Page 30 - North American Clean Energy May June 2018 Issue

solar power
30
MAY•JUNE2018 /// www.nacleanenergy.com
O -Grid Solar
in the Rainforest
by Thomas Beindorf
THE QUALITY OF HUMAN COHABITATION STRONGLY DEPENDS ON A
reliable access to energy. is can be a feat for any large, metropolitan city; a small community in an isolated or o -grid location faces an enormous challenge when establishing a sound and a ordable power supply. Remote communities often meet this challenge by utilizing fuel-based energy generating technologies, such as diesel generators. However, this kind of power supply represents a heavy burden, since fuel prices are unstable, the generators require extensive maintenance, the logistics of diesel is expensive and time-consuming and, of course, the emissions cause serious pollution and harm to the natural environment. To overcome the dependence on fossil fuels, more and more remote communities are choosing to install o -grid, renewable energy systems.
anks to its exible application and low maintenance requirements, solar technology represents an ideal opportunity for remote areas to ensure a consistent energy supply, while attending to the challenges of climate change. As one of the clean energy pioneers in the Caribbean, the government of Guyana strives towards a 100 percent renewable energy supply in the country by 2025, and aims to equip even remote rainforest communities with solar energy installations. Associated with the Ministry
of Public Infrastructure of Guyana, the government-run Hinterland Electri cation Company is implementing solar projects in remote areas, to help reduce their dependence on polluting diesel generators.
In the remote Mabaruma Region, in the very North of the country, an international company has stepped in to install a 400 kWp o -grid solar solution, together with an energy management and energy storage capacity of 400 kWh. After a thorough planning and logistical stage, this project has been recently completed and implemented. Given the challenges of a remote solar power project, special consideration was taken with each step in the process. is project was a far cry from most solar projects in densely populated and interconnected areas.
Overcoming logistic hurdles through diligent preparation e small, remote community of Mabaruma is located close to the Venezuelan border, surrounded by dense rainforest vegetation. Since there is no major seaport near the community, the delivery of the materials needed for the solar systems represented the rst major challenge. Ensuring the timely and safe delivery of the modules, substructure, batteries, and inverters, required
diligent and accurate planning and preparation. Unlike other solar projects, the components for the solar systems in Mabaruma could not be delivered directly to the construction site via containers
and trucks. Instead, the parts were rst delivered to the international seaport
in Georgetown, the capital of Guyana, then moved out of the containers, loaded onto smaller boats, and nally delivered by small local trucks to the power plant. Every step of this transport chain had to be carefully orchestrated to ensure a smooth and safe transport of the materials.
Wildlife conditions required additional planning. While realizing a solar energy project in the rainforest, it is especially important to take into account the environmental aspects around the
installations. Besides generating solar power, the renewable energy systems also represent an opportunity to increase the biodiversity value of a site. e rainforest of Guyana is characterized by a high biological diversity with a unique ora, and represents a rich habitat for endangered species such as the Tepui swift, the jaguar, and more than 850 species of birds.
To maintain this exceptional environment, natural habitats like
eld margins were preserved. Even self-seeding plants and security
fences promoted diversity during the construction process. As some animals may represent a threat to solar plants and their smooth operation – such as small rodents cutting cables - the security fences not only protect the installations, but also the animals. At the same time, they o er
a surface for growing climbers and the resulting nectar sources.
Apart from the logistical challenges arising from the remote location of the Mabaruma community, the conditions around a site in the middle of the rainforest needed special and highly customized preparation. Due the di culty in accessing such a remote location, all necessary components and materials had