Potential of Photovoltaic Generation in the Putumayo Department of Colombia

Carlos Fernando Luna Carlosama,Luis Fernando Mulcue Nieto,Francy Nelly Jiménez García,Ricardo Moreno Chuquen

doi:10.3390/app11125528

Abstract

The potential for generating electricity with photovoltaic systems is high in Colombia given its geographical position in the tropic. Some departments in Colombia have low electricity coverage and high rates. In the department of Putumayo there is a low coverage rate and high energy costs, while the solar radiation potential is high. Due to the geographical differences of the Putumayo subregions, the radiation potential for electricity generation is unknown. In addition, in this department the energy tariffs are above the national average. The objective of this paper is to determine the effective potential for solar photovoltaic power generation in the Putumayo department with a detailed methodology considering the information of different remote database and meteorological stations and some technical conditions. It was found that the highest effective solar potential occurs in the Amazon region, and the lowest in the Andean region in the Putumayo. On the other hand, when evaluating electricity consumption and tariffs in the regions, it is concluded that consumption can be satisfied with photovoltaic systems by producing self-generating electricity and distributed generation.

Highlights

Energy resources are vital elements for sustainable development, and despite the importance of electric energy as a resource, as reported by the World Bank in 2018, approximately one billion people in the world are living without electricity [1]
It was found that for the department of Putumayo and its borders, IDEAM has ten meteorological stations in operation which provide among their different variables, monthly average temperature, and total monthly solar brightness data
It is important to note that the calibration of sensors that measure direct and global radiation, whether pyrheliometers, pyranometers, or actinographs, uses an Absolute Cavity Pyrheliometer of first order precision, certified by the World Reference Center for Solar Radiation (WRR) in

Summary

Introduction

Energy resources are vital elements for sustainable development, and despite the importance of electric energy as a resource, as reported by the World Bank in 2018, approximately one billion people in the world are living without electricity [1]. According to the Institute for Planning and Promotion of Energy Solutions (IPSE) for non-interconnected zones (ZNI) in Colombia and the Single Information System for Residential Public Utilities (SUI), Colombia’s ZNI represent 52% of the country’s territory [2]. The first auction of non-conventional renewable energy in Colombia was held in 2019; renewable sources will be connected to the main grid without providing energy solutions to the ZNI [4]. Fossil fuel energy production has been one of the main contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, the highest in history this last decade. Complementing the energy matrix with renewable energies (RE) is a necessity, especially considering the energy vulnerability of Colombia to the uncertainty presented by the phenomena of climatic variability such as El Niño [5]

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Discussion

Conclusion