Feasibility Studies for PV Self-supply in Chile

One of the main objectives of the project "Solar Energy for Electricity and Heat in Chile" is to identify economically viable market segments for the development of solar electric and thermal self-supply, with regard to generate replicable impacts in the regions under study. In the area of electrical self-supply, the project developed by the Ministry of Energy of Chile and supported by the GIZ GmbH has a portfolio of technical and economic pre-feasibility studies of photovoltaic systems developed for different size captive-use PV applications such as public buildings, chemistry industry, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), agribusiness sector, agriculture and supermarkets.

Public Buildings

Spa Club Providencia

The Spa Club Providencia is a sports hall belonging to the Municipality of Providencia in Santiago de Chile. It is suitable to install a PV power plant to generate 34.65 kWp on the roof of the Spa, which should be facing to the north at an angle between 20 to 30 degrees, and there is not possibility of feeding the grid.

Study of technical and economic feasibility for a PV plant in the Spa Club Providencia, 2014 (Spanish)

Carport FV DAOM Providencia

This report presents the feasibility study of a photovoltaic carport which will generate enough electricity to meet the demand of 12 electric vehicles. The vehicles would be used during the day and charged overnight. The electricity generated during the day will be directly used by the building or to charge vehicle that are not been used; while at night time, the vehicles would be loaded using electricity from the grid. The carport need an installed capacity of 15.6 kWp to meet the demand of the vehicle fleet, despite the fact that most of the electricity generated by the panels will be used by the building. The reason is that the electricity consume by the building will serve as "offset” to the electricity to charge the vehicles.

Study of technical and economic feasibility for the construction and design of a photovoltaic carport, 2014 (Spanish)

Chemistry Industry

GIZ Chile and Gamma Ingenieros SA elaborated a technical and economic pre-feasibility study for the generation of photovoltaic solar energy in a chemical adhesives industry: HB Fuller SA. This industry is a regulated consumer by the distribution company "Chilectra" with a AT 4.3 tariff and a power contracted of 238 kW.

The daily load profiles and its annual projection, its electricity tariff, the availability of physical surfaces for the installation of PV panels and of space for the installation of the necessary elements were analyzed. Two options for self-generation were evaluated technically and economically: 100% self-consumption and NetBilling with connection to the Central Interconnected System (SIC).

The technical feasibility is positive and should only consider strengthening the structure of the house to withstand the weight of the panels. With regard to economic feasibility, the result for the return on investment is too long for the expectations of investors; 12.5 years (100% self-consumption) and 11.9 years (NetBilling).

Feasibility studies for the installation of a PV plant in a chemistry industry, 2015 (Spanish)

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

Agua purificada San Sebastián 

The pre-feasibility study shows that the implementation of a photovoltaic plant with connection to the grid and preference for self-consumption during daylight hours is technically and economically viable. A solar plant with a peak power of 18 KWp will produce daily 78 kWh/day (average annual value). This covers 54% of the total 24 hours consumption. The plant will be connected to the distribution system through a low voltage three-phase connection. The implementation of this PV plant requires an initial investment of approx. 30.5 million of chilean pesos. The economic evaluation present a specific electric cost of 90 chilean pesos/kWh and a pay-back period of nine years.

Laboratorio de inyección Diesel Canchaya

The implementation of a photovoltaic plant with a peak power of 3.8 kWp, connected to the grid in Arica, Chile, with preference for self-consumption during daylight hours in the SMEs "Laboratorio de inyección Diesel Canchaya" is technically and economically viable. This solar plant will produce 16.2 kWh/day (average annual value); the 45% will be used for self-consumption and the 55% left will be fed into the grid. The plant will be connected to the distribution system through low voltage three-phase connection. The implementation of the plant requires an initial investment of approx. 6.9 million chillean pesos. The electric cost will be 100 chillean pesos/kWh for a pay-back period of 12 years.

Agribusiness sector

Exportadora Subsole, Isla de Maipo

The result of the study shows that due to significant consumption in the Exportadora Subsole, the energy produced by a PV system of 100 kWp will be totally consumed, thus no surpluses are generated to inject to the grid. However, this project will reduce the carbon footprint by approximately 58 tons CO₂eq/year, which in turn will generate savings of approximately 9.1 million chilean pesos.

Feasibility study for a 100 kWp PV system in the Exportadora Subsole,  2015 (Spanish)

Viña Valle Secreto, Valle de Cachapoal

The study recommends a 48 kWp PV plant, taking into account the expected increase in the consumption. Although the results show that the installation of the PV plant connected to the grid is technically and economically feasible, it is suggested wait until PV market prices decrease, which is expected in a short term period. 

Agriculture

The implementation of photovoltaic pumping systems in order to optimize the availability of water resources in strawberries and plums in Chile was evaluated. The systems were calculated to draw water from a well or river, raise it to a storage tank and irrigate the acreage.

Feasibility study for a PV plant to irrigate a crop of plums, 2014(Spanish)

Feasibility study for a PV plant to irrigate a crop of strowberries in the V Region, 2013 (Spanish)

Feasibility study for a PV plant to irrigate a crop of strowberries in the VII Region, 2012 (Spanish)