Optimizing PV microgrid isolated electrification projects—A case study in Ecuador

Access to electricity for the rural and indigenous population of Ecuador’s Amazon Region (RAE) is considered a critical issue by the national authorities. The RAE is an isolated zone with communities scattered throughout the rainforest, where the expansion of the national grid is not a viable option...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Domenech Léga, Bruno|||0000-0002-4332-2400, Ferrer Martí, Laia|||0000-0003-0606-3523, García, Facundo, Hidalgo, Georgina, Pastor Moreno, Rafael|||0000-0002-6188-4458, Ponsich, Antonin Sebastien|||0000-0003-2771-409X
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2022
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:2117/371149
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2117/371149
https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/math10081226
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Microgrids (Smart power grids)
Rural electrification
Programming (Mathematics)
Mathematical programming
Ecuador’s Amazon region
Photovoltaic energy
Microgrid
Microxarxes (Xarxes elèctriques intel·ligents)
Electrificació rural
Programació (Matemàtica)
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Economia i organització d'empreses
Descripción
Sumario:Access to electricity for the rural and indigenous population of Ecuador’s Amazon Region (RAE) is considered a critical issue by the national authorities. The RAE is an isolated zone with communities scattered throughout the rainforest, where the expansion of the national grid is not a viable option. Therefore, autonomous electrification systems based on solar energy constitute an important solution, allowing the development of indigenous populations. This work proposes a tool for the design of stand-alone rural electrification systems based on photovoltaic technologies, including both microgrid or individual supply configurations. This tool is formulated as a Mixed Integer Linear Programming model including economic, technical and social aspects. This approach is used to design electrification systems (equipment location and sizing, microgrid configurations) in three real communities of the RAE. The results highlight the benefits of the developed tool and provide guidelines regarding RAE’s electrification.