As we’ve recently mentioned, solar energy is one of the most valuable and cost-efficient ways of harnessing energy without sacrificing land mass. That’s why it’s so encouraging to hear about countries such as Chile, which is going through quite the solar boom. According to the Centro de Energias Renovables (CER), Chile has approved more than 3.1 gigawatts of solar energy projects as of last November, with another 908 megawatts waiting for approval.
When taking hydropower, wind, biomass, solar, and geothermal into account, there are currently 6.7 gigawatts of renewable energy projects in Chile, and another 3.8 gigawatts awaiting approval. About 1.27 gigawatts were added in November through 10 different projects.
At this rate, Chile is quickly becoming a leader in the Latin American and Caribbean market for renewables, particularly solar PV. Net metering and Renewable Portfolio Standards have played a large role in this.
The Atacama Desert provides Chile with some of the biggest solar energy potential in the world, followed closely by wind power.
Image CC licensed by Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Santiago, Chile
2 comments… add one