Suchergebnisse

Tesi amb diferents seccions retallades per drets de l'editor ; Premi Extraordinari de Doctorat, promoció 2018-2019. Àmbit d'Enginyeria Industrial ; Currently, around 1.2 billion people remain without access to electricity in rural areas of Africa, Asia and Latin America. To date, rural electrification programs have been carried out mainly using conventional technologies based on fossil fuels and/or expanding the coverage of transmission and distribution networks. In addition, in recent years, rural electrification with renewable energy or alternative energy sources has begun to be considered technically feasible. However, it is necessary to improve the evaluation methods of implemented programs and projects in order to know with certainty under which determining one or another technology becomes more convenient. Thus, the participation regional and national governments is expected to be promoted in long-term rural electrification programs, to increase universal access to electricity. In this context, the main objective of this PhD thesis is to propose an evaluation methodology of rural electrification programs to promote their continuous improvement, in terms of design and implementation. In this sense, a formative approach is sought, since ongoing programs require elements for continuous improvement. In addition, a management perspective is assumed, as the results are presented in an appropriate manner for program leaders so as the implementation can be improved by applying the appropriate modifications, when and where needed. The proposed methodology considers a complete evaluation in 4 sustainability dimensions: environmental, technical, socioeconomic and institutional; in turn organised in 15 criteria that allow to analyse in detail the design and implementation of the program. The criteria are evaluated through some indicators that consider the specific characteristics of each project within the program to be studied. The results of the application of the methodology allow weighting, on an objective basis, the effectiveness of electrification programs based on renewable energy technologies (RET) in comparison with the conventional electricity grid extension and/or diesel generators. In order to develop the evaluation methodology proposed in this PhD thesis, from 2016 to 2018, visits have been made to 24 rural communities in Venezuela, electrified with renewable energy or diesel generators, from the extreme southeast (rainforest), on the border with Brazil, up to the extreme northwest (desert), on the border with Colombia, going through the Andean Cordillera (frozen mountain), in a journey of more than 2,200 kilometres that has allowed to consider different social and climatic contexts. The visits have been useful to clearly identify the dimensions that define projects sustainability, as well as the criteria and indicators to be considered for their evaluation. Subsequently, the proposed methodology has been applied to the electrified communities with renewable energy of the Venezuelan program "Sembrando Luz" (Sowing Light) that has reached 900 rural communities to date, and is expected to benefit 2,020 more in the near future, using renewable energy. In this regard, the evaluation methodology promotes continuous improvement in favour of universal access to electricity in the rural communities of Venezuela, and the lessons learned can be useful for the development of similar initiatives in other developing countries. ; En la actualidad, alrededor de 1.200 millones de personas permanecen sin acceso a la electricidad en zonas rurales de África, Asia y América Latina. Hasta la fecha, los programas de electrificación rural se han desarrollado mayoritariamente utilizando tecnologías convencionales basadas en combustibles fósiles y/o la ampliación de la cobertura de las redes eléctricas de transmisión y distribución. Además, en los últimos años se ha comenzado a considerar técnicamente factible la electrificación rural con energías renovables o fuentes alternativas de energía. Sin embargo, es necesario mejorar los métodos de evaluación de los programas y proyectos implementados, con la finalidad de conocer con certeza bajo qué condicionantes es más conveniente una u otra tecnología. Así, se espera favorecer la participación de gobiernos regionales y nacionales en programas de electrificación rural a largo plazo, para incrementar el acceso universal a la electricidad. En este contexto, el objetivo principal de esta tesis doctoral es proponer una metodología de evaluación de programas de electrificación rural para promover su mejora continua, en términos de diseño e implementación. En este sentido, se busca un enfoque formativo, ya que los programas en curso requieren de elementos para la mejora continua. Además, se asume una perspectiva de gestión, ya que los resultados se presentan de forma adecuada para los líderes del programa de modo que se pueda mejorar la implementación aplicando las modificaciones adecuadas, cuando y donde sea necesario. La metodología propuesta considera una evaluación completa en 4 dimensiones de sostenibilidad: ambiental, técnica, socioeconómica e institucional; a su vez compuestas por 15 criterios que permiten analizar en detalle el diseño y la implementación del programa. Los criterios se evalúan mediante unos indicadores que consideran las características específicas de cada proyecto dentro del programa a estudiar. Los resultados de la aplicación de la metodología permiten ponderar, sobre una base objetiva, la efectividad de los programas de electrificación basados en tecnologías energéticas renovables (Renewable Energy Technologies, RET) en comparación con la extensión de la red eléctrica convencional y/o los grupos electrógenos. Para el desarrollo de la metodología de evaluación propuesta en esta tesis doctoral, entre 2016 y 2018, se han realizado visitas a 24 comunidades rurales en Venezuela, electrificadas con energías renovables o grupos electrógenos, desde el extremo sureste (bosque tropical lluvioso), en la frontera con Brasil, hasta el extremo noroeste (desierto), en la frontera con Colombia, pasando por el Cordillera de los Andes (montaña congelada), en un recorrido de más de 2.200 kilómetros que ha permitido considerar diferentes contextos sociales y climáticos. Las visitas han servido para identificar con claridad las dimensiones que definen la sostenibilidad de los proyectos, así como los criterios e indicadores a considerar para su evaluación. Posteriormente, la metodología propuesta se ha aplicado a las comunidades electrificadas con energías renovables del programa venezolano "Sembrando Luz" que hasta la fecha ha llegado a 900 comunidades rurales, y se espera que beneficie a 2.020 más en un futuro cercano, utilizando energías renovables. En este sentido, la metodología de evaluación promueve una mejora continua en favor del acceso universal a la electricidad en las comunidades rurales de Venezuela, y las lecciones aprendidas pueden ser útiles para el desarrollo de iniciativas similares en otros países en vías de desarrollo. ; Award-winning ; Postprint (published version)

Tesi amb diferents seccions retallades per drets de l'editor ; Currently, around 1.2 billion people remain without access to electricity in rural areas of Africa, Asia and Latin America. To date, rural electrification programs have been carried out mainly using conventional technologies based on fossil fuels and/or expanding the coverage of transmission and distribution networks. In addition, in recent years, rural electrification with renewable energy or alternative energy sources has begun to be considered technically feasible. However, it is necessary to improve the evaluation methods of implemented programs and projects in order to know with certainty under which determining one or another technology becomes more convenient. Thus, the participation regional and national governments is expected to be promoted in long-term rural electrification programs, to increase universal access to electricity. In this context, the main objective of this PhD thesis is to propose an evaluation methodology of rural electrification programs to promote their continuous improvement, in terms of design and implementation. In this sense, a formative approach is sought, since ongoing programs require elements for continuous improvement. In addition, a management perspective is assumed, as the results are presented in an appropriate manner for program leaders so as the implementation can be improved by applying the appropriate modifications, when and where needed. The proposed methodology considers a complete evaluation in 4 sustainability dimensions: environmental, technical, socioeconomic and institutional; in turn organised in 15 criteria that allow to analyse in detail the design and implementation of the program. The criteria are evaluated through some indicators that consider the specific characteristics of each project within the program to be studied. The results of the application of the methodology allow weighting, on an objective basis, the effectiveness of electrification programs based on renewable energy technologies (RET) in comparison with the conventional electricity grid extension and/or diesel generators. In order to develop the evaluation methodology proposed in this PhD thesis, from 2016 to 2018, visits have been made to 24 rural communities in Venezuela, electrified with renewable energy or diesel generators, from the extreme southeast (rainforest), on the border with Brazil, up to the extreme northwest (desert), on the border with Colombia, going through the Andean Cordillera (frozen mountain), in a journey of more than 2,200 kilometres that has allowed to consider different social and climatic contexts. The visits have been useful to clearly identify the dimensions that define projects sustainability, as well as the criteria and indicators to be considered for their evaluation. Subsequently, the proposed methodology has been applied to the electrified communities with renewable energy of the Venezuelan program "Sembrando Luz" (Sowing Light) that has reached 900 rural communities to date, and is expected to benefit 2,020 more in the near future, using renewable energy. In this regard, the evaluation methodology promotes continuous improvement in favour of universal access to electricity in the rural communities of Venezuela, and the lessons learned can be useful for the development of similar initiatives in other developing countries. ; En la actualidad, alrededor de 1.200 millones de personas permanecen sin acceso a la electricidad en zonas rurales de África, Asia y América Latina. Hasta la fecha, los programas de electrificación rural se han desarrollado mayoritariamente utilizando tecnologías convencionales basadas en combustibles fósiles y/o la ampliación de la cobertura de las redes eléctricas de transmisión y distribución. Además, en los últimos años se ha comenzado a considerar técnicamente factible la electrificación rural con energías renovables o fuentes alternativas de energía. Sin embargo, es necesario mejorar los métodos de evaluación de los programas y proyectos implementados, con la finalidad de conocer con certeza bajo qué condicionantes es más conveniente una u otra tecnología. Así, se espera favorecer la participación de gobiernos regionales y nacionales en programas de electrificación rural a largo plazo, para incrementar el acceso universal a la electricidad. En este contexto, el objetivo principal de esta tesis doctoral es proponer una metodología de evaluación de programas de electrificación rural para promover su mejora continua, en términos de diseño e implementación. En este sentido, se busca un enfoque formativo, ya que los programas en curso requieren de elementos para la mejora continua. Además, se asume una perspectiva de gestión, ya que los resultados se presentan de forma adecuada para los líderes del programa de modo que se pueda mejorar la implementación aplicando las modificaciones adecuadas, cuando y donde sea necesario. La metodología propuesta considera una evaluación completa en 4 dimensiones de sostenibilidad: ambiental, técnica, socioeconómica e institucional; a su vez compuestas por 15 criterios que permiten analizar en detalle el diseño y la implementación del programa. Los criterios se evalúan mediante unos indicadores que consideran las características específicas de cada proyecto dentro del programa a estudiar. Los resultados de la aplicación de la metodología permiten ponderar, sobre una base objetiva, la efectividad de los programas de electrificación basados en tecnologías energéticas renovables (Renewable Energy Technologies, RET) en comparación con la extensión de la red eléctrica convencional y/o los grupos electrógenos. Para el desarrollo de la metodología de evaluación propuesta en esta tesis doctoral, entre 2016 y 2018, se han realizado visitas a 24 comunidades rurales en Venezuela, electrificadas con energías renovables o grupos electrógenos, desde el extremo sureste (bosque tropical lluvioso), en la frontera con Brasil, hasta el extremo noroeste (desierto), en la frontera con Colombia, pasando por el Cordillera de los Andes (montaña congelada), en un recorrido de más de 2.200 kilómetros que ha permitido considerar diferentes contextos sociales y climáticos. Las visitas han servido para identificar con claridad las dimensiones que definen la sostenibilidad de los proyectos, así como los criterios e indicadores a considerar para su evaluación. Posteriormente, la metodología propuesta se ha aplicado a las comunidades electrificadas con energías renovables del programa venezolano "Sembrando Luz" que hasta la fecha ha llegado a 900 comunidades rurales, y se espera que beneficie a 2.020 más en un futuro cercano, utilizando energías renovables. En este sentido, la metodología de evaluación promueve una mejora continua en favor del acceso universal a la electricidad en las comunidades rurales de Venezuela, y las lecciones aprendidas pueden ser útiles para el desarrollo de iniciativas similares en otros países en vías de desarrollo. ; Postprint (published version)

In the last ten years, there has been a progressive improvement in rural electrification indexes in developing countries, and renewable energies are progressively being integrated into electrification programs. In Cuba, the government has set a target of 700 MW in solar photovoltaic energy by 2030, including rural electrification and off-grid systems. Within this framework, 10,000 modular systems of 300 Wp are being installed in isolated communities. Nowadays, previously diesel-electrified settlements are migrating into renewable energy technologies projects in rural Cuba. The objective of this research is to evaluate the sustainability of these changes in order to identify the implications for other developing countries, taking four different dimensions into account: environmental, technical, socioeconomic, and institutional. For this purpose, the rural communities of Yaguá (diesel-based) and Río Abajo (solar-based) in the province of Sancti Spiritus are visited and studied. Results show that the institutional dimension of sustainability is positive thanks to improvements in energy security and promotion of the Cuban national plan goals. Moreover, results confirm that the energy transition from diesel-based to solar PV is environmentally sustainable in Cuba, but improvements are still necessary in the power capacity of solar modules to strengthen the socioeconomic and technical dimensions. ; Peer Reviewed ; Postprint (published version)

Rural electrification has often been promoted to improve women's access to education. However, no studies have been conducted to measure the actual impact of electrification on equitable access to education, qualitatively and quantitatively. This is particularly true when studying rural and indigenous communities in developing countries. The objective of this study is to comprehensively evaluate the impact of electrification on schooling for men and women in La Guajira (Venezuela). Their traditional indigenous rural communities were recently electrified with Renewable Energy Technologies (RET). The study focuses on eight communities that have never had electricity and whose location far from urban settlements limits other social relationships. During a week of total immersion in the fieldwork, the impact on 285 men and 273 women was analyzed through 43 household surveys. The results show that access to primary, secondary, and higher education has increased significantly thanks to coordinated education and electricity policies. School offers similar opportunities for both genders, but a higher percentage of indigenous women take advantage of the opportunity to study beyond the primary level. ; This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation under the project title: "Optimization of Micro networks with Renewable Energies under Uncertainty and Future Network Integration" (OMER-IFIR), RTI2018-097962-B-I00. This research was co-financed by Centre for Cooperation Development (CCD) of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-Barcelona TECH (UPC) under the project title "Development of tools for the evaluation of energy projects", 2019-B014. This work has been possible thanks to the kind collaboration of the Wayuu people from the Venezuelan Guajira and Fundelec (Venezuela) engineers and technicians. ; Peer Reviewed ; Postprint (author's final draft)

Nowadays, 1.2 billion people lack access to electricity, mainly in rural areas of developing countries. In particular, 22 million people do not have electricity in Latin America and many governments are developing rural electrification programs to deal with this situation. Off-grid hybrid microgrids based on renewable energy are an efficient option for providing dispersed rural populations with access to electricity. However, microgrids are still a minority option, as governments of developing countries generally consider them expensive and not effective. In this context, the evaluation of projects based on hybrid microgrids is required in order to improve the knowledge about these technologies. In this paper, 13 microgrid projects in north-western Venezuela are presented and their environmental, technical, socioeconomic and institutional dimensions of sustainability are evaluated. For this purpose, an evaluation methodology based on some ad hoc criteria is developed, assessed by means of technical visits, semi-structured interviews and 106 surveys of technical operators and beneficiaries. The results show that microgrids can satisfy the energy needs of the population, while promoting technological change towards the use of more sustainable technologies. In addition, the key aspects for strengthening projects' sustainability are highlighted. ; Peer Reviewed ; Postprint (author's final draft)

Nowadays, 1.2 billion people lack access to electricity, mainly in rural areas of developing countries. In particular, 22 million people do not have electricity in Latin America and many governments are developing rural electrification programs to deal with this situation. Off-grid hybrid microgrids based on renewable energy are an efficient option for providing dispersed rural populations with access to electricity. However, microgrids are still a minority option, as governments of developing countries generally consider them expensive and not effective. In this context, the evaluation of projects based on hybrid microgrids is required in order to improve the knowledge about these technologies. In this paper, 13 microgrid projects in north-western Venezuela are presented and their environmental, technical, socioeconomic and institutional dimensions of sustainability are evaluated. For this purpose, an evaluation methodology based on some ad hoc criteria is developed, assessed by means of technical visits, semi-structured interviews and 106 surveys of technical operators and beneficiaries. The results show that microgrids can satisfy the energy needs of the population, while promoting technological change towards the use of more sustainable technologies. In addition, the key aspects for strengthening projects' sustainability are highlighted. ; Peer Reviewed ; Postprint (author's final draft)

En este trabajo se estudia la relación entre el desarrollo eléctrico y la industria eléctrica de Venezuela, su dependencia y las políticas energéticas de los gobiernos del período de Democracia Representativa (1958-1998) y de Democracia Participativa (2004-2014). La metodología utilizada consistió en un análisis histórico comparativo de los datos de la capacidad eléctrica instalada y de la energía eléctrica consumida per cápita recopilado por la Comisión de Integración Energética Regional para América Latina, con especial atención en los siete países más poblados de la región, incluida Venezuela. Se comparan estos datos con los precios y producción petrolera de la British Petroleum y de la Organización de Países Exportadores de Petróleo. Los resultados obtenidos revelan que los ingresos petroleros y la disponibilidad de combustibles nacionales para la expansión termoeléctrica de la capacidad de generación provocaron dependencia en la industria eléctrica, iniciada con la democracia representativa y agravada en el período de democracia participativa. La comparación de ambos períodos evidencia que el sector eléctrico venezolano se encuentra en su crisis más grave debido a que las perspectivas de corto y mediano plazos indican que el Estado no podrá continuar con el subsidio de los combustibles. Se concluye que, en el contexto institucional actual, el uso de energías renovables para la generación eléctrica, más que un asunto medioambiental, es un tema relacionado con la sostenibilidad económica del sistema eléctrico venezolano. ; Postprint (author's final draft)

En este trabajo se estudia la relación entre el desarrollo eléctrico y la industria eléctrica de Venezuela, su dependencia y las políticas energéticas de los gobiernos del período de Democracia Representativa (1958-1998) y de Democracia Participativa (2004-2014). La metodología utilizada consistió en un análisis histórico comparativo de los datos de la capacidad eléctrica instalada y de la energía eléctrica consumida per cápita recopilado por la Comisión de Integración Energética Regional para América Latina, con especial atención en los siete países más poblados de la región, incluida Venezuela. Se comparan estos datos con los precios y producción petrolera de la British Petroleum y de la Organización de Países Exportadores de Petróleo. Los resultados obtenidos revelan que los ingresos petroleros y la disponibilidad de combustibles nacionales para la expansión termoeléctrica de la capacidad de generación provocaron dependencia en la industria eléctrica, iniciada con la democracia representativa y agravada en el período de democracia participativa. La comparación de ambos períodos evidencia que el sector eléctrico venezolano se encuentra en su crisis más grave debido a que las perspectivas de corto y mediano plazos indican que el Estado no podrá continuar con el subsidio de los combustibles. Se concluye que, en el contexto institucional actual, el uso de energías renovables para la generación eléctrica, más que un asunto medioambiental, es un tema relacionado con la sostenibilidad económica del sistema eléctrico venezolano. ; Postprint (author's final draft)

Nowadays, 84% of the world population without access to electricity is located in rural areas of developing countries. In particular, in the Andean countries, about 10.4 million people lack of access to electricity, mainly in isolated poor regions. Considering the relevance of electricity in overcoming poverty and promoting socioeconomic development, local-regional-national governments, supported by international organizations, are making efforts to achieve full rural electrification. In this regard, renewable microgrid projects are an effective alternative where the national grid extension has limitations. The literature on the design of such projects is significant. However, when evaluating experiences, most works focus on an analysis of projects' performance from a technical and/or economical point of view. In contrast, very few literature has been reported on the comparison of such experiences from the perspective of the design process itself and how decisions are taken by project developers. In this article, five rural electrification experiences in Andean Countries (Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela) are reviewed, analyzing the decisions taken across the design process and showing the suitability of these technologies to extend access to electricity. In the target projects, first, a preliminary analysis is carried out to estimate the energy resources and demand. Next, the system is designed and implemented to meet the demand using the available resources. The five projects illustrate different options for the electrical generation (single, hybrid or combination of technologies), storage (battery or diesel backup) and distribution (microgrid or individual systems), as well as different methods for data gathering and systems design. In addition, a comparison of projects' real behavior is carried out and their technical performance in terms of energy production and suitability of the technologies implemented is analyzed. These projects can be a good reference for the dissemination of such technologies in future projects in the Andean countries and abroad. ; Postprint (author's final draft)

Nowadays, 84% of the world population without access to electricity is located in rural areas of developing countries. In particular, in the Andean countries, about 10.4 million people lack of access to electricity, mainly in isolated poor regions. Considering the relevance of electricity in overcoming poverty and promoting socioeconomic development, local-regional-national governments, supported by international organizations, are making efforts to achieve full rural electrification. In this regard, renewable microgrid projects are an effective alternative where the national grid extension has limitations. The literature on the design of such projects is significant. However, when evaluating experiences, most works focus on an analysis of projects' performance from a technical and/or economical point of view. In contrast, very few literature has been reported on the comparison of such experiences from the perspective of the design process itself and how decisions are taken by project developers. In this article, five rural electrification experiences in Andean Countries (Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela) are reviewed, analyzing the decisions taken across the design process and showing the suitability of these technologies to extend access to electricity. In the target projects, first, a preliminary analysis is carried out to estimate the energy resources and demand. Next, the system is designed and implemented to meet the demand using the available resources. The five projects illustrate different options for the electrical generation (single, hybrid or combination of technologies), storage (battery or diesel backup) and distribution (microgrid or individual systems), as well as different methods for data gathering and systems design. In addition, a comparison of projects' real behavior is carried out and their technical performance in terms of energy production and suitability of the technologies implemented is analyzed. These projects can be a good reference for the dissemination of such technologies in future projects in the Andean countries and abroad. ; Postprint (author's final draft)