Project
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| A peaceful day at Sirena |
The 2012 Costa Rica
Project
aims to install renewable energy technology for the Sirena Biological Station
in Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica. Providing reliable energy to the area
would have several significant impacts on the development of the region, as
well as the well-being of an irreplaceable rainforest. Currently, this center
is running on solar power, but because of the region’s heavy annual rainfall,
cloud coverage often results in no power for days at a time, and low reserves
of battery power.
A micro hydro plant could harness flowing water as a clean
and renewable source of energy, without causing any harmful side effects to the
delicate environment of the region, and eliminating the need for a backup
generator. Our efforts to find the most cost-effective design will make the
implemented micro hydro system a practical model for nearby communities who can
also take advantage of micro hydro-generated energy in their geographic
location, and hopefully encourage the entire region to embrace renewable energy
by example.
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| Micro hydro system |
The micro hydro generator is an important step towards Sirena being
able to perform at its highest efficiency, become a more developed center of
research for sustainability, and in turn, we can expect a higher level of
global respect for an essential part of our ecosystem.
