Integrating cutting-edge technology into daily life
Uruguay is one of the world’s leading countries in the decarbonization of the energy mix, with 98% of its electricity generated by renewables. However, the cost of energy from the grid can be steep at times, particularly in the remote areas that host the country’s important agricultural sector. As a result, electricity is often one of the highest operating costs for farmers.
GSEP and member companies Enel X and Hydro-Québec collaborated with local partners UTE and the Intendencia de San José to implement the first battery storage system paired with solar panels in Uruguay. The project aimed to lower costs and improve the profitability of the dairy sector while giving local actors experience with emerging energy storage technologies.
Forging local partnerships
Though a large portion (over 50%) of Uruguay’s population is concentrated in the capital city of Montevideo, an important agricultural sector is spread out across rural areas of the country. The Colonia Delta dairy farming community in southwest Uruguay was identified as the site for this project.
Colonia Delta is a Mennonite colony founded in 1955. It currently consists of approximately 30 families and 20 dairy farms, managed by the president of the Colonia Delta Agricultural Cooperative. This cooperative focuses on agriculture, particularly the dairy sector, and provides the greater Montevideo area with fresh milk.
Colonia Delta benefits from near-constant sunshine, making it an optimal site for a stable level of year-round photovoltaic power generation.
With relevance reaching beyond Uruguay’s agricultural sector, the project sought to explore the requirements for decarbonizing grids, particularly in terms of the integration of storage systems. Implementing batteries alongside renewables allows for stronger energy security and improved grid stability.
Solar panel systems are one of the fastest-growing energy sources used around the world. With the increasing adoption of these intermittent renewable energy systems, the importance of advanced technologies and energy storage systems to ensure energy security and grid stability is becoming ever more important. In recent years, the integration of batteries with photovoltaic systems has become more common due to the availability of cheaper batteries, better chemistry, and more efficient PV systems.
Encouraging the adoption of advanced storage systems is an essential pathway to deploying clean, affordable, and secure energy systems to propel the energy transition around the world.
In total, the project carried out in Uruguay consisted of three interventions incorporating the use of solar panels into daily life in the Colonia Delta community, all with the goal of reducing energy costs and demonstrating the efficacity of energy storage systems when paired with intermittent renewable energy systems.
1. Installation of solar panels and energy storage system on Klaus Dietrich’s farm
This intervention consisted in the installation of photovoltaic panels linked to a distributed energy resource (DER) system, allowing generated energy to be stored in a battery throughout the day and then deployed during peak hours when the cost to purchase energy from the grid is at its highest. This was the first such integration carried out in Uruguay, which only authorized the integration of behind-the-meter grid connected battery storage systems as of January 2020.
2. Installation of solar panels on Alfred Regehr’s farm
A 21 kWp photovoltaic system was installed on an additional dairy farm without a connected energy storage system. This allowed for a comparison between a system with only solar panels and a system with solar panels and storage.
The installation of solar panels has led to notable savings in my operating costs, even though my farm consumed more energy than in previous years. Thank you to GSEP and Hydro-Québec for their efforts in the installation of the photovoltaic system and the training they provided.
3. Installation of solar panels on a carport in the heart of the colony
A 27 kWp photovoltaic system was installed on top of a carport in the centre of Colonia Delta. These panels provide energy to three community buildings, further reducing energy costs for the community.
In addition to installing the solar and storage systems in the centre of Colonia Delta and the two dairy farms, GSEP and its partners also hosted training sessions to promote local capacity building after the integration of the technologies. Critical to achieving the mission of the project, these trainings enhanced locals’ understanding of the new systems, their operation, and their benefits.
The installation of solar panels in the heart of our community represents a strong improvement in the quality of life of our community members. The savings that the project generates each year will allow us to continue developing the community, including supporting the installation of similar technologies elsewhere in Colonia Delta.