Wind Power in Samana

aegap · #1 08-31-2007, 03:17 PM

Windpower for Samana
Last week, the town of Las Galeras in Samana became the first part of the DR to benefit from clean electricity generated by wind power, according to Jose Oscar Orsini, president of Luz y Fuerza de Las Terrenas, C. por A. power company. The operation of the country's first commercial wind-powered generator, a 60KW generator, will reduce electricity prices by 5-8% for consumers in Las Galeras. The company plans to sell the kWh for US$0.15 and US$0.17.
Luz y Fuerza de Las Terrenas, C. por A. has the concession for power distribution in the north and east of the Samana Peninsula. It purchases the power from Generadora Eolica de Las Galeras, S.A., presided by Jaime Fernandez.
The Las Galeras wind park is located on a plain at Las Guzumas, Cabo Samana, where the winds are very favorable. A coastal shelf formed by a marble mine at 800 feet dropping down to the sea creates a kind of Venturi air flow effect that accelerates the force of the winds.
The generator can currently provide 15% of the power used in the beach town of Las Galeras. Generadora Eolica de Las Galeras, S.A. plans to install a wind park with the capacity to generate 1,200KW to supply 20% of the north and eastern areas of the Samana peninsula. The park has the capacity for three 275KW and four 60KW generators when the Las Galeras and Las Terrenas systems are interconnected. The first four 60KWs will be installed by June 2008 and plans are for the system to be interconnected by the end of 2008. The wind park requires a US$1.5 million investment, of which US$500,000 has been invested in the first system now in operation.
The site was chosen 10 years ago when USAID financed a study on wind power potential in the Dominican Republic, which was carried out by National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NREC) of the United States.

SamanaJon · #2 08-31-2007, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aegap

Windpower for Samana
, a 60KW generator, will reduce electricity prices by 5-8% for consumers in Las Galeras. The company plans to sell the kWh for US$0.15 and US$0.17.

The site was chosen 10 years ago when USAID financed a study on wind power potential in the Dominican Republic, which was carried out by National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NREC) of the United States.

The above sounds like an ad, a very nice ad. I am a customer and pay $13.5 pesos/kWh on my last bill. A far cry from the US $0.17 proposed (nowhere near an 8% reduction). This is great news, but can't figure how LyF operates and funds projects? Where do NREL, NRECA, and US Aid figure into their expansion plans? Do they aid LyF on the ecomonic line? Why do we, customers have to buy NRECA transformers from LyF to get service? Just curious??? I for one, would like Mr. Orsini to address a public forum and answer some questions...

Squat · #3 08-31-2007, 04:18 PM

Somehow I feel something is fishy in this announcement... Just as the previous poster was saying, we (Luz&Fuerza customers) pay the highest bill of the island, maybe the highest of the continent... The article mentions 0.17US$ for a KWh... I pay 12.75RD$, which would be roughly 0.40US$...

Maybe it was all a big secret, and wind power will show up to reduce our bills, but I have a hard time believing it, as I was told (the last time I complained at L&F) that 3 out of 4 plantas were still running on gasoil. They could not invest to upgrade them to the other fuel that is more efficient and would reduce our bill...

Andy B · #4 08-31-2007, 07:00 PM

Yeah, the math didn't add up for me either. I too question the supposed savings. We are paying about the same as Samana Jon and I hear the same song that they can't afford to make improvements that would save money. They are, however, stringing miles of new wire all around this end of the peninsula. Wonder where the money is coming from to do this? Also, I heard there is supposed to be some sort of meeting between LyF and it's customers this weekend here in Las Galeras.

Dolores · #5 09-01-2007, 10:17 AM

The windpower story is from dr1 daily news 31 August edition. DR1 Daily News does not post advertisements in its text. So, it was not an ad.
The story came from a lead provided by a friend on the new development in Las Galeras, that we followed up with Orsini to get more details.

It was included to show that there is work advanced on installing non-polluting energy generators.

BTW, I sent Mr. Orsini this thread. He is welcome to use this thread to communicate with his customers.

Squat · #6 09-01-2007, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dolores

BTW, I sent Mr. Orsini this thread. He is welcome to use this thread to communicate with his customers.

Thanks Dolores... I wish Mr. Orsini would come clean with the difference between his announcements and what his employees tell customers when they complain about paying the highest rates of the whole island.
Charging 3 times the regular price for the KWh is simply dishonest !

GALK · #7 09-01-2007, 10:48 AM

It is time that someone begins to invest in alternative energy, but the drop of the price of KWH mentioned obove seems far to much.

I always thought that EDESUR is expensive as I pay 8.57 RD$/KWh above 700KWH, what is their most expensive rate.
Obviously you in Samana you pay nearly double.
The 13.5 RD$ you pay from the first KWh onwards?
EDESUR starts with 3.12 RD$ up to 7.0RD$ below 700KWh.

Squat · #8 09-01-2007, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GALK

The 13.5 RD$ you pay from the first KWh onwards?

I pay 12.75RD$, because I don't use 200KWh per month (I use a 175 average). If I would consume anything above 200KWh per month, I would pay 13.75RD$ per KWh. I am a Luz&Fuerza customer from Las Terrenas.

I resent the announcement published in the DR1 news as being completely hypocritical because I have been told by Luz&Fuerza that they couldn't afford to invest into more "bunker" (cheaper fuel) planta. Right now in Las Terrenas, they have 4 plantas, 1 runs with "bunker" fuel, and the 3 others runs with gasoil. Gasoil is much more expensive than "bunker" fuel.

I believe someone is lying at Luz&Fuerza, and I would like Mr.Orsini to post here and explain himself.

-How can they invest so much money on wind generator and forget about a simple investment that could lower considerably their customers bill ???

SamanaJon · #9 09-01-2007, 11:44 AM

[quote=Squat;554079]
I resent the announcement published in the DR1 news as being completely hypocritical

Squat, I concur. My feeling exactly! DR1 publishing such an article as news, in not totally responsible. They should do a bit of investigating before publishing this type of news, or at least quote the source of the information published. It can be a bit misleading for those who don't know the reality of the situation.

Thanks Dolores for the info.

Yes GALK.. my most recent bill was calculated from the first kWh used, that is how LyF calculates all bills..:

665 kWh x $13.5/kWh = $8,977.50 pesos.

I am still waiting for LyF to install the street lamp I purchased (which the said they would install, if I bought it). It has been in my garage for almost 4 months now.

Dolores · #10 09-01-2007, 11:45 AM

Mr. Orsini is the best person to explain... but from what I read, Luz y Fuerza is the electricity distributor, not the owner of the wind park. Thus, another company made the investment. I do not know if Luz y Fuerza or Mr. Orsini is an investor in Generadora Eolica de Las Galeras, S.A., the generator company.

Also, we give the source of the information, Mr. Orsini.