Price on electricity in Chile fall down to zero, keeping on this level for more than 100 days. It is consequences of working of powerful solar power stations, which provide redundant energy. There are so much electricity, that there are nowhere to use it. That is why consumers get it for free.
Last year was the same situation in Chile, when prices on electricity held up at zero level for 192 days. This year record is likely to be broken. Local community and owners of power-consuming businesses are glad, of course. However there is also a problem: energy companies in Chile are private, and now they aren’t getting neither profit, nor revenue. But as you know, upkeep of energetic infrastructure requires money.
Capacities of solar power stations in Chile continue to grow, and number of such objects increases. Capacities of whole solar power system of the country has increased in four times (up to 770 MW) from 2013 year. Biggest increase is in the north sections of energetic system, in Atacama region, which is the center of copper production and processing in the country. 50 percent of energy supply are provided by solar farms. In this year it is planned to build additional capacities — realization of these project has started last year, so building won’t be stopped. Nevertheless, average price per megawatt in Atacama decreased to $60. It is even less than that $70 per megawatt, which must be supplied by companies, which won long-term auction in Chile.
Such situation is also not surprising for Europe. In Germany energy consumers sometimes even get payments for using electricity. For instance, 8 May, at Sunday, Germany broke a new record in energy production with renewable sources. Thanks to the sunny and at the same time windy weather, total energy production of solar, wind, hydro and bio power plants has been approximately 55 GW. Total consumption of energy in that day was 63 GW. Thus, the part of renewable sources was 87%. Average indicators show us, that solar electric power became cheaper on 50% for 16 last months.