the quest for and cost of Power

Chakha'asi is about 300 to 400 yards from the utility power lines that run from Xaibe, to Xcanluum and on to Patchchacan. Back in January or February it was determined that to have utility supplied electricity at Chakha'asi would require a transformer and at least 3 spans of electrical poles and cable. The cost would have been about $3,500 US. That would be initial cost spent for the privilege of being able to purchase electricity.

At roughly the same time, a retired couple we know, that lives just North of Corozal Town installed a windmill and a number of photovoltaic panels. We visited them to see their system and learn the cost of this.

Typically solar systems are very expensive if required to provide the amounts of electricity that American homes consume. But American homes have many electrical appliances. Here our stove uses Butane, and we don't have a furnace or a hot water heater. We use about 250 kW/h per month as we have acclimated to an extent that we don't need fans running all the time. We believe we can reduce our consumption even further. Actually we are putting ourselves in a position where we will not have a choice, but we believe we might still be comfortable.

The cost per kilowatt hour is much higher here than in the US. We we first arrived I remembered how much we paid in the US, and we were paying four times that here for electricity. Rates have gone up several times since then, though they probably have in the US as well. Given our desire not to be reliant on the local utility company, which has some problems from time to time, the cost to bring utility current to Chakha'asi looks better spent as part of the cost of a small solar system, just big enough to power a little cabin in the US.

Our friends North of town purchased their system from the US and had it shipped here. We had planned on buying solar panels in Chetumal, Mexico. They would be slightly more expensive there, but we were going to start small and add incrementally only if we really needed to.

It was a good plan. We should have done it right away. The problem now is that Mexico is basically closed for a while. Travel to Mexico has not been prohibited, but the Government of Belize is strongly urging that unless you really really have to go to Mexico right now, don't go.

At this same time, decisions have to be made about the construction of the house. I am told that tasiste houses normally use nails. When asked about bolts, I was told by several people, "Oh, bolts are better, if you can afford them." Well, bolts are about 60 cents a piece here, with washer and nut I think they will be under a dollar. I'm not trying to be extravagant or anything but since they are what holds the house together, I think I will splurge and use bolts. My friend immediately volunteered his hand drill. That sounds like a harder job, drilling bolt holes with a hand drill, but some of the wood used in the house is so hard, that even to drive a nail, a small hole has to be drilled first.



In any case, various currents are converging. I don't have a manual drill, but I do have an electric one. Of course there is no electricity at Chakha'asi, and while the holes could be drilled at another location, the logistics involved make this seem like a really bad idea. Many people here live without electricity, but realistically, we are not prepared for that. Acquiring solar panels is going to involve a delay of unknown length. To paraphrase Eric Cartman, there is equipment you can buy for this sort of thing.



A gasoline generator is expensive, but this is a cheaper one from China. I paid the equivalent of $475 for this, and the store was kind enough to fill it with oil, a bit of gasoline, fire it up and make sure it would run a circular saw. They check the function of most anything you buy from them. It is a nice customer service touch, and a very gentle way of reminding you of their return policy.

I know very little about generators and am trying to stay optimistic that this will serve our needs. It needs to run an electric drill, probably a small water pump to fill a cistern from time to time, and I would like it to be able to charge deep cycle batteries. It has 110 AC as well as 12v dc power, but I am unable to determine if the 12v dc is really 13.8v needed to charge 12v batteries. In any event, we should not become dependent on this generator to charge storage batteries. That is a job for windmills or solar panels. Gasoline just went back up to $3.70 a gallon, so, that will help us stay motivated to get panels.