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World's Largest (?) Solar Electric Generating Plant Inaugurated in Bugaba

With the goal of combating climate change and generating clean energy, the largest photovoltaic plant in the world, with a total of 8 thousand solar panels, was opened in the district of Bugaba, in the province of Chiriqui.

http://www.telemetro.com/nacionales/Inauguran-Chiriqui-central-fotovoltaica-grande_3_997430302.html

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I believe the headline is a bit misleading. The Bugaba project was said to have a capacity of 9 megawatts, which is probably about one-fiftieth the capacity of the largest world solar generating facilites, which are in places like China, the USA, and India. They  headline must be based on some other specification of the project than the one that really matters, IMO.

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Well, I'm no expert, but my reading of the sub-headline suggests that they are using the new micro-inverter technology, where each panel has its own inverter. If that is the case, and the technology confirms its advantages, I wouldn't expect this project to maintain its "biggest" adjective for very long.

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Most modern panels range between 200 and 300 watts.  My micro inverter system in Ontario had 40 panels for a total of 10 kilowatts.  Efficiency is usually around 20-40%, depending on location.  While prices have come down drastically in the last few years, it is still a large up front investement.  Right now, I still dont think they can compete with hydro or nuclear, but that could change.

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I am hoping that, with more and more countries putting solar to use, the price will become cost efficient.  I think a combination of solar and wind turbines here in Panama would be the best solution.  The solar electric town in Florida (whose name escapes me) is a combo solar and gas installation.

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  • 4 months later...
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Quote

Panama’s Social Security Fund seeks to invest in solar

 
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“My proposal of self disposal for the Caja de Seguro Social (CSS) in my presentation was: solar panels to finance the risk of the IVM and EM programs.” This was written by Alfredo Martiz, the general director of Panama’s social security fund CSS, the government-run entity that manages the country’s social security system, on his twitter account.

Mariz’s idea is to build a large-scale solar plant on CSS’land in Casa Mar, in the north of the country, which is well connected to the power system. “Self disposal is important, our assets are at risk of becoming liabilities. We have to understand this,” Martiz concluded.

The income from power production at the future solar facility would be used to finance the pension program Invalidez, Vejez y Muerte (IVM) and the social program Enfermedad y Maternidad (EM), which provides health care to around 70% of the country’s population.

According to local press, the CSS has been suffering from financial problems for at least a decade, and is also having issues with the provision of key pharmaceuticals as well as with maintenance of its various infrastructure.

According to Panama’s regulator Autoridad de los Servicios Públicos (ASEP), Panama reached 89 MW of cumulative installed PV capacity at the end of last year. In 2016, seven PV plants ranging in size from 500 kW and 10 MW were connected to the grid in the country.

Furthermore, the government of Panama is supporting residential and commercial PV through a net metering scheme.

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2017/06/26/panamas-social-security-fund-seeks-to-invest-in-solar/

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  • Moderator_02 changed the title to Panama's Solar Electric Generating Projects and Mega-Projects

When all costa are taken into account, these projects are never revenue positive.  The ONLY way they work is if the money to build the system comes from the capital budget and the income goes into the operating budget, with the two never being reconciled.  Sorry, folks, no free lunch here.

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My guess for the success of green energy is that as long as the production of mains level voltages is the target goal, the project will fail. Almost all the devices used today can operate with far less than 100 volts. Think about all the things that you plug into the wall that immediately convert the mains to some lower voltage. If wind and solar were packaged for resident sized use, much of the load on mains power could be reduced.

In my shop, I use solar to charge battery powered (cordless) tools. The tool itself is the storage device and it is always ready for use. The same goes for charging cellphones and other electronic devices. Appliances like refrigerators, etc. still need mains power intermittently but even those have battery-powered equivalents. 

Solar and wind are a good combination since one or both are usually active.

 

 

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License for 40 MW Wind Farm

In Panama, Clean Green Energy S.A. has been granted a provisional license for the construction and operation of a wind farm with an installed capacity of 40 MW in the province of Colón.

Thursday, July 20, 2017

From Resolution AN No.11357-Elec: 

IT IS RESOLVED:

FIRST: To grant to CLEAN GREEN ENERGY, S.A., registered in the Public Registry, on File 155635462 of the Mercantile section of the Public Registry, a Provisional License for the construction and operation of a wind power plant, called PROYECTO EÓLICO VIENTO NORTE to be located in the district of San José General, Donoso district, province of Colón, with an installed capacity of 40 MW.

See full resolution by the ASEP (in spanish).

 

http://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/main/License_for_40_MW_Wind_Farm

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  • Moderator_02 changed the title to Panama's Solar (Green) Electric Generating Projects and Mega-Projects

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