Custo da eletricidade produzida com energia solar concentrada em Alagoas

Abstract

Renewable energy sources emerge as an alternative to mitigate the negative impacts resulting from the indiscriminate use of fossil fuels. Although the Brazilian energy matrix is predominantly renewable, the country needs to undergo an energy transition to strengthen its sustainability and security. The diversification of energy sources is fundamental in this process, given Brazil's broad potential for implementing various renewable technologies. Among these technologies, those that take advantage of solar resources to obtain electricity and heat stand out. Concentrated solar energy is considered a novelty in Brazil, still in the maturation and study phase, mainly to make it more attractive in economic terms, considering that most of the projects already implemented are large-scale and require large investments. In this way, the present study focuses on highlighting mechanisms for carrying out technical-economic analyzes such as the System Advisor Model (SAM) software, which allows and offers guidelines to determine the viability of concentrated solar energy projects (CSP – concentrated solar power). In addition to evaluating the performance of a small-scale project in two locations in the state of Alagoas, located in the Brazilian Northeast, the municipalities of Maceió and Delmiro Gouveia. In the simulations carried out at SAM, Maceió achieved 1,637,321 kWh-e of energy generation, with a levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of 0.2856 US$/kWh for an installed power of 1 MW. Delmiro Gouveia recorded a production of 1,781,611 kWh-e, with an LCOE of 0.2622 US$/kWh for the same installed power. The energy generated in Maceió varies throughout the year, while in Delmiro Gouveia the values remain more constant. However, in both, generation proved to be more efficient during periods of low rainfall. This LCOE data offers a preliminary analysis of economic viability, highlighting the need to reduce costs to make this technology more competitive in relation to other energy sources.