Frequently Asked Questions
A solar PV system is a method of generating energy using solar cells made of photovoltaic material that absorbs solar radiation. A PV system typically consists of: solar panels, power inverters, mounting system that supports the solar modules, electrical wiring and battery storage for off-grid systems. Solar panels are made of interconnected photovoltaic cells, laminated between glass held within an aluminum frame. When sunlight hits these panels, it’s converted into electricity.
Not if you have access to the national electricity grid. That way, the grid will store the energy for you and will function as a giant battery. When you produce more than you consume, your system will pump the energy into the grid. When you consume more than you produce, you will take it back from the grid.
There are two types of photovoltaic systems: systems connected to the national electricity grid (on-grid) and systems with battery storage (off-grid). Generally, off-grid systems with batteries are more expensive and less efficient, and therefore only recommended in case you have no access to the electricity grid.
Since April 7th 2016 with the regulation "Distributed Generation with Renewable Sources for Auto Consumption, Procurement Model: Simple Net Metering" allows the interconnection with any of the electric distribution company in Costa Rica. To install on-grid solar panels, a series of procedures and permits is required to carry out the interconnection with your provider. We will contact your provider and conduct the whole process for you.
- Read more about the regulation in our latest news update.
Not when you have an on-grid system, and it is important not to do so. Not because the solar panels cannot supply the electricity you need, but for safety reasons. Since the solar panels will be connected to the grid, any electricity in the system could create a short circuit when a repair man is working on the electric grid. For off-grid systems, you are independent of anything that happens to the grid as you rely on your own batteries.
With on-grid systems, you do not have to make any changes. The solar panels will be connected before the main switch box in your house as an additional source of supply. You can use any appliances that you wish, because the connection with the grid can supply you with energy when the solar panels do not produce enough. With off-grid systems, big appliances could damage the system as batteries will only be able to supply a certain amount of electricity. In this case, it is advisable to inform us about any big appliances you would like to use.
The recommended size of the system really depends on the current electricity consumption, the habits of the family and the location. Every family is different, and we will work with you to determine the optimal solution and system design.
For on-grid systems, you can simply look at the monthly consumption in kWh on your current electricity bill, preferably averaged over a whole year. You can find more information on how to do this in our form under "Energy Consumption".
For off-grid systems, it is more difficult to estimate how much you will be consuming. Typically, we will ask you for a list of your electric appliances and an estimation on how many hours a month you will be using them.
Not if you don't want to. You can continue as before, only the way your energy is produced changes. However, if you are interested in minimizing your consumption, you can visit our partner Foundation ALTENER for more information on renewable energy and sustainable living.
There are many ways to reduce consumption, from energy-saving light bulbs and appliances, to increasing your awareness and changing your habits. Have a look at the website of Foundation ALTENER for more information.
When calculating the required size of an on-grid system for you, it is very important to know the behavior of your electricity consumption throughout the year (including seasonal changes), in order to give an accurate estimation. Since on-grid systems can both give to and retrieve energy from the grid, the ideal system size would, in the long run, produce as much as you consume.
The larger the system (the exact size always depending on your situation), the more quickly your investment will be recovered. It is estimated that a household with an average monthly consumption of 200kWh a month would recover the initial investment in about 7 to 10 years. Considering that solar panels have an expected lifetime up to 50 years and that electricity prices rise with about 12% every year, a solar energy system is always profitable regardless of your system size.
- Read more about your return of investment.
If you do not have enough private funds, it still possible to invest in a PV solar system. Due to the increase in electricity prices, credit financing can be an attractive option. There are several financing options, such as public or private national banks, BCIE (which facilitates obtaining credit with partial guarantee program ARECA) and private investors. Purasol will provide a clear and direct advice regarding financing and help you find the option that best suits your needs.
- Read more about financing.
For both off-grid systems and on-grid systems, the energy produced by your solar energy system will be completely free for you to use. However, if you have an on-grid system you will still have to pay for the connection itself to your current electricity provider. So, the PV on-grid system will significantly reduce your electricity bill, but you will still pay the low minimum amount to the electricity provider.
For full-sized on-grid system you will only pay the minimum rate and since you will ocassionally buy only a small amount from the grid, your bill will not increase significantly. To put it in different words, you will save even more money with your solar energy system.
With on-grid systems, the months that it produces more electricity than you consume, you build up credits and will only pay the minimum fee for connection to the network. Sometimes, in the months that you consume more than the system produces, you will pay a bit more than the minimum if you don't have enough credits built up. Generally, assuming your consumption does not vary heavily from month to month, you will pay more or less the same every month.
Yes. Costa Rica has plenty of sunlight, using solar energy to produce electricity will be a good solution for you. Photovoltaic (PV) systems are less productive when it is cloudy, which is why we take an annual average of sunlight hours when we calculate the required size of a system. On a sunny day, an on-grid system will provide/sell electricity to the national grid, while on a cloudy day it will use/buy back the electricity from the grid.
For on-grid systems, we design your system according to your average annual consumption, so that the excess energy that is produced during the day will be stored by your electricity provider. This electricity can then be used later using an access rate. For off-grid systems, excess production will be stored in your batteries for future use.
For on-grid systems, part of the new legislation allows the user to store surplus solar energy produced within the grid of the electricity provider (49%) which can subsequently be recovered through an access rate. This access rate is charged for the use of the electric grid and varies among the distribution companies.
It is important to know the orientation of your roof and the area that you have available, since some surrounding buildings or trees create shadow or TV antennas can reduce the available space. With this information, we will be able to estimate if the required system can be installed directly onto your roof or if an additional construction is needed. It is also helpful for us to know your electrical wiring and the location of the main switch box.
Yes, in case you want to expand the system, we can simply install more of components and connect them to your current system. The complexity of expanding the system can vary, but we will advise and determine the best way to carry out the expansion. In the case of on-grid systems, the interconnection permit with your electricity provider must be renewed and a payment is required.
Solar panels simply require a light monthly wash in the summer and every three months in the rainy season. Besides this, it is advised to regularly check all cables and connections for any potential problems. Purasol can provide you with a list of required maintenance for every product that we sell, so that you can organize the system maintenance yourself. Otherwise, Purasol can offer you several plans to choose from for all the maintenance that you might require.
- Read more about maintenance plans of Purasol in Our Services.
Purasol supports the warranty offered by the manufacturer, so it is important know the warranty offered for each product. You can find specific warranty information in the component sections of our products. The inverter is the component with the shortest expected lifespan, but even so, the manufacturer offers a 15 year warranty. The solar panels have a warranty of 20 years (with production of least 80%), though the expected lifespan is longer, up to 50 years. Purasol offers a warranty for the entire installation of PV systems of 10 years, which certainly makes it an interesting investment.
- Read more about general warranty in Our Services.
A solar water heater is a system which aims to heat water using solar radiation on collectors. We offer different types of solar water heaters, each of which using a different method. Our vacuum tube solar water heaters are compact systems that are composed of a tank (capacity varies) and a number of vacuum tubes. The technique of vacuum tubes is more efficient than conventional methods since the water does not circulate, instead a valve is used to transfer the sun's heat to the water stored in tank. The chance of heat loss is therefore heavily decreased and in addition, the system has a higher yield as scattered light can still be obtained on cloudy days.
- Read more about solar water heaters.
The CTS150 system provides 150 liters, usually sufficient for a household of 4-5 people, regardless of the number of bathrooms in your house. The CTS200 system provides 200 liters, usually sufficient for a household of 6-8 people, but always depending on your own consumption of hot water.
Costa Rica has plenty of sunlight, using solar energy to heat your water will be a good solution for you. The collectors work to diffuse the sun’s rays as well. Then, when the sky is cloudy the solar water heater still works, but with a lower efficiency. The electric backup of the tank ensures that the system always keeps the set temperature regardless of weather conditions.
Thanks to its 5 cm thick thermal insulation layer, the water tank can stay warm for about 48 hours. Keep in mind that the tank water reaches high temperatures up to 100°C, so it is essential to combine the water tank with cold water to run. However, the electric backup will ensure you will not run out of hot water very quickly.
Typically, the installation of solar water heaters will be done within a day.
You can put the tank inside your house but you will then need to add a pump to the system. This placement has a higher cost and does not save as much energy as having the system on the roof. However, we do offer this system and can be of interest to designer homes.
The system is fixed onto the roof, and the panel and tank are connected to each other as well as to the structure. All together the system is very heavy, with water weighing around 300kg, so it will be difficult to move.
The tubes need to be washed every 6 months, the sacrificial anode and relief valve need to be changed every 5 years. We offer these services, and we can also sell extra sacrificial anodes and relief valves when selling the tank.
- Read more about maintenance plans of Purasol in Our Services.
The warranty for any type of solar water heater is 5 years.
- Read more about warranty of Purasol in Our Services.
Yes, you can install a solar water heater if you also have a thermo shower, but you would need to install your own system of hot water pipes.
No, the water heater does not create electric current, it heats the water directly using copper heat rods inside glass tubes.
No, the solar water heater only works with its own tank. We can take your old tank to where it will be disposed of in an ecological manner.
A solar pool heating system uses solar collectors which automatically transfer the heat to your pool. A temperature controller will activate or deactivate a diverter valve to obtain the set temperature. The result is a comfortable water temperature for swimming, even during colder days and seasons.
- Read more about solar pool heating.
The pool heating system will be installed with an automatic temperature controller. Whether you are using your pool or not, the system will work with the set temperature.
The collectors are made of polypropylene, this material resists rain and the sun's UV rays. You do not have to be especially careful with the collectors during the rainy season.
No, the amount of water will be large enough for the pool heating system not to be able to overheat the pool.
Yes. Each of our pool heating systems has a temperature controller, which can be used to set the warm water to the desired temperature.
No, the mechanism of the pool heating system is very different from that of a solar water heater for showers. If you want to heat water for your shower, you can have a look at our solar water heater products here.
Yes, you might not see the sun the entiry day, yet the water will still be heated even though the system will be a bit less efficient. But as long as there is light passing through the clouds, the pool heating system will keep your pool warm.
Solar energy is energy coming directly from the sun, which is converted into other forms of energy. The term solar power usually refers to photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar thermal technologies that can convert the sun's energy into electricity.
- Visit our partner Foundation ALTENER for more information on solar energy and other types of renewable energy.
The advantages of solar energy are sustainability (resources will not run out), little maintenance (solar energy systems require less maintenance than traditional generators), independence (isolated off-grid communities can produce their own electricity) and minimal impact on the environment (solar energy systems produce little or no waste products, such as carbon dioxide or chemical pollutants).
It is an option for everyone! Not only is solar energy clean and good for the environment, there is also plenty of it as we all receive sunlight. Therefore, the energy is free once the system has been installed. Since April 7th 2016 a new regulation of distributed generation is in place, which means all electricity distribution companies must allow the interconnection of solar energy systems to their network. Thus, solar energy is available throughout Costa Rica.
The only obstacle can be the initial investment when purchasing a system, however we can assist you with finding ways of financing. After the purchase, you will save enough money on your electricity bill for your investment to be returned relatively quickly.
Relative to the production cost for a unit of energy, the initial installation cost of most solar energy systems is admittedly higher than that of unsustainable sources. Yet, the cost of running solar energy technologies is very low, as they do not depend on the input of fuels (as in the case of coal, oil, etc) and are cheap to operate and maintain.
You will definitely save money in the long run. The crucial step in switching to solar energy is an initial investment in the proper technology. Usually a solar energy installation requires minimal and cheap maintenance. The time of returning the investment varies depending on the situation, but is often around 6 to 10 years. After this time, you can enjoy free energy for many years to come!
Since our products are typically complete systems with the amount of components depending on your situation, prices vary heavily and are therefore not listed on the website. However, we can provide a personal offer for free based on your specific situation, which will contain a detailed description of the components.
We have created a form for you which you can use to provide us with the most important information about your project. You can find the form here, please fill it in carefully and we will send you an offer as soon as possible.
We will usually send you a personal offer or contact you for additional questions within 1 to 2 workdays. With the amount of requests we are processing, occasionally it can take a bit longer and we kindly ask you for your patience and understanding.
We pride ourselves for offering competitive prices on today's solar market. If you find a lower price somewhere else, feel free to share this with us. We might be able to match the offer, though it is more often the case that the products offered by the other company are of lesser quality or do not include the warranty and services we offer you.
Typically 1 month from the moment you receive the offer. If you need more time for making a decision, we encourage you to request an updated offer from us.
This can have various reasons. After our sales agent consulted with you, it is possible that the size of your system needed to be adjusted and some components have been added or removed as a result. Your offer will always show you which components have been included.
If the first offer was from a long time ago, it is also possible that during this period some prices of components have increased or that the exchange rate between dollars (USD) and colones (CRC) has changed.
For on-grid systems, the first step is a technical visit where you will sign a series of documents to begin the procedures with your electricity provider. For all our products you will sign a contract to formalize our offer, and a down payment of 65% is required which will be used used for international purchases. Any material is not booked, and any appointment for installation is not coordinated until we have received 65% of the total price of your system.
When you buy directly from Purasol, a deposit is required before the installation in the form of a down payment of 65%. The last 35% is due after completing the installation.
The terms of the contract say that you are responsible for the cost due to cancellation of the installation. If you cancel the order or part thereof after the first deposit, we apply a flat rate of 15% on all systems paid in compensation for costs incurred by Purasol.
We accept cash and bank transfers. We do not accept credit cards.
We accept both currencies. However, on your offer the amount in dollars (USD) is always leading and we will use the most recent currency exchange rate according to Banco Central de Costa Rica to determine the amount in colones (CRC) for you to pay.
As soon as we receive the payment confirmation in our account.
When you purchase a complete solar energy system from us, the entire system with all its components will be exempt from taxes. As you will not pay any taxes, your purchase will not be tax deductible.
Service & Support
No. We are open Monday to Friday during the day (8 am to 5 pm) and we will help to solve your problem during these opening hours. In case of fire or electrical hazard, calling 911 is the best choice.
Not at all. All systems installed passed the requirements of the highest security. However, systems with batteries, charge controllers or inverters should not be touched by children. You as the owner of the system have the responsibility to protect the components.
You will be the owner of the system, so you can do whatever you want with the components. However, if any changes are made in the installation, you will lose the warranty of Purasol. If the change damages the equipment in anyway, you will also lose the warranty of the manufacturer.
Any shadows on the panels have to be eliminated as soon as possible, as they heavily decrease the efficiency of the system. You will need to receive corrective maintenance from us, or any changes made to the position of the solar panels will lose the warranty on the installation.
- Read more about our maintenance plans in Our Services.
Yes, we can help you to find an alternative or a specialist to repair the damaged equipment.
Of course, the sales team and engineering team of Purasol will be at your service, during and after the installation. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions to the technicians during the annual maintenance of your system.
You can’t find the answer to your question? Send us a message through our contact form.