Estudio del uso de energías eólica y fotovoltaica para el bombeo de agua en el secano interior
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Date
2005
Authors
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Publisher
Universidad de Concepción
Abstract
A través de la investigación “Diagnóstico estudio de fuentes de agua”, en la comuna de Ninhue, Octava región, ejecutada por la Universidad de Concepción en el año 2002, se constató que pequeños agricultores de esta comuna vivían una realidad económica crítica, lo que muchas veces les impedía costear los gastos de energía eléctrica involucrados en la operación de sistemas de bombeo alimentados por la red eléctrica. Esto motivó el considerar nuevas alternativas de energía para alimentar dichos sistemas de bombeo en estas comunidades.
En el presente estudio se diseñaron tres sistemas de bombeo alimentados por tres fuentes de energía capaces de satisfacer la demanda de agua para riego de ocho familias de la localidad de Pangue: sistema de bombeo conectado a la red eléctrica, sistema de bombeo alimentado por energía fotovoltaica y sistema de bombeo alimentado por energía eólica. Finalmente se hizo una comparación económica entre ellos utilizando para esto el costo del ciclo de vida útil (ccvu) de los sistemas.
Los resultados obtenidos indican que los costos de inversión inicial para los sistemas de energía renovable (fotovoltaico y eólico) son demasiado elevados con respecto al sistema conectado a la red eléctrica como para compensar el ahorro por concepto de energía eléctrica de operación del sistema conectado a la red eléctrica. En efecto, los sistemas de bombeo fotovoltaico y eólico poseen, en este caso, un ccvu superior en un 68% y un 70% respectivamente al ccvu del sistema de bombeo conectado a la red eléctrica. Lo que indica que, en nuestro país, estas fuentes de energía renovables, a pesar de tener costos de operación casi nulos, requieren de un subsidio sustancial para competir con la energía eléctrica convencional.
Sin embargo, lo anterior no se aplica a casos en que se requiera hacer extensiones considerables de la red eléctrica para alimentar sistemas de bombeo, donde los costos de capital aumentan considerablemente.
A study to assess sources of water for irrigation in the Ninhue community, performed by the Universidad de Concepción, demonstrated that low income farmers were unable to afford the cost of electricity inherent to water ¿ pumping systems connected to the electrical grid. This fact motivated the study of alternative sources of energy to drive water pumping systems. In this study three water pumping systems driven by three sources of energy were analysed: a system connected to the electrical grid, a system driven by photovoltaic energy, and a system driven by wind energy. These systems were compared from an economical perspective using a life cycle cost method. The results indicate that the initial capital costs of the systems driven by renewable sources of energy (photovoltaic and wind) are high enough to not compensate the savings in electricity. In fact, the life cycle cost analysis showed that the water pumping systems driven by photovoltaic and wind energy are 68 and 70% more expensive than the system driven by the electrical grid respectively. Therefore only in the case were subsidies are involved, the photovoltaic and wind energies could compete with pumping systems connected to the grid. However, the above conclusion is not longer valid when a considerable extension of the electrical grid has to be made in order to supply electricity to a pumping system. Due to the fact that electricity prices have been increasing rapidly, and on the contrary prices for photovoltaic modules and wind turbines are going down, it may be expected that in the near future renewable sources could be, if not more, at least equal convenient than the electricity from the grid.
A study to assess sources of water for irrigation in the Ninhue community, performed by the Universidad de Concepción, demonstrated that low income farmers were unable to afford the cost of electricity inherent to water ¿ pumping systems connected to the electrical grid. This fact motivated the study of alternative sources of energy to drive water pumping systems. In this study three water pumping systems driven by three sources of energy were analysed: a system connected to the electrical grid, a system driven by photovoltaic energy, and a system driven by wind energy. These systems were compared from an economical perspective using a life cycle cost method. The results indicate that the initial capital costs of the systems driven by renewable sources of energy (photovoltaic and wind) are high enough to not compensate the savings in electricity. In fact, the life cycle cost analysis showed that the water pumping systems driven by photovoltaic and wind energy are 68 and 70% more expensive than the system driven by the electrical grid respectively. Therefore only in the case were subsidies are involved, the photovoltaic and wind energies could compete with pumping systems connected to the grid. However, the above conclusion is not longer valid when a considerable extension of the electrical grid has to be made in order to supply electricity to a pumping system. Due to the fact that electricity prices have been increasing rapidly, and on the contrary prices for photovoltaic modules and wind turbines are going down, it may be expected that in the near future renewable sources could be, if not more, at least equal convenient than the electricity from the grid.
Description
Tesis presentada para optar al título de Ingeniero Civil Agrícola
Keywords
Secano interior, Energía eólica, Energía fotovoltaica