Esquiña is a small village of about 100 inhabitants located in the middle of the mountains, in Comuna de Camarones – Arica province, north of Chile, a highly isolated place with big difficulties for the penetration of the electric grid.
Solventia won the public biding by CORFO (Production Development Corporation – Chilean governmental organization to promote economic growth) for the Engineering, Procurement and Construction of a hybrid system (solar PV+diesel generator) and the distribution grid to facilitate access to electricity to all the population in the village.
A total DC power of 52 kW with an automatic inverter/charger connected to high capacity lead batteries and back-up generator set, capable of feeding all the houses and facilities in the
village to be completely self-sufficient.
In many areas of the country Solar PV systems have already reached Grid Parity, meaning that we can generate electricity at a cost that is less than or equal to the price of purchasing power
from the public grid.
Main challenges to overcome:
- Planning and logistics
- Training to local users
- Remote monitoring and control