Panama to comply with the Paris Agreement, which was adopted by almost 200 countries in 2015 and seeks to ensure that the increase in temperature at the end of the century does not exceed 2 degrees Celsius.

The first panel is already in the veterinary clinic of Summit Municipal Park, a zoo located in the Panama Canal watershed. Panels will also be installed in different hospitals in the interior and in school canteens and hotels in the capital.

The Government approved in 2016 the  National Energy Plan 2015-2050, which has the ambitious objective of diversifying its energy matrix and achieving by 2050 that by 2050, of the installed capacity comes from renewable energies.

According to data from the National Dispatch Center,60% of the electricity consumed in Panama in 2016 came from hydroelectric power, 32% from thermal power, 7% from wind power and 1% of self-generation.

Panama hosts the largest wind farm in Central America and the Caribbean, which has more than a hundred turbines and has a production capacity of 337.5 megawatts.

The electricity demand has had continuous growth since 1980, and in 2015 reached the peak figure of 1,600 megawatts (MW), according to the center.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/environment/panama-steps-up-solar-use-to-fight-climate-change

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Panama solar development pipeline tops 500MW

Bnamericas Published: Thursday, July 04, 2019

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The percentage of total generation that solar power represents in Panama could break the single-digit mark in the coming years if plants under development materialize.

Information from public services regulator Asep shows that installed capacity from this non-conventional renewable energy totaled 176MW in May, or 5% of the country’s generation park.

At end-June, there were 14 definitive and 11 provisional solar licenses in place for 230MW and 261MW, respectively.

The largest definitive license is for Avanzalia Panamá’s 120MW Penonomé plant, which is under construction and scheduled to begin operations in 2020. The provisional licenses are led by Fotovoltaica Sajalices’ 100MW Camarones project.

The project pipeline has now passed 500MW with the granting of three provisional licenses for a combined 30MW by the watchdog.

The latest licensees are AES Panamá with the planned Caoba Solar and Cedro Solar parks, each for 9.97MWn (12.99MWp), and Pedregalito Solar Power with a 10MWn (12.5MWp) project. The three plants would be built in Chiriquí province.

AES and Pedregalito submitted the license requests in April and January, respectively, and now have 12 months to submit documents, such as approved EISs, to secure the definitive licenses.

The solar projects are part of AES Panamá’s diversification strategy, while this would be a first such project for Pedregalito, a subsidiary of Panamá Power Holdings.

 

https://www.bnamericas.com/en/news/panama-solar-development-pipeline-tops-500mw

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Panama pulls blind on 100MW solar project

Bnamericas Published: Monday, September 07, 2020
 
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Panama’s public services regulator Asep has canceled the provisional license for a large-scale solar park planned for Panamá province.

The license for the 100MW Camarones project was held by Fotovoltaica Sajalices which had filed a request for additional time to submit documents required for the definitive license.

The watchdog rejected the extension on the grounds that it was the developer’s fifth request since 2014 when the provisional license was granted for an initial 20MW.

Fotovoltaica Sajalices did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Asep information shows that Camarones was the largest of 20 solar projects that held provisional licenses at end-August for a combined 380MW.

Another 13 solar projects for a combined 234MW hold definitive licenses, three of which are in construction and seven in final design, while three are requesting extensions.

The solar plants in construction are Penonomé (120MW), Farallón Solar 2 (9MW) and Ecosolar 2 (10MW).

 

https://www.bnamericas.com/en/news/panama-pulls-blind-on-100mw-solar-project

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Más de 500 megavatios en plantas de generación solar

La mayoría de las plantas fotovoltaicas que están en operación son de 10 MW y suman cerca de 200 MW instalados en distintos puntos del país.
 
Wilfredo Jordán S.
22 sep 2020 - 12:00 AM

 

Moderator comment: Below is an unedited automated translation of the above news article.

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More than 500 megawatts in solar generation plants

Most of the photovoltaic plants that are in operation are 10 MW and total about 200 MW installed in different parts of the country.
 
Wilfredo Jordán S.
Sep 22 2020 - 12:00 AM

<<JSR45B6BTBBSREBPMXVTEARLHU.jpg>>
Photovoltaic plant in operation located in Paris, Parita, Herrera province, which supplies energy to the country's electricity grid, particularly during the dry season months. Alex Arosemena

Photovoltaic generation or technology that uses solar energy to produce electricity concentrates some 50 projects totaling more than 500 megawatts (MW) with licenses in operation and pending in the country.

Among the projects, mostly 10 MW plants, which are in operation, add up to about 200 MW. The remaining projects, with about 300 MW, correspond to works in the design or construction of photovoltaic plants that will come into operation in the coming years. These plants are installed in different parts of the country, according to the licenses granted by the National Authority of Public Services (ASEP).

Photovoltaic generation is the fourth source of energy use in the country after water, fossil fuels and wind, but it has gained ground in the last five years.

This competitiveness of the solar sector has been achieved thanks to the significant cost reduction of solar energy generation. "Currently solar energy is the energy with the highest sustained growth globally. Although its growth depends in general on the policies and incentives of each country or region, hence the importance of setting goals, ”said Ninik Singh, an engineer specializing in renewable energy.

When they reach 500 MW in operation, they will represent a third of the country's current energy demand, which varies between 1,400 and 1,500 MW per day. The maximum demand was reached on March 10 with 1,969 MW, but after the closure of state offices and businesses due to the pandemic, this energy demand was reduced by 20% or approximately 500 MW.

The use of solar radiation to generate electricity took off in Panama as of 2015 with the inauguration of the 2.4 MW solar plant in the Sarigua National Park, in Puerto Limón, Parita district, with an investment of $ 9 million.

This plant has 11,886 photovoltaic panels and is operated by the state-owned Empresa de Generación Eléctrica, S.A. (Egesa). 

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"The growth in solar investments in Panama has significant levels ... This has largely been outside the bidding scheme, much has been to participate in the market of large clients."

Nanik Singh, engineer specialized in renewable energy.

As of that year, the boom in photovoltaic investment began until it represented more than 5% of the installed capacity of the energy matrix with 194.6 MW, until the first half of 2020, according to the records of the ASEP.

Among the photovoltaic plants in commercial operation are Divisa Solar, in El Roble de Aguadulce with 9.9 MW; Los Angeles, in Los Santos with 9.5 MW; Paris, in Parita, Herrera with 8.5 MW; Pocrí, in Aguadulce with 16 MW; El Espinal, in Guararé with 8.5 MW; among other.

During the dry season, when there is a greater use of solar radiation, photovoltaic plants provide up to 10% of the country's electricity demand.

However, many of these plants have had to find mechanisms to sell the energy they produce to the “large customers” of the market because for years there have been no bids for the purchase of energy. This has happened because with the natural gas projects being built in Colón, the future supply was overcontracted.

In the solar field, among the projects being developed is Green Power Panama, which operates the Fortuna hydroelectric plant. This group announced that construction began on the Jagüito solar plant, a project with 13.12 megawatts of capacity, located in the town of El Roble, Coclé province.

The company indicated that this project, which it expects to conclude in 2021, is part of its investment plan between 2020 and 2021, for about $ 50 million.

AES Panama, which operates the Changuinola, Estí and Bayano hydroelectric plants, also announced the construction of four photovoltaic plants of 9.9 MW each. Mayorca Solar, in Pocrí, Los Santos; Pesé Solar, in Las Cabras, Herrera; Solar Mahogany and Cedar, in Boquerón, Chiriquí. This is an investment of approximately $ 50 million.

Self-consumption

Right now, residential and commercial customers who have taken the initiative to install solar panels on the roofs of their properties total more than 35 megawatts or approximately 1% of the country's installed generation capacity.

Until last March there were more than 800 clients with self-consumption, of which 479 were in the concession area of the distributor Edemet; 244 clients at ENSA and 96 clients at Edechi, according to ASEP statistics.

This is a segment that has been growing despite the fact that a few years ago they began to discuss the possibility of charging these customers for the use of the network or what in other countries was known as the “sun tax”.

The legislation defines the auto generator as the natural or legal person that produces and consumes electrical energy in the same property, to meet its own needs and that does not use, commercialize or transport its energy with third parties or associates, but that can sell surpluses to others market agents.

The procedure, promoted by the ASEP to allow the self-consumption of electric energy with new, renewable and clean sources, aroused the interest of many clients in the interior of the country, who have proceeded with the installation of photovoltaic plants.

The decrease in the prices of photovoltaic generation equipment, among them solar panels, is one of the factors that contributes to developing this technology, but also, it gains more ground due to the environmental goodness of being a clean energy that does not affect the planet .

https://www.prensa.com/impresa/economia/mas-de-500-megavatios-en-plantas-de-generacion-solar/

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