Solarica, a privately owned Dutch company, is investing US $11.5 million to bring solar energy to 11,000 families whose houses are scattered alongside the dense foliage of Costa Rica's rainforests. At a monthly cost of about US $10, a family will have access to 50 watts of electricity per day produced from a solar photovoltaic unit. The unit will provide approximately six hours of power. The Netherlands government has agreed to invest about 25-30 per cent of the cost of the project. Private investors will finance the rest. About 30 Costa Ricans will be trained on how to install and maintain the systems.