Education
Step Outside "Book Learning"
Get out of the classroom and begin the age of self-education with interactive lectures from distinguished faculty, exclusive hands-on renewable energy plant visits, team capstone project, and community service initiatives |
Gain An Insight of Renewables
GREEN approaches the educational topics with a broad overview covering career interests from business to engineering and ecology to public policy. With energy affecting every aspect of our lives, this program is for any progressive-thinking motivated student. |
Top-Level Directors And Managers
Access to our resources guarantee letters of recommendation. Our program and the involvement of progressive Costa Rican innovators have led to amazing mentorships, internships, and even full-time jobs. |
In Costa RicaLake Arenal more than tripled in size with the construction of the Arenal dam in 1979. The hydroelectric project was pivotal to Costa Rica's development, initially supplying 80% of the country's electricity. Thirty years later it still generates over 35% of the region's power, given the energy production capacity increases of new plants. The project is based on a truly innovative design, which takes lake water that used to flow from the Pacific to the Atlantic, but now flows via a tunnel dug threw the Continental Divide. This integrated system provides not only three stages of electricity generation, but also a source of water irrigation to over 69,000 acres of the driest parts of Costa Rica, some of the world's largest Tilapia fish farms, and much of Guanacaste's drinking water. In short, Lake Arenal's success is the driving force behind the Costa Rica's green energy policies, as they stand today. |
 Learn
Do
|
In Costa RicaThe Taboga sugar refinery's primary dedication is to the cultivation and processing of sugar cane into refined sugar, as well as the value-added production of alcohol and commercial electricity sales. Only with these combined production efforts can the firm successfully compete in the globally competitive, labor-intensive market of refined white sugar. Taboga is currently the largest sugar producer in Costa Rica and the leader in Central American production efficiency, processing 7K tons of sugarcane and 300K liters of alcohol per day, in addition to 20 MW of electricity generation per hour. Taboga maintains a high level of productivity and efficiency in producing industrial sugar cane, and its derivatives, consequently satisfying customer needs, developing high quality of life for the firm's workers, and maintaining an exemplary environmental protection standard. |
|
In Costa RicaCosta Rica's geothermal plants significantly reduce the country's dependency on imported hydrocarbon fuel, by almost 260 million annually, burned in traditional hydrocarbon generators and operational in our tropical dry season summer months. Geothermal electrical energy production also provides almost 20% of the annual base line power needs of the country. With four operational plants running, the three government owned plants and the single privately managed B.O.T. plant, all play significant roles in keeping the country supplied with power throughout the year. The advantage of geothermal power is that it is continuously generated, as it is not dependent on weather conditions and runs at an astonishingly high 98%+ continual availability over the life of the plant. While it has its risk of pollution, gas leakage, and increased seismic tremors, it can be safely managed and become relatively environmentally benign. Costa Rica serves as a leader for Central America commercial renewable energy development by tapping its region of the Pacific Ring of fire, a topographic feature that will eventually make all of Central America a leading geothermal power generator. |
|
In Costa RicaCommercial wind power electricity production in Costa Rica is a mature energy resource for the country, producing an internationally respectful 6% of the country's total installed electrical production capacity. Geography, proximity to distribution networks, and availability of labor all play a big part in both private and public commercial wind power plant construction and operation. The five existing plants in Costa Rica benefit from the the well developed green-grid for the energy distribution network connected to the facility and the consistent trade winds blowing across the narrow isthmus separating the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. With most plants constructed along the ridgeline of the Continental Divide, the spinning blades and white towers nestled in high country cattle farms are iconic symbols exemplifying the modern Costa Rican culture of mixing the old tried and true with cutting edge employment opportunities. |
|
In Costa RicaThe central Costa Rican electrical company has a 15-year old policy of locating solar photovoltaic panels and systems on remote ranch homes, rather than building impossibly expensive transmission line costs to a single user. These panels were added to a new program to allow their metered clients to install electricity generating capacity greater than the client's average consumption consequentially running the meter backwards when producing more than consuming. These panels are doubled with solar hot water panels that are almost always installed on new commercial and residential buildings. With technology and governmental policies continually making solar panels and solar arrays more affordable and easy to manage, Costa Rica is determined to grasp its constant sunshine as a sustainable energy source. The solar potential in this country is about 2600 times the energy consumed per year. |
|
In Costa RicaHome to over 250 mammal species of the 505,000 species in Costa Rica, there exists an unmatched collaborative social and governmental drive for ecological and environmental consideration. With more than 25% of the total country being classified as ecological preserves and marine park zones, there are progressive movements in biological reforestation, sustainable technologies, and integrated alternative energy resources. In Costa Rica it's not just the "Greenest Electrical Grid" in the world, it's GREEN everything: sustainable home construction, jungle cat rehabilitation, water source collection systemss, or organic gardening. Come see why they vote themselves one of the happiest people in the world. |
|
