I cannot believe that in the year 2008 this type of thing is still happening in my country. I can remember visiting my country back when I was younger and not having any electricity throughout the afternoon into the early evening and that was back in 1994. This is rediculous.

this is done not because they can't help it but because they choose not to fix it....

the main tourist areas were smart enough to take their fate out of the hands of the corrupt dumb@ss government and do it themselves......the photo is cool it looks like a Vermeer painting.....lets call it.".Children studying by candlelight.."................................. forget about the Internet

It's all about the money. I am moving into a house and had to spend 25,000 pesos of an inverter and 4 batteries. Why? Because of theft and greed. The electric companies actually make more money by providing less power. Weird. That is because it takes more power to charge up my batteries than it does to just turn on some lights in the house and keep the refrigerator cool. Imagine what would happen to battery and inverter sales if electricity was on 24 hrs/day. Bankrupt.

"The main tourist resort areas of Punta Cana and Puerto Plata have been largely unaffected because tourist businesses there have generators or buy electricity from private power companies."

0000

If by "private power companies" the DT means generation companies, then about 86% of power companies are in private hands.

They are worthless.

Much of the 14% of power the state generates from hydroelectricity goes public demand or the government's power needs.

AES, a private company, dominates the power business in the main tourist resorts. Elsewhere other private companies take over.

The private generation companies self-servingly keep supply under demand to exploit the elastricity in price. They blame the transmission and distribution companies, which have a state presence but still infested by the bourgeoisie, for the blackouts that generation companies largely contrive by deliberately insufficient supply.

The state has to generate more power.

Gee Pres. Leo-nelly fix that his first term!

MissionMan,
SOLAR..SOLAR..SOLAR.....You can charge those batteries by day, store the power and use it at night, and to think it's free, here in America you can buy a complete kit for about $4,500.00 and be self reliant and as always batteries and panels can be added, if you like I can post the web site......You can bet when I make my move to the DR one of those kits will be in my cargo bin. Other Items you may consider......What they use for RV's 12 volt lighting, 12 volt / gas refrigerator approx. 10 sq ft., 12 volt ceiling fans etc..etc..And think of the money and problems you'll save by thinking GREEN, if more people started to do this, you'll see how the power, or should I say POWERLESS Companies would respond.

"Written by: mrios, 31 Aug 2008 2:01 PM
From: United States
MissionMan,
SOLAR..SOLAR..SOLAR.....You can charge those batteries by day, store the power and use it at night, and to think it's free, here in America you can buy a complete kit for about $4,500.00 and be self reliant and as always batteries and panels can be added, if you like I can post the web site......"

Go ahead. I would like to see where $4,500 can provide enough power for a 3000 Sq/Ft home with Central air and a Pool.

Actually I am installing a solar water heater for my pool next week.

Tony;
Send me the WebSite address.
Sign in to DR1 andPM the site to me.
I go by Texas Bill there, also.
Since I'm fed up with this benighted land, I'm taking my family back to the States and will start living like a normal Human Being again.
8 years of constant frustration are making my hair grey.

TexasBill

Yes, close unnecessary shopping malls using lighting and aircon, stop the sale of refrigerators, very inefficient hi-fis etc. etc. while the country is still dependent on imported energy. Create cycle tracks, not new road, make simple low tech coolers, close the supermarkets with energy intensive supply chains, produce a congestion tax of perhaps 40 dollars like London for each car entering Santo Domingo and other cities. Tax heavily inefficient motorcyles after a test. Make each person buying or constructing a house worth more than 50,000 dollars make it energy independent ( wind generators, solar etc ) . Tax every car parking place. Give credit to each farm according to the energy efficiency. Cut tourism energy by comprenisve energy policy required for each resort - insulation, evaporative colers, solar cooking etc. Disease , ashma etc. would be reduced,
S

abc200;

Not only are your suggestions inoperable, but they would PARALYZE the country.
As to "evaporative coolers", they just would be useless in this country dueto thenormal very high humidity factor; ie, always in the 70-90 % range.
As to the other sugestions, that would foster a vey quick, and nasty revolution in this country.
We don't want that, now, do we???

TexasBill

Belial does TB he would enjoy it....the revolution that is

No ,you are not right. People can order goods in advanced countries such as the UK in very small shops using a catalogue and terminal. In fact some of the shopping malls have closed. Fridges in Europe are small and have energy stars. Stopping their sale here would be no great problem as most people shop for fresh food from the back of a truck, market or whatever. Cycle tracks are popular in Holland and other countries. People in India rightly force supermarkets to cloes else they burn them down. Congestion tax is accepted in London and proposed for 20 other cities round the World. About 4,000 dollars per house would provide sufficient solar energy for a household. And you do not know anything about evaporateve cooling - it depends on radiant enegry to keep items cool. As for revolution - well perhaps extensive blackouts will. Near us they already burn down electricity offices and throw pylons to the ground. Perhaps shopping malls could be converted to housing.
S

abc 200 living in Eurabia is profoundly different than in this part of the world...your ideas are quite amusing....and would make a good comedic film

abc200;
You have just described "shopping" in the "campo" regions of the DR when you talk about shopping from the back of a truck. However, the produce from those sources are more than in the Supermarkets because of transportation costs to the vendor andtheveggies aren't nearly as "fresh" as the supermarkets provide; in fact very often they are wilted beyond recuperation.
Maybe you don't realize it but you are advocating going back in time some 50-75 years in social progress with your suggestions andI see no advantage to that. As to Indians burning down the supermarkets and "rightly" forcing them to close, that is about as idiotic as cutting off ones nose to spite ones face. Destruction of property is a stupid and regressive form of protest and solves nothing. Your comment suggests you support such however as is your right to do so. Its still stupid.
TexasBill

In addition, the "evaporative coolers" are of the type where the air is drawn through a water impregnated shredded material wherein the evaporation heat exchange cools the air. These types of coolers work effectively in a "low humidity" enviromnent and not so well to not at all in a "high humidity environment such as we have in the DR and other moisture saturated locales.
I think what you are really advocating is changing society completely through forced measures, which never work effectively andonly serve to further frustrate the public.
At your figure of $4000.00 per dwelling for solar panel installation, such would quickly bankrupt even the richest of nations were they attempt to impliment such a course of action. And, as to "forcing' such an expenditure on the average citizen ANYWHERE would certainly cause any government to fall almost overnight.
In essense, you offer no viable solutions to the conundrum being discussed here.


TexasBill

Rediculous... and to be honest the Brits didn't do a very good job in the islands they did once rule.

Especially the narrow streets built as if everyone would be driving a 'mini" or horse drawn buggy.

You have 9 million people and throw in another million illegals and thats a lot of solar panels.

TB said it the best "it's still stupid"

Absorption coolers are what I think he was saying.
Swamp coolers may work in Monte Christi or on of the other dessert areas but not in the majority of the island.
Absorption coolers are tricky beast. Ammonia in concentrations that could kill and very expensive. Also what is your heat source for them? Propane subsidized and expensive, Kerosene is expensive, electricity not an option.
4K$ is a great outlay for a family that $200 a month is a wage. Also is 400w for 8 hours a day really feasible. And then the replacement of batteries every five years if you have a desulfator is still another 1 or 2k additional.

abc200 we are waiting your rebuttal ...if it is not forthcoming you will be banished to the Polar ice cap with nothing but Ozone Al speeches and 100 lbs of whale meat and will be forthwith labeled a wanker...and placed on the Wanker list

Something more realistic is a wood gasifier. Coconut husk that are laying around every coco Frio stand could power several houses.
In china the out of the factory price for one that could run a 5k generator is a little under $600.
The plans are readily available from FAO and FEMA made an instruction manual that is floating around the internet for free.
I am going to be getting a couple cold Presidentes and try to explain to a welder what I need done in a few weeks. I am due to be an Santo Domingo in a few weeks.
I am now way associated with the below link but check it out.
http://www.woodgas.net/

I do not think that copying the best ideas from other countries as an alternative to building power plants, grids etc. would cause many problems. Fuels for the power plants and the plants themselves mainly have to be imported and the balance of payments problem results in everyone being poorer.
Going through the ideas: Catalogue shopping is popular in many countries. You sit with a catalogue in a small shop and write the number of the item you need on a docket. Pay for it and 2-3 minutes later it arrives for you to collect or for bigger items comes to your door. http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Home.htm
The customer saves though not having extensive showrooms etc. Malls can close with minimum inconvenience.
There no point in selling refigerators if there are 20 hour blackouts. The items have to be imported, are not efficient and add to the problem. Disribution of nearly free ice and coolers would be a better idea.
http://www.appropedia.org/Refrigeration_for_developing_countries

And more:
Cycle tracks joining industrial and residential areas are common in mnayc countries. Low cost materials can be used and many people would prefer to use one than drive on a potholed road that is far more expensive to maintain. Hi-Fi' could be tested by a lab before being offered on sale and typical running costs displayed.
Santo Domingo and other citiies are overun by cars driven by only a small proportion of the population. Expensive new underpasses etc. are required. Smog is a problem. collecting a toll would not be difficult and would provide employment as would increased levels of public transport.
Efficiency test for motorcycles would encourage good maintenance and a tax disk could be issued at the same time.

abc200....your name is being added to the International Wankers List until further notice ......... You have 48 hours to appeal

There are many cheap ways to make a house use nearly no energy. This is relative to a 50,000 dollar house. Foil liners, reflective paint, good natural light, intelligent venting systems. If the governement set up a factory then the cost of a solar/wind system may come down to 5-600 dollars for 100 watts average power for 18 hour day. IBIS is collected on many construction materials. There must be some point where it is better for the government to encourage this idea by a small refund IBIS against purchase of systems rather than pay for new power stations and continue to import LPG etc. A tax on every car parking place would not cause meltdown, just encourage publc transport, bicycyles. Resorts would probably find that the savings identified by an energy survey outweighed the cost. Supermarkets could be closed as the efficiency of distribution to local markets is improved. Yes, local markets are still popular in the DR but supermarkets are an energy inefficient distribution.

abc200 ....Cheap is such an ugly word......We prefer inexpensive or consumer friendly or cost conscious or,budget oriented or cost effective but please not CHEAP that is such an ugly word and usually used when talking of Tarts or Hookers...... of which you may or may not be familiar

Many aspects of Hong Kong, ruled and developed by the Brits are now considered a model for the rest of China, Housing, public transport, education, Hong Kong together with many other cities is moving towards congestion charging and energy efficiency.
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/new....ype=1&d_str=20071218&fc=1
On food miles:
http://attra.ncat.org/farm_energy/food_miles.html
On reducing imports and transport - introduce a port congestion charge like Peru.
http://www.apl.com/hongkong/documents/news_2008024.pdf
On reducing need for fans / aircon:
http://www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs+walls/radiant/
This is the type of refigeration that should be on sale here - perhaps set up a factory to make them.
http://www.partsonsale.com/sundanzer.html
On efficiency of fans:
http://www.energystar.gov/ia/prod....ts/ceiling_fan_only_prod_list.xls
Perhaps the government shoutd restrict import of less efficient fans ditto tvs

sorry about posting twice. pleased you are happy about the post except for the word 'cheap' http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/cheap - next time you ask for a cheap air ticket substitute 'at minimum expense' or whatever - or when you buy a million dollar mansion or buy first class air tickets you can specify the best at maximum expense. I just happen to think that in the current emergency actions similar to those taken already such as restricting bank opening are possible and put them forward for the Dominican people to decide. I guess in the list of people you disregard you must include the people and government of London ( a popular tourist destination but with congestion charge ) US goverment officials ( dare they test product for energy efficiency ), all those running farm makets throughout the World and market stall holders ( reducing food miles ) , designers of low energy refridgerators ( what a waste of effort ), people running discount strores etc.

ABC
What you fail to realize is you are talking a forced social reorganization. The government cant even openly enforce traffic laws how are they going to pass and enforce an entire cultural change.
To that end you are being considered a wanker. Not that your ideas are not valid but that they are unworkable.

" At minimum expense " I like that ......a new one...However your name has been moved to the International Wankers List until further notice....My more technical associates will deal with dream theory you are proposing...Good Day

Not a forced social re-organisatioon at all. This country is organised compared with Peru - a port congesting charge is not so difficult - just collect from the shippers. Hong Kong is introducing road pricing. Complaints are many and Hong Kong - another disorganised place is looking for a way forward. http://www.thestandard.com.hk/new....ype=1&d_str=20071218&fc=1
The president has said that he wishes the country to self sufficient in food. Santo Domingo seems to have organised a nice arket area off Calle Duarte next to Plaza Lama, I believe that a good market areas are possible for food and then the supermarkets can , like the banks, be given short opening hours and a tax on lit floor space. Larger houses being constructed need plenty of stamps from official offices now - one more for energy efficiency is possible.Contracts to run national testing stations for vehicles would be a revenue earner.

Your attempts at amusing us with satire are wearing thin abc200

Plenty of international contractors could run a national testing station for appliances and give certificates to importers of energy efficient goods. None of this is not done in other countries and none is a social re-organisation. Is the present distribution of low energy light bulbs a social re-organisation? Actually together with micro-credit jobs could be produced and any social re-organisation very positive. Greater electricity availability, improved markets for small / medium producers, less polution, no more unsightly powerstations/docks spoiling recreational and tourist areas, lower or zero electricity bills for many people, less food imports. if there are other ideas for a sustainable future....... all I hear is mostly negative. Tourism could be down for the next year or two as ailines cut flights - possibly recovering when the A380 and other fuet efficient aeroplanes are purchased.
S

"lower or zero electricity bills for many people ".....is the problem ...and if you think the A380 is going to have that much impact you are naive

Well, here goes...not much but it is a start, check out www.northern tool .com click SOLAR
under search, the price did go up since I last checked, Gentleman this is a start this web site will at least serve to give you ideas if anything ! .....I have a friend who did an experiment by using
1- 12 volt deep cell battery [2-6 volt deep cell batteries recommended]
1- 15 volt solar panel w/ regulator
1- 12 volt car CD player w / amplifier and speakers
all for under $400.00
if you like you can order a inverter for conversion from 12 volt to 120 volt the idea is is to convert 90% of your home to 12 volt the possibility's are endless, check out R V products.
Oh ! by the way my friends music rivals any in the DR as far as Loudness and all on free power, all with a little investment, be creative.
"NECESSITY IS..... THE MOTHER OF INVENTION"

if I want to live like that I will move to the Belgian Congo which doesnt exist anymore because it was not existing and so backward..... Iam sure it has improved very little so it makes no difference what you call it

Tony C,
To power a 3000 sq ft. home with a 220 v Pool pump and AC that would cost you between $25-30 G's, here's what you can do.
I use a solar panel which I put on the night before I live in Palmdale, California the high Desert this cuts down on Chemicals to control Algae growth, besides I jump in the pool to cool off not to warm up, besides I only use the darn pool 3 months of the year anyway. I also use solar lamps to surround and accent my pool and yard [ 6 pack solar lamps under $40.00 and/or low wattage Malibu lighting ] check out the web-site, you might get ideas that you or others could put to use, and yes, it's going to cost at first, but to think of the savings, head aches and the dependency on a system that has and will continue fail it is worth looking into after all.
If anyone should want or need any information on SOLAR POWER I will be more then glade to provide you with web-sites.

gouletcolonial,
Call it what you want to call it....I'll call it DEPENDENCY & SELF RELIANCE , and you can also buy a good generator for about $600.00 USD to add to your SOLAR project as a back up, just be ready to pay high fuel prices and a little bit of noise which I'm sure won't bother the Neighbors anyway.

low energy lights/ low energy refrigeration = lower bills. reducing imports/ not building new electricity plants means more people can enjoy cheaper or fixed rate power. Cuba has program to replace old energy inefficient tv's with modern efficient ones. Thai airways starts A380 next year. http://www.1stopbangkok.com/news/....oining-the-airbus-a380-revolution
Many other airlines have ordered to lower fuel costs. Will take 2-3 years for Air France to operate here. http://www.flightglobal.com/artic....nce-breaks-cover-in-toulouse.html Virgin could also operate having ordered. Lufthansa has ordered http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Airbus_A380_orders_and_deliveries
This should mean cheaper fares/ more tourism medium term. At the moment Air France use 747. Other good news is direct flights to Moscow, Sao Paulo.
S

If black outs are to be avoided in the future something needs to change. Importing fuel is expensive and like you I don't want an unpleasant lifestyle. Actually I am quite happy watching a low energy lcd TV, Like it or not countries like Cuba, Costa Rica are competitors for the tourist dollar and all I do is suggest how the present impasse can be overcome.
http://www.nrdc.org/international/costa.pdf
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060828/howl
You can say 'strong appliance and building standards' No?
Yes, still loading house with low energy appliances/ insulation and soon go solar. Pleased to hear others doing likewise.
s

Written by: mrios, 1 Sep 2008 1:21 PM
From: United States
Tony C,
To power a 3000 sq ft. home with a 220 v Pool pump and AC that would cost you between $25-30 G's

$30,000!?!?!?!?
I pay about $300 a month in electrical.

That comes out to 100 months or 8.3 years before I even break even...not counting maintenance of the solar equipement.

Also my Homeowner's insurance will go up do to the Haz/mat threat of the huge banks of Batteries I will need to house...Oh I forgot the cost of replacement of batteries.

Then there is the fact of change of lifestyle. Electric stove on. Microwave on. Dishwasher on......"Hey! Why did the light dim?"

AnthonyC,
So true.........so what if I have to cut down big time on the creature comforts, to me it would be worth it that's the price you pay, but that's my opinion besides nothing wrong with going back to basics.
I'll stick with the $4700.00 kit and the 90% 12 volt conversion.

"Written by: mrios, 1 Sep 2008 4:25 PM
From: United States
AnthonyC,
So true.........so what if I have to cut down big time on the creature comforts, to me it would be worth it that's the price you pay, but that's my opinion besides nothing wrong with going back to basics."

Why pay the price for someone elses negligence?

This is hilarious!

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/200....k-venezuela-blackout-81f3b62.html

At least the D.R. can claim that they have no Oil.

abc200 the A 380 is a pig ...Airbus will have to sell about 600 of them to break even ..and its time may have passed ...Europe[Eurabia] should stick to chocolate and things like that ...and please stop with the Eurotrash we have enough...you wanker

Off the topic - but the US military selected Airbus for refueling fleet. I think people made the same comments on the introduction of 747 back in about 1970 . Still what is relevant is Europe Euros coming through tourism so the DR can buy LPG etc. and avoid power cuts at a time when US airlines are cutting services to the Carrib. including the DR. We see plenty of Europeans here in North. More tourists from South America and Russia also. I am saying that if a good future for tourism is to be possible more sustainability is needed. No new power stations, reductions in traffic/smog, better public transport. An old paper but interesting:
http://kiskeya-alternative.org/pu....rsos/SUST-Tourism-DR-Verena-M.pdf
Europe has long been the top tourist spender. More efficient planes, also maybe beyond A380, are important .
Qualitative growth rather than just economic growth is important. Public transport encourages qualative growth.
S

eurotrash comes here for the same reasons as Canadians cause it is " CHEAP" not just budget oriented and minimum expense .....same rubbish that occupies the Costa de Mi-rda..Torremolinos etc ....Now there are some decent hotel chains not for the all inclusive crowd Ritz and 4 seasons etc these are for the traditional up market American audience who play golf.....Dept of Def canceled order like everybody else did on pig A380...we gladly concede the all you can eat and drink till you puke crowd to the commies in cuba

By the way used to live in Scotland - there they manufacture some of the World's most efficient main line freezers - even on sale in the USA. http://www.norfrost.co.uk/ About 35 years ago the company was assisted by the Government to develop new technology to reduce power consumption in the UK. Appliance stanards are vital in reducing power use. No doubt I would like every family in DR to have a cooler or refrigerator. Growing up our family had a four cubic feet Electrolux working on Sorption principles - fridges working like this can run on a variety of fuels and have a very long working life. Before this an evapouritve cooler - you had to fill the top wih water every day. Now I have a LG electrocool - they have a patent for a sytem whereby heat is sent to the front of the fridge - consumption 486 kw/year.
S

"Written by: abc200, 2 Sep 2008 8:16 AM
From: United Kingdom
Off the topic - but the US military selected Airbus for refueling fleet. I think people made the same comments on the introduction of 747 back in about 1970 ."
They didn't select the A380.
Nobody of any consequence called the 747 a pig because when it was developed it fit an urgent need at the time for effcient long range travel.
Since that time that need has been filled by more effcient aircraft.

Yes, there is an election coming up - score points by cancelling order. The history of 747 is that they ran out of funding. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_747. AA relegated 747 to cargo service and exchanged for smaller aircraft. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_747.
Yes, make a proposal that all tourists be given a 'golf test' and show a platinum American Express card. Great idea. Bangkok has plenty of 5 star hostels, good public transport - and guess what - these toursts do not play golf. They go to good restaurants, cruise on the river, attend spectacular shows, visit temples.. Boutique hotels prosper. Thai Airways runs a380's to major cities of the World. Your average 4-5 star tourist is well catered for at Clearwater Beach etc. The problem of importing fuel for their hired Hummers, Cadillacs etc. and running huge air-con plants is then firmly in the US court. They can hire sit on colf caddies so they do not have to walk.

http://www.innisbrookgolf.com/r-wei/index.cfm
Oh! expect a few hurricanes.
S