ICE would resume for one month its pilot plan for solar generation

Environment Minister asked to the ARESEP contribute to this initiative

March 14th,2015

The Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) is willing to return for a month pilot plan for solar generation.

This initiative was born in 2010 and allowed the injection of 10 megawatts (MW) solar power to the electrical system, by providing 366 subscribers. The option of installing new panels, however, lapsed in time and power on February 6.

Then, Luis Pacheco, manager of the ICE, made clear that this project would not extend as this had already met its objectives and followed the analysis phase results.

Now, however, the president of the Institute, Carlos Obregón, changed the discourse of the entity and indicated their willingness to continue the initiative.

"ICE is in the best position to develop a program that is a continuation of the pilot project, as long as current legislation permits" admitted the chief to the Nation.

What is the condition? For the ICE expand the plan requires that the Regulatory Authority for Public Services (Aresep) suspend Chapter 12 of Regulation Poasen (Planning, Operation and access to the national grid), which regulates the distributed generation (solar energy into account).

Such regulations issued ARESEP forces the ICE and stakeholders to follow certain rules, for the moment, are impossible to meet.

These requirements for small generators, is the permit or concession granted by the Ministry of Environment and Energy (Minae) to connect to the network. The regulations to give these guarantees does not yet exist; will be ready by April 15.

You also need to define ARESEP interconnection rates and access to the system, which will be set in mid-April, with a specific methodology.

Once that is in tune, ICE's plan would become meaningless, because there will be more rigorous official rules allowing new connections in the network. That's why, extending the plan, the Institute would do it for one month.

The trigger. The decision to freeze or not the chapter was left Poasen ARESEP last Monday, when, by letter, the chief of Minae, Edgar Gutiérrez, urged the overall regulatory, Dennis Melendez, to suspend it.

According to the request of the minister, the suspension would remain until outstanding issues are clarified in the Minae and ARESEP.

"The spirit is that ICE can continue its pilot and other distributors can be encouraged to do one, between now and April 15 (...). ICE wants to; if you can follow, follow. What was there was a regulatory impediment, "said Gutierrez.

The Board of the Regulatory Authority still evaluating whether it will abide by the order of Minae.

Confusion. The termination of the pilot scheme ICE generated confusion and criticism within the renewable energy sector, because since then the option to install new solar panels on the network was buried.

Jorge Blanco, the Costa Rican Association of Solar Energy (Acesolar) considered very successful minister's request ARESEP and ICE think you need to expand the conditions that prevailed during the pilot.

"When you have a clear rule will make no sense a pilot plan. How useful is a bridge between the current situation and the future, continue to allow what was allowed by the pilot, "said the businessman.

Source: 'La Nación'