Dominican Republic to large solar Park

London-the Dominican Republic soon must project developers announced its first large solar farm.

German renewable-energy developers Wirsol building (PV) Park in the Dominican province of Monte Plata has begun on a 64-MW solar photovoltaic, the company says. WIRSOL plans for combining an initial 32 MW on the grid until the end of 2013.

"President Danilo Medina Sánchez personally the country first power purchase agreement has given us", said Markus Wirth, Member of the Wirsols Board of Directors. The PPA was Estatales (Meng), which means that electricity from the project will be sold directly to the State by the Corporación Dominicana de empresas Electricas.

In the Dominican Republic, a current population growth and rapid economic growth have combined to create the demand for electricity. The island State still diesel and gas engines is mainly based on fossil fuels widely, and although the Sun 50 percent higher than that of Germany, there was very little solar energy in the region developed. In 2011, the Worldwatch Institute reported that the largest solar plant on the island a 100 kW roof mounted system on a water purification and bottling plant in Santo Domingo. But analysis firm NPD Solarbuzz predicts that the PV demand in Latin America and the Caribbean could see explosive growth by 2017 with a predicted 45 percent annual growth rate.

After Matthew Fellmeth, analyst at renewable energy firm Reznick think consulting energy Caribbean Governments to support the development of the projects start with renewable energy as utilities and independent power producers. The Dominican Republic wants to get 25 percent of its energy from renewable sources by the year 2025, and to reduce its CO2 emissions by 25 percent by 2012 levels by 2030. The nation law offers financial incentives such as tax exemptions, a feed-in tariff (FiT), and a National Fund for renewables for renewables.

But, says Fellmeth, even with support for the development of renewable energies, there are still significant obstacles to overcome.

The island grid system has one of the highest rates of distribution losses around the world, must Institute sustainable energy roadmap, while excessive bureaucracy has currently slowed down development - project developers go through a 14-step process the Worldwatch, received a renewable energy royalty, said roadmap.

According to Worldwatch Dominican developers generally lacks the capital required, project development and the conditions, the banks for renewable energy projects are offered not cheaper than that for conventional. Only Banco Hipotecario Dominicano (BHD) offers low-interest loans for small and medium-sized renewable energy projects.

Mark Konold, Worldwatchs climate and energy Caribbean project manager, said recently in a blog post that "the Dominican Government has introduced growth already some strong mechanisms for the promotion of renewable energies, but it currently not their potential use is."

Although the Government offers net metering for PV and to promote growth of the sector its laws on renewable energies, said Kanungo "restore decision makers are decisions that entrench the country of dependence on fossil fuels," including delete or reduce the country revamped incentives for renewable energy and new coal-fired power plants electricity generating capacity replace heating oil.

"Held exempt renewable energy support, the Dominican Government should strengthen the mechanisms that will promote a cleaner, sustainable and independent energy sector," said Kanungo. "There should be more support for the development of the financial sector also direct ability to draw major projects." Right now, renewable projects confined to a pool of money that supports smaller projects with payback Windows of only five to seven years."

Andreas Margara, a spokesman for Wirsol said that Monte Plata project is additional challenges. "Transport and logistics, and on the island are very difficult," he said, and the installation is done during the hurricane season.

WIRSOL subsidiary company Wirsol Caribbean planning more projects on the Islands, including possible to develop "Smaller roof systems, for the local industry and especially more solar farms, solar", Margara said.