Renewable Energy in Urban Low-Income Communities. Case Study of Santa Marta, Rio de Janeiro
Nowadays, 55% of the global population lives in urban areas, a ratio that is estimated to grow to 68% by the end of 2050. Sustainable development depends more and more on the adequate management of urban growth, including the successful planning of basic services, such as electricity. In the city of...
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| Tipo de recurso: | tesis de maestría |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2020 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) |
| Repositorio: | UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/332137 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/2117/332137 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Renewable energy sources Risk--Sociological aspects Energies renovables Risc -- Aspectes socials Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Edificació |
| Sumario: | Nowadays, 55% of the global population lives in urban areas, a ratio that is estimated to grow to 68% by the end of 2050. Sustainable development depends more and more on the adequate management of urban growth, including the successful planning of basic services, such as electricity. In the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, more than 22% of the population lives in informal settlements, overcrowded areas characterized by low standard housing, poor services and infrastructure, inhabited by impoverished people. Brazilian electricity prices are among the highest in Latin America and have shown high volatility in the last years, mainly due to the strong dependence of the electricity sector on hydro sources, which are subject to climate conditions. Without adequate programs, Brazilian low-income families are obliged to compromise their budget to pay the electricity service. In this context, this study aims to assess from a techno-economic point of view, the use of renewable energy technologies in urban low-income communities, focusing on the case study of Santa Marta, in Rio de Janeiro, with the final objective of identifying both competitive and sustainable systems to provide electricity to the community. Results show that solar PV systems are extremely competitive with the electricity supplied by the grid and they could represent a solution for low-income communities thanks to the implementation of adequate business plans and financing methods. |
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