solar panels

[claiborne59]

Has anyone successfully and at a reasonable cost, supplied electric to their home in DR using solar?

[AlterEgo]

Originally Posted by claiborne59

Has anyone successfully and at a reasonable cost, supplied electric to their home in DR using solar?

We're looking into the same thing right now - and also considering a windmill instead because our house is close to the ocean and there's always a good breeze. My brother-in-law has a 3 bedroom 'weekend' home up on a mountain in Ocoa where there is no electricity yet. [although I saw electrical poles being installed last fall, and now there's a transformer on one of them right near his - and our - property. We have 70 terajas next to him, another brother-in-law has over 1,000 across the road] He has solar panels on his roof that feed into a bunch of batteries, that connect to the inversor and the electric box. Works VERY well. We're all considering doing the same up there too.

[jalencastro]

Originally Posted by deadendderrek

I've not linked solar panels in the DR buy I powered my house in Spain with them, and a windmill as backup. Produced more power than we could ever use so works very well and pays for itself quite fast, obviously depending how much power you need to used. The only concern I would have about this is DR would be on thieves, obviously depending where the house is situated. If based in a slightly opportunist area I would have thought once the locals figured out what they were and how much they were worth, or what they did, they would have them away given the opportunity.

i thought about the same thing, if the thieves figure out how much they are worth it could be ripe for their picking....i think it's a great idea to use solar and a windmill as a backup. i was suprised to see a windmill for the first time in DR when i drove to the beaches of Salinas in Bani. a hotel had 3 big windmills on its roof. If only more people could benefit from this source of energy....i wonder if the transformer and inversor for this kind of energy produced is expensive to set up?

[RonS]

I recently read that an old Michigan manufacturing plant was refitted and producing flexible solar panels that they primarily export. Are solar panels manufactured in the DR?

[La Mariposa]

Originally Posted by deadendderrek

I've not linked solar panels in the DR buy I powered my house in Spain with them, and a windmill as backup. Produced more power than we could ever use so works very well and pays for itself quite fast, obviously depending how much power you need to used. The only concern I would have about this is DR would be on thieves, obviously depending where the house is situated. If based in a slightly opportunist area I would have thought once the locals figured out what they were and how much they were worth, or what they did, they would have them away given the opportunity.

They already know about it. Solar panels have been robbed in an university a few months ago. Santo Domingo or Santiago, I don't remember it was on the Listindiario.com

[amparocorp]

for the right $ you can go completely "off the grid". whether or not this is economically good for your wallet, cheaper. depends on a lot of factors. i think the best use of solar panels, at this moment, to save money, would be to use them to charge your batteries connected to your inversor. this way you don't need a large bunch of panels, expensive, and keep in mind that charging those batteries from the "grid" sucks a lot of juice.

[Tom F.]

If you search some of my posts a few years back, I tell about some of the history of photovoltaics in the DR. Richard Hansen took a few down there in 1984 and quite a bit has happened since. The focus has been on the rural population not connected to the grid, and invertors satisfy the connected. You can buy panels and components locally in a variety of locations and suppliers. Some have the capabilities to install and other just supply. Panels are even sold on Dykeman in Washington Heights. It is all a matter of $$$ (paying 10-20 years of electricity upfront, minus maintenance.) There are websites that help design the system depending on the need.

When you use photovoltaics and small wind turbines, EFFICIENCY must come first. Light bulbs, appliances, fans and refrigeration need to use DC or be very efficient if they are run through an invertor, otherwise the cost is prohibative.

Remote locations can present issues with theft. If there is a caretaker you can trust and does their job, the risk can be minimized. You have to worry more about theft of the batteries and invertor than people taking the panels off the roof. At least that was my experience.

[JDJones]

Originally Posted by RonS

I recently read that an old Michigan manufacturing plant was refitted and producing flexible solar panels that they primarily export. Are solar panels manufactured in the DR?

Yes, by fluitecnik, in the Las Americas Cyberpark. However, since they are located in a free zone, their product must be exported.

I believe Digital Channel in Santo Domingo sells them, along with batteries, inverters, and lots of other goodies.

[BF1]

They could sell as much as 20% in the local market if I'm not wrong, paying tax as if they would imported wich is almost 0%.

[RonS]

Originally Posted by JDJones

Yes, by fluitecnik, in the Las Americas Cyberpark. However, since they are located in a free zone, their product must be exported.

I believe Digital Channel in Santo Domingo sells them, along with batteries, inverters, and lots of other goodies.

Thanks JD!