Interest in solar panels in homes for self-generation of electricity is set to triple in 2023, and due to the risk of power outages, this alternative is raising expectations. Ecuador is also facing dry water problems and although the shutdowns due to lack of energy, which were initially announced, have been ruled out in certain sectors and some cities, so now there is uncertainty if and when there will be a diminishing return.

Companies that provide this solar energy system are seeing an increase in demand for installing solar panels in residences due to this problem that the country is going through and for that they should think about a backup or storage system.

The authorities reassure the citizens and change the announcement stating that there will be no more special exclusions

The president of Genera, Gino Pinargote, says that for power outages that do occur, it would be useful to have a storage, backup system, either with solar panel batteries or a diesel generator, although he indicates that the latter is not a renewable source, but serves to “solve this lack of electricity energy”.

“Batteries can be installed to support the full or partial load of the residence. These batteries could be charged with energy generated by solar panels,” says Pinargote.

Energycontrol, another solar panel supplier, points out that these panels must be connected to a power line in order to be supported; when there is a power outage, they are topped up with lithium batteries. “It’s like an energy tank, if the power goes out for an hour, you can use it, but not 100%, but rather to have some lighting.”

Sara (name withheld) says she has solar panels installed in her home, but no battery system, so she can’t save energy and therefore, if there is a blackout, she would also be affected.

“The system I have generates and feeds the network of the National Electricity Corporation (CNEL), that is, it takes from my bill what I deliver, but there are systems that have batteries in which this energy is stored. And if there is a blackout or something like that, I understand that can use directly, I don’t think it will supply the whole house, it depends on the dimensions of the house and the equipment you have”, he explains.

Payroll goes from $800 to $43, and the savings offset the solar investment

The general manager of Energycontrol, Jorge Andrés García, indicates that in the last year the interest in solar panels in homes has tripled and will probably quadruple by the end of the year.

“Our demand and industry demand has been significant, especially with high residential energy costs this year as a result of the heat that has been there. The topic of solar energy is useful and on the rise,” says García.

Pinargote has a similar criterion. “The increase is real, the Ecuadorian home lieutenant has realized that long-term solar provides them with big savings in energy consumption, and with solar panels, that cost becomes an investment in property,” he says.

According to Pinargote, a residential PV plant can range between $3,500 and $40,000, which will depend on the number of kilowatt hours the home requires and the percentage of the fee the customer wants. “The important thing is return on investment, we can have a 100% return on investment in a year and a half to two years,” he says.

For his part, García adds that the investment will depend on the size of the solar power plant and the available space for setting up the infrastructure. “The size of the plant depends on the level of consumption of the client, and based on that, the size of the plant is determined that allows them significant savings, be it 100%, 80%, 50%, regardless of what the client is looking for,” he says.

Interest in solar energy is doubling, investments can range from 1,000 to 40,000 dollars for housing, and in companies they exceed a million dollars

The general director of Energycontrol says that it should be taken into account that the price of residential electricity is graduated, that is, the more you use, the more it costs, which is why it is sometimes convenient not to necessarily ask for 100 percent energy coverage. but with 60, 70 to 80%, the cost of an electric billboard can be significantly reduced.

García points out that currently, if you are looking for alternatives that fulfill the same functions of solar panels with less investment, “not today” they exist, but emphasizes that the price of solar panels has fallen by almost 80% from ten years ago to today, for which the cost is historically the lowest.

“I don’t know if it will continue to fall, because the industry all over the world already has an important level of maturity and what is being done now is primarily work in the energy storage industry…” he points out.