The project is the first and only solar plant of its kind in Central America that has been built under the concept of distributed generation integrated with battery storage technology to provide.
AES' Meanguera del Golfo solar plant—the first of its kind in Latin America—relies on enhanced solar-plus-battery storage technology to deliver uninterrupted, carbon-free electricity to isolated island communities and support economic growth in the Gulf of Fonseca region of El Salvador.
It claims that a microgrid comprising offshore wind, solar, battery storage, and backed up by gas generation, would be significantly cheaper to run annually than procuring power sourced from a nuclear SMR.
The project cost a total of around QR 10 million (US$2. 75 million) and was designed, planned and installed by Kahramaa in partnership with local infrastructure project company Al Attiyah Group, which also carried out civil works.
For a typical 6 kW system, expect labor-related costs near $4,000-$6,000, depending on complexity and local market conditions. Per-unit pricing helps compare bids: $3-$6 per watt for labor-only components, with total project ranges around $12,000-$18,000 excluding.
Three main things are driving this: 🔋 (1) Larger Battery Cells: systems with larger format cells (≥300Ah) were 5% cheaper than those with smaller cells. 👣 (2) Higher Energy Density Containers: 20-foot containers now reaching 5+ MWh storage capacity, with 4MWh+ .
As of 2026, the average cost of residential solar panels in the U. This typically translates to about $2. 50 per watt of installed capacity (more on price per watt below).