Are small hydropower plants cost-competitive in Guatemala?

Small hydropower plants are also not cost-competitive in this region because hydraulic head is low. However, across the southern part of Guatemala, a mix of off-grid solar, small hydropower, and diesel generators make up the least-cost portfolio.

Is electricity demand price inelastic for existing electricity consumers in Guatemala?

We assume electricity demand is price inelastic for existing electricity consumers in Guatemala – that is, consumers do not decrease electricity consumption when electricity prices increase.

Are there subsidies for non-residential sectors in Guatemala?

Renew. Energy, 132 (2019), pp. 1425 - 1435, 10.1016/j.renene.2018.08.093 There are little to no subsidies for non-residential sectors in Guatemala (Oré et al., 2017). The calculation of required power capacity for meeting demand does not consider grid requirements or other components typically included in a power-sizing model.

How much does wind energy cost in Guatemala?

That is, capital costs for wind energy in Guatemala from SEERE simulations are between $2286–8310/kW, while other sources find ranges of $1000–4500/kW for large-scale turbines and $2500–15,000/kW for small turbines.

Does Guatemala have a wind potential?

A map of decadal mean wind speed to represent Guatemala's wind potential is shown in Fig. 3 B. Hydropower. For streamflow data across Guatemala's over 5400 catchments, we use outputs from the Hydro-BID model developed by the Inter-American Development Bank (Moreda et al., 2014).

Why is wind generation important in Guatemala?

For example, Guatemala's eastern municipalities between the borders of Honduras and El Salvador are rich in wind resources, so they could take advantage of the low cost of wind generation. Cheap generation is particularly important in this region as it has high levels of poverty (Fig. 1).