A solar energy strategy for the Dominican Republic

Abstract

The Dominican Republic has a historical crisis in its energy sector due to an unreliable electrical grid system that causes high levels of technical and non-technical losses in transmission and distribution. This is exacerbated by the fact that the country depends on fossil fuels for over 80% of its electricity supply to the population. However, there is enormous potential for solar energy projects due to the country's abundant solar radiation levels. Law 57-07 was enacted to support renewable energy development in the country, and while there has been progress in solar energy implementation since its passage, there have been challenges in their execution. The government must do more to support solar energy development if the country is to reach its 2030 energy goals. To understand why the country has struggled to implement solar energy, an exploratory qualitative research was conducted with a pragmatic philosophy at its core due to the scarcity of sources available regarding the topic in the DR. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify the areas of knowledge involved in the implementation of solar energy worldwide that were lacking in the DR. To understand the specific solar environment of the DR, 14 semi-structured interviews were performed with experts from the Dominican energy sector, selected through purposive and snowball sampling methods. Interviews were the subject of thematic analysis to identify the factors influencing the implementation of solar energy in DR. The study discovered that commitment to international agreements and high levels of radiation are major drivers for the implementation of solar energy in the country; furthermore, the possibility of using off-grid, fast development of projects and steady income along with other 3 more factors were highlighted as driving forces. In contrast, 11 challenges hindering the implementation were also identified with the majority belonging to regulatory deficiencies and a particular case of conflict of interest, which partially prevented the implementation of new projects for several years. Other barriers present in the country are technical deficiencies in the system and how costly some of the technologies are. Nevertheless identifying five main strategies supporting solar energy implementation, the study also highlights deficiencies in their execution; additionally, nine new strategies, based on the experts’ opinions, to improve the implementation were proposed including the definition of a renewable energy standard to improve the project planning, project procurement and ease of financing, which will consequently produce social, economic, and environmental benefits to the DR, such as the increase in public health, creation of new jobs and the stabilisation and affordability of energy prices. Further analysis was performed with an ISM method to determine the interrelationship between the different parameters. All these findings were brought together to develop a strategic framework to support the energy sector’s stakeholders in their efforts to implement solar energy initiatives in the country, which was the aim of the study.