AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Environment Go Green why not more natural energy???

Have been wondering...why don't people on AC utilize the sun/wind more for electricity needs??? Windmills, solor power etc...

We do use it a lot on the mainland. Power used to be hard to come by. A lot of resorts on the north end still use solar. Believe it or not but electricity is one of the few things that is cheaper here than the US. My bill is 1/3 or less than what I payed in my previous life. Water too is cheap compared. They make it up of course with the killer phone and internet rates. Why pay for exspensive batteries that carry full import duty, and generating gear, be it solar or wind when fairly reliable and inexpensive power is already here. Heard you dug the Marley festival...One Love

Dallas Dave,

Boy you must live in a high-cost electrical area in the States! Even with the spike in energy prices in California and the West, Belize still has higher electric costs than anywhere I've seen in the U.S., typically by a factor of at least two. However, as most Belizean homes don't use much electricity as compared to homes in the U.S., which have a lot more appliances, A/C usage, etc., raw costs in Belize are often lower.

--Lan Sluder

Quite true my friend. We use much less because we need much less. Why would you need A/C when you LIVE in the tropics? Conservation is the watchword on everything in the third world as you know. The land line from Mexico, along with the controversial hydro plants, have provided us with a grid that was unheard of even ten years ago. You remember the Western Hyway in '91. Nada. Not even ice unless you went to JB's. Logan made a living by having the only phone. Alternative power is a very good idea and will happen soon in the developed world. We just got conventional power here. Brown outs are frequent as is is. Better than when we used the diesel power plant in San Pedrito. I agree that power is exspensive in the US and here. We just need less of it. Perhaps I misspoke a bit on my previous post. My bills are less because my needs are less. Good point. I'll ponder this subject in more detail before sounding off so succinctly. Hell, I'm not an authority on anything besides guitar as everyone knows.

When i was there last June the cost per Kw was 3x what i was paying in Houston! It was 42cents Bze,(21 us), I was paying less than 9 cents/kwh.

We all should be more conservative with using energy these days and use Solar/wind energy if possible not only in developing country's. We have black out's here in CA all the time now and this is a much bigger problem here because the traffic lights go out and elevators stop without warning.
Last week we had a guy stuck in the elevator for 1 1/2 hours until Edison turned on the power again and watched a car accidendt because the lights where out. Being in an office building with windows you can not open is a much bigger problem than being in a nice open tropical house without power. You don't have to be in a 3rd world country to experience power problems. Welcome to the new Mellennium! I would not consider Belize or Mexico 3rd world either. Maybe you guys have not been to a "real" 3rd world country. Try north Africa! Traveling to many different country's realy opens up your mind and makes you appreciate certain things more but also shows that people can be happy with much less.

OK...still no answer!! Dave??? Will be building soon and would like info about other/natural resources to use...Thanks C Heck even people in the country here use windmills

Hell Cheri what do I know? I have been cut to the quick already by expressing my opinion on this subject. What can I say? I only live here. Other people have much more knowledge on this subject than I. I'm just a guitar player. Geopolital conservation of natural, and man made resourses is best left to Babalon. That's why I left Dallas. Thank god they don't own us here yet. Can't tell you the best way to power your place up north. Mabey Tim has some suggestions.

I think the number one deterent would be cost and the numer two deterent would be lack of expertise.

I have done some research into alternate energy sources and to set up a medium sized house for solar energy would cost about $10,000 - $15,000 not including installation. In Belize, I assume it would be more because of import fees.

Also assuming you are unable to do it yourself, you are probably going to have a hard time in Belize finding an solar energy installation expert.

How long would it take to save $15,000 in electric bills? A long time... I think I figured >12 years in my case and that didn't count money lost in interest.

People who do use alternate energy sources usually to it for a couple of reasons. Either the have to choice because of thier location or the want to be as environmentally friendly as possible.

The good news is that the price of solar has come down alot since it first became practical and eventually it may become an economical solution. In the next 5-10 years?

Dallas Dave

I wasn't trying to squelch your comments on energy costs or put your view down ... was just noting that the actual per Kwh cost of electricity in Belize is high, but certainly you're right that in Belize most people don't need to use as much electricity. Vacuum cleaner? What's that?!

--Lan Sluder