Solar power satellite factory in Costa-Rica

According to the Costa Rican Institute of Electricity (ICE) and the Costa Rican National Power and Light Company (CNFL), both government entities, the target market for solar energy in Costa Rica, remains to be households or companies that consume between 200kw/h and 3,000kw/h. ICE and CNFL have been installing photovoltaic systems.

There are many private companies, most of them members of ACESOLAR (Costa Rican Solar Energy Association), and the CDG (Chamber of Distributed Energy Generation of Costa Rica). They have changed the current legislation opening the market and allowing more solar panels and batteries to be installed.

Like wind power, solar power is another newer energy source in the country. The first solar power projects in the country were established in 1978 by just a few researchers from public universities at the Solar Power Laboratory at the National University. During 2012, Costa Rica inaugurated the Miravalles Solar Plant next to the Miravalles Volcano.

The U.S. continues to grow slightly every year, even in a depressed market that slowed after new the VAT was implemented. Exports from Costa Rica are also of imported products from other countries. Most companies selling solar systems are assembled Asian solar panels with some U.S. made components.

Based on the projections made by the Costa Rican Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), the participation of solar energy in Costa Rica for 2030 will reach 1.3 percent, while the hydroelectric market will increase to 80 percent.

Most companies selling solar systems are assembled Asian solar panels with some U.S. made components. In 2016, the Costa Rican government approved a new regulation which allows individuals and companies to produce solar energy (up to 15 percent of the users per district) and sell up to 49 percent of their excess production back to the grid.