National Off-grid Electrification Programme Based on Renewable Energy Sources, Phase I

The PDF will identify, evaluate and design meaningful avenues to reduce/remove financial, institutional, technical and human resources barriers related to renewable energy based off-grid rural electrification. The overall objective is to reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) by promoting the use of decentralized renewable energy systems in areas isolated from the National Interconnected System (SNI) of Costa Rica. The project will help remove existing barriers that prevent the utilization of renewable energy sources in remote rural areas that are inaccessible through conventional grid extensions. This will be achieved in two phases. Phase I will focus on the creation of a systematic approach within the Costa Rican energy sector to rural electrification with renewable energy. This will include the creation of an institutional, financial, and regulatory environment supportive of renewable energy. Phase II will focus on the implementation of this approach by including renewable energy projects within the national initiative to reach all Costa Rican households with modern sources of electricity. As a result, it is expected that 329 communities will receive electricity through either micro-hydro or photovoltaic systems, reducing CO2 emissions by estimated 210 thousand tons over the project lifetime.