THE SOLAR ENERGÍA IN HONDURAS

Honduras is a country located in Central America, rich in several kinds of natural resources
which vary from water to solar energy.

Its locations are ideal to get solar energy and produce electricity for many communities in the
country, located: at 14° 45' 1.38” of Latitude and N -86° 14' 28.83" W of Longitude

Honduras receives between 5 and 6 Kwh/m2 of daily solar energy as shown in the map much
better than Germany with an average of 3-3.5 Kwh/m2.

In the 2003 year the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) from USA with the support
of the Central American countries developed a solar map for Central America which shows the
solar potential in the region, In Honduras the maximum production could be obtained in the
south region as show in the map.
 Installed capacity (MW) in April of 2019

Source: National Enterprise of Electric Energy of Honduras

The solar photovoltaics projects (in yellow color) represent an installation of 510.8 MW in 2019,
that’s equal to the 18.9% of the total energy installed in the country, having generated more
than 992,784.8 in the 2018 year which represented 10.7 % of the total production.
It’s good to say that before the 2017 year the installed capacity was 388 MW in 2015 and 409
MW in the 2016, before 2015 Honduras wasn’t has any solar project installed.

The solar energy raising is due several factors like the inversion of the private and public sector
following the benefits that the sub-sector electric law permit to those who produce renewable
energy, the research and development of new technologies in the developed countries like
China, Germany and the USA, using more reliable and cheaper materials has generated the
photovoltaics projects related are not so expensive in comparison to the 2010 year. The
reductions of the solar panels has reached has been more than 70% on its price.

The biggest solar projects in Honduras country was the installation of a solar park, (with more
than 48,000 solar panels set up in 2 plants-project), located in Nacaome Valle, with an installed
capacity of 100 MW. The estimated local inversion in the project by SOPOSSA –COHESSA a
Honduran Consortium was $232, 000,000 with local and external funds and it’s estimated that
more than 150,000 families in the country are the beneficiaries of having electricity generated
by this project.

The project in Nacaome is considered one of the biggest in Latin America and adding the others
solar projects in the country, Honduras has become the leading country in Central America in
solar energy and one of the best solar-energy producers in Latin America.

Nacaome - Valle Project- A technician installing a solar panel for the project´s array

https://www.ngenespanol.com/naturaleza/planta-solar-mas-grande-de-america-latina/
In 2015 more than 1000 people worked together to install the project in the south of Honduras
and it’s estimated that this project avoided the emission of 300,000 ton of CO2 in a 2 year period
of operations which is equivalent of having used 18 million liters of gasoline.

Nacaome-Valle Project- An aerial view of the project

https://www.ngenespanol.com/naturaleza/planta-solar-mas-grande-de-america-latina/

Likewise the company ENERBASA , Energía Eléctrica S.A installed the PAVANA Solar-Project
located in Choluteca with a capacity installed of 24 MW, being also one of the largest in
Honduras with an estimation of 41,000 MWh of electric production, enough to provide
electricity to more than 75,000 families in a year.
 PAVANA Project - Panoramic reflecting sung light.

Source: https://www.enerbasa.com/portfolio-item/panoramicas-y-aereas/

PAVANA Project - A panoramic view.

Source : https://www.enerbasa.com/portfolio-item/panoramicas-y-aereas/
Pacific Solar Energy is the developer of the Nacaome I Solar Photovoltaic Park, located in the
Department of Valle, Municipality of Nacaome also in the south. The Solar Park has an installed
capacity of 23 MW operating since 2017 and for 2019 is already installed the second phase of the
plant reaching a total of 50 MW. The investment of the project is 20 million of euros.

Pacific Solar Energy Project in Nacaome Honduras. Aerial view

http://www.generasl.com/pacific-solar-energy.html

The Marcovia solar project promoted by the Spanish Gestamp solar company, has involved an
investment of more than 90,000,000 dollars, and it is estimated that it will generate 93 gwh per
year, capable of supplying energy to 45 thousand homes, in addition to saving 43,000 tons of co2 .

Marcovia project in Choluteca, Honduras. Aerial view.

Source http://www.sectorelectricidad.com

Nowadays Honduras has an installed capacity of 510.8 MW of electric power, more than 15
projects has been installed in several places in the country most of them are located in the south
where the solar radiation has its maximum level.

5 years ago the country has almost nothing of photovoltaics projects installed; the question is why
before that year people weren’t involved in generation solar energy? The following points are some
indications why lately local and international companies have been investing in these projects.

 In the 2014 year was estimated that the investment required for the development of the 27
approved projects was between $1.644 and $1.827 billion, which why the hadn’t started seeking
financing in the international market. (Central America Data 2014)
 Between the 2014 and 2017 the international cost of one KW installed lowered in 48%
making solar projects more attractive ( https://www.laprensa.hn/economia/1197612-
410/baja-costo-instalar-energia-solar-honduras)

In Honduras, The framework law of the electrical subsector promotes the development of
energy projects based on renewal resources the incentives are:
 Exemption from payment of sales tax for all those equipment, materials and services,
which are intended or related directly to the generation of electric energy with renewable
resources
 Exemption from the payment of all taxes, fees, tariffs and import duties, for all those
equipment, materials, spare parts, and additives destined or directly related to the
generation of renewable energy
 For projects whose installation capacity is less than 50MW there are exemptions from
payments of income taxes, Proportional Solidarity Contribution, net assets tax and also for
all related income taxes in a period of ten (10) years.
 Sell directly to the National Electricity Company (ENEE)
  Etc.

One of the disadvantages for the ENEE is the price paid to the investors for the generation of
renewable energy due to incentives based on the law promotion, for several projects that price is
between $0.017 and $0.018, higher than the ones in others countries in the region .This is a
matter that’s reviewing by the government and investors of solar energy.