The potential of three renewable energies in the Amazon

Abstract

The renewable energies which are present in resources or natural phenomena in the Ecuadorian Amazon region are a fundamental base of sustainable development of the region and the country. By the study of renewable energy technologies, the conception of power stations for private homes, villages, and societies. This serves to increase the own energy production around Puyo and in remote villages which are far from the electricity grid or transport ways. The Amazon features a high precipitation which is a lot of energy potential because of the height of the mountain range and the high number of rivers. This is the reason why dams or catchments are proposed to generate electricity with hydraulic turbines in hydroelectric facilities. For residential electricity in an example village of 1000 persons, a river with a flow of 30 m3/s and a dam with a fall of 6 meters. Also the scale of an installation of photovoltaic panels for private houses or villages is calculated including the solar irradiation and the regional climate in the Amazon in order to produce electricity. A family with a suggested energy demand of 3000 kWh/year can be autarkic with 7 installed panels of 320 Watt, and in villages an amount of circa 1.1 panels per habitant is enough to sum it up to a total number for the whole population. Additionally, biodigesters of a low price can be operated with organic biodegradable waste of agriculture, residences or cattle farming. In a list of species it is proven that every kind of animal, even little ones like guinea pigs or birds, are valuable and useful to generate a considerable volume of biogas (with methane) to cook or transform into electricity. Conclusively, the Amazon could bring out its own energy to be more independent from fossil resources or the electric grid.