Dominican Republic wants to cut power costs via solar energy

SEENEWS Renewables | Diana Hristova —
The Dominican Republic will install solar power systems for public buildings in a bid to reduce the state’s annual electricity costs by at least USD 50 million (EUR 44.5m), national electricity holding CDEEE said Tuesday.

The program, designed by Corporacion Dominicana de Empresas Electricas Estatales (CDEEE), foresees solar panels for schools, hospitals and government offices, among other institutions, which will be able to partly or entirely cover their own demand and deliver a surplus to the grid.

In 2014, the public sector consumed 780 GWh at a cost of DOP 7.5 billion (USD 168.3m/EUR 149.8m). CDEEE wants to reduce the bill by one-third, or 245 GWh, via solar power generation and estimates that the initial investment will be repaid in up to three years.