New solar park opens in Guanacaste

The Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) on Thursday opened the first solar park in the country, located in the northwestern province of Guanacaste.

Miravalles Solar Park is the first large-scale solar plant in Central America, and with 1 MW capacity, it will be able to provide electricity to some 800 homes.

The 2.7-hectare park is located at the foot of the Miravalles Volcano, and is formed by 4,300 photovoltaic panels used to capture solar radiation. Each panel is capable of generating 235 watts.

Construction was possible because of a $9 million donation from the Japanese government.

The opening ceremony was attended by President Laura Chinchilla, Japanese Ambassador Yoshiharu Namiki, Environment Minister René Castro and ICE Executive President Teófilo de la Torre.

Miravalles Solar Park is located in an area that has become a corridor of renewable energy, including geothermal energy, wind and hydropower.