Costa Rica is the country with the most expensive energy in Central America. This immediately registers as dire news, but for proactive Costa Ricans, this is a call to action.
As in any nation, a high electricity cost is debilitating to businesses and general systems and grossly hampering to general economic growth by extension.
Business owners in the country have been complaining for years about the high rates when compared to their neighboring countries.
Jorge Sequeira, director of the CINDE, while speaking to Nation.com stated that due to the growing use of robots in manufacturing, electricity has become a very key factor for companies to take into consideration
He complained that the high cost of electricity in Costa Rica already presented them at a disadvantage for foreign investment. He further explained that the situation was dire because the information comparing energy cost in different countries is in the public domain and companies can access it.
In his own words, “we start off wrong-footed”. If the energy problem isn’t fixed or if manufacturers don’t find a way to reduce the cost of energy, Costa Rica’s business sphere will suffer.
This is a sad reality for Costa Ricans to deal with especially their business people. However, as in every direction circumstance, proper management becomes pertinent. Insulation can save businesses a ton of dollars if they care to try. Here is how;
How Insulation Can Help Costa Rican Businesses
A properly designed and installed insulation system offers immediate and long-term benefits, especially for commercial insulation. It is a well-known fact that Insulation protects your personal, your equipment, and your system, but it isn’t quite common knowledge that it also protects your budget.
Proper Insulation, prevents moisture condensation, reduces capacity and size of new mechanical equipment, enhances process performance, reduces emissions of pollutants, safeguards personnel and reduces noise levels but it also reduces energy costs and maximizes return on investment (ROI)
With proper insulation, on hot pipes and surfaces, heat loss can be reduced by about 20 times which significantly impacts on energy cost. Insulating systems has always been that maintenance function that is always put off till later, but what we do not know is that an unbelievable amount of energy is lost through uninsulated valves, bare pipes, or defective insulation daily.
In a country like Costa Rica where you pay heavily for energy, the thought of losing energy unnecessarily in this way should make businesses and government organizations shudder.
It is strongly advised that organizations invest in a properly designed and installed insulation system to mop up significant savings. Companies can start by contacting A Certified Insulation Energy Appraiser who can then document the actual Btu/dollars savings and craft potential savings that the company can look forward to with an insulation upgrade.
After this is done, companies must then proceed to actually upgrade their insulation or install befitting insulation in their fittings and systems.
The need for commercial insulation and industrial insulation is glaring in Costa Rica as businesses especially those with industrial facilities or commercial buildings are bleeding daily with energy costs.
The payback for the investment in insulation is considered more than acceptable in comparison to other equipment or maintenance purchases. This is because Insulation is a low-risk investment. The risk is low because the savings can be forecasted with a high degree of accuracy.
Once the insulation has been done, what remains is the maintenance of the insulated system. If the system is maintained, the savings it creates is guaranteed to continue for the life of the facility.
With all these facts in view, it is safe to say to Costa Rican business owners and industrialists, “it is far cheaper to insulate than not to”.