Originally published April 21 2005
Puerto Rico begins using cost-effective solar power, thanks to people like Emmanuel Perez
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The sunny island of Puerto Rico has not yet tapped its potential for solar power, but Emmanuel Perez is working to change that. Perez wants people on the island to start using solar cells to provide electricity for their homes rather than the power sold by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA). Fortunately, the price of solar power will continue to drop at a rate of 5 percent every year, even if there are no technological breakthroughs that make it even cheaper. Thus, between solar power and other renewable sources, people can save money by getting off of the power grid and simply living off of renewable power.
SAN JUAN, Apr 11 (IPS) - The Caribbean island of Puerto Rico is blessed with abundant sunlight, yet its potential for solar energy remains largely untapped.
Now, a small but growing number of pioneers are promoting the use of photovoltaic solar panels as part of a broader strategy of renewable energy and sustainable development.
One such pioneer is Emmanuel Perez, who provides consulting and design services to people interested in getting their homes off the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) grid and switching to solar energy.
He provided a concrete example in the nearby town of Camuy, where a customer of his had built a house over 100 metres away from the nearest power line.
PREPA asked for 12,000 dollars for the connection.
Worldwide annual revenues from equipment and installation are expected to climb from 4.7 billion dollars in 2003 to 30.8 billion dollars in 2013, according to Clean Edge, a San Francisco-based market research firm.
Solar energy technology is now about 10 times as expensive as fossil fuel systems for generating large amounts of electricity, according to the U.S. Sandia National Laboratories.
But electricity-generating solar panels, which cost 100 dollars per watt in 1976, now sell for under 3 dollars per watt, and costs are expected to continue declining at a rate of five percent per year even if there are no new technology breakthroughs.
"These 10-year annual growth rates, of 22 percent and 30 percent, respectively, are closer to the realm of computers and telecommunications than the single-digit growth rates common in today's energy economies."
This forest, considered by environmentalists and scientists to be a unique natural wonder, is affected by acid rain from the energy facilities.
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