Solar energy in Colombia
Eight guides, from the most basic to the most technical
Understand solar energy and find your path
What you pay today, the ways to get solar energy and how a project is put together. No jargon, at your own pace.
Why everyone is talking about solar in Colombia
Three figures that explain why now.
-3.5%
The country is running out of margin
of firm energy —the energy the country can count on even in the dry season— would be missing in 2027, according to XM.
<USD 0.10
Sunlight already costs less than the grid
is what each kWh costs to produce in a large solar project: less than diesel.
2014
The rules have been working for years
is the year of Law 1715. The rules for producing your own energy have been working for years.
Where do I start?
Tell us what you want it for and we'll put your route together: the guides that help you, in order.
Pick an option. If none fits you, start with guide 1: all the others build on it.
Guides 1 to 6
Understanding your energy
From the most basic to the most technical. Each guide assumes what the previous one explained.
1- If you're starting from zero
Understand before you decide
You'll learn
- The three ways to get solar energy, side by side
- What you gain and what you give up with each
- A glossary of the words you'll hear
2- Home
- Business
- Company
Your bill, explained
You'll learn
- The six components of the Colombian tariff
- Why the total goes up every year
- Which part a solar system can replace, and which it can't
3- Business
- Company
Pay less for your electricity
You'll learn
- The two models to access solar energy
- An estimate of your savings
- What changed in the market between 2023 and 2026
4- Company
- High consumption
What is a PPA, or power purchase agreement
You'll learn
- How it works, in four steps
- The six parties involved
- What goes in writing and what happens when the term ends
5- Home
- Small business
What is an Energy Community
You'll learn
- The legal figure that has existed since 2023
- How neighbors share a solar farm
- Why it fills up in phases
6- I already have panels
What happens to the energy you don't use
You'll learn
- How the energy you send to the grid is paid
- The three ways the regulator (CREG) sets for paying it
- Which one applies to you
Guides 7 and 8
Taking part in a project
For anyone weighing putting in capital: first where the market is heading, then how a project is put together.
7- Participation
- Company
The price of electricity
You'll learn
- How the generation price moves through 2050
- Why the curve goes up
- What exactly a solar contract fixes
8- Participation
- Partners
How a solar project is put together
You'll learn
- The two legal structures and the seven parties involved
- What should be settled before building
- Which risks nobody controls
The solar projects we are structuring
The guides explain the two structures in the abstract. These are the two projects where we're applying them, in La Pintada, Antioquia: one under each.
Project in Structuring
Project in Structuring