Review and multi-criteria assessment of solar energy projects in Chile. (June 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Grágeda, M.; Escudero, M.; Alavia, W.; Ushak, S.; Fthenakis, V.
• Is Part Of: Renewable & sustainable energy reviews. Volume 59(2016:Jun.)
• Page Start: 583
• Page End: 596
• Publication Date: 2016-06
• Subjects: CAP Compañía de Acero del Pacífico -- CDEC Centro de Despacho Económico de Carga (Center for Economic Load Dispatch) -- CER Centro de Energias Renovables (Center of Renewable Energy) -- CF Capacity Factor -- CNE Comisión Nacional de Energía (National Energy Commission) -- COCHILCO Comisión Chilena del Cobre (Chilean Copper Commission) -- CODELCO Corporación Nacional del Cobre (Chile State Copper Company) -- CORFO Corporación de Fomento de la Producción de Chile (Production Development Corporation) -- CPC Compound Parabolic Collector -- CSP Concentrated solar power -- DNI Direct Normal Irradiance -- ER Electrorefined cathode (pyrometallurgy) -- ETC Evacuated Tube Collector -- EW Electrowinning -- FP footprint CO2 -- FPC Flat Plate Collector -- GHG Greenhouse Gas -- GHI Global Horizontal Irradiation (GHI) -- HFC Heliostats Field Collector -- IEA International Energy Agency -- INV Investment -- LFR Lineal Fresnel Reflector -- LU Land Use -- LX Leaching -- MTF Metric ton refined copper -- NCRE Non conventional renewable energy -- OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development -- PC Parabolic-trough Collector -- PDR Parabolic Dish Reflector/Sterling Dish -- PF Performance -- PPA Power purchase agreement -- PSF Planta solar fotovoltaica (Photovoltaic Solar Plant) -- PV Photovoltaic -- TES Thermal Energy Storage -- SEIA Servicio Evaluación Impacto Ambiental (Environmental Impact Assessment System) -- SIC Sistema Interconectado Central (Central Interconnected System) -- SING Sistema Integrado del Norte Grande (Northern Interconnected System) -- SX Solvent extraction; Solar energy -- PV -- Solar heat plants -- NCRE -- Multicriteria analysis; Renewable energy sources -- Periodicals; Power resources -- Periodicals; Énergies renouvelables -- Périodiques; Ressources énergétiques -- Périodiques; 333.794
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2015.12.149
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1364-0321

Abstract

Abstract: Chile needs to increase its installed electric capacity to support economic growth. Currently, the total demand is 67, 564 GW h and an additional 22, 508 GW h will be needed by 2020 to meet the energy demand of industrial projects. The Chilean mining industry is a major electricity consumer in the country accounting for one third total consumption over today. Solar energy has the highest potential for growth in northern Chile as the north of the country hosts the highest solar resources of the world. In this paper we present a comprehensive review of the energy supply and demand status, planning and prospects in the country with focus on solar photovoltaic- and solar thermal-projects. As of the end of 2014, a solar capacity of 2384 MW are operational and under construction, and more than 10, 000 MW of solar power plants have been proposed; most solar projects are located in northern regions where the mining takes place. Considering a conservative scenario where one half of the proposed solar projects would be operational before 2020, solar technology could cover a great part of the country's energy requirements. We evaluated eight operating PV plants and three operating solar thermoelectric plants based on a multi-criteria assessment to offer a reference point for assessing future projects.