CPFL- Photovoltaic Solar Power
Plant
CPFL Renewables is Brazil’s largest renewable
power company which aims to increase the amount of renewable energy in Brazil
through photovoltaics, wind power, hydroelectric, and biomass. The company has a
large supply of photovoltaic panels, testing two materials, amorphous silicon
and monocrystalline silicon, and the orientation, solar tracking and
stationary. The company does not produce
any of their own panels but instead test several vendors’ panels for maximum
efficiency and performance.
On the Tanquinho site visit the most
interesting thing I learned was that technology has advanced to the point where
the panels can track the movement of the sun, therefore harnessing the maximum
amount of energy from the sun. This
technology is more effective than the stationary ones which is what I was most
familiar with prior to visiting. Specifically in Brazil, which is close to the
equator and has a vast amount of open space for panels, this technology could
be a major contributor to their overall energy source. An idea for improvement
could be by determining a means to reduce panel size as to not consume as much
space for installation. When utilized on rooftops they don’t require extra
space but for large plants, they could greatly impede on the inhabitants of the
surrounding areas. If this technology was brought back to the US, I suggest
connecting them to a storage system, such as a battery, that would allow for
energy during times when the sun is not available.
In Brazil, the policies that
regulate this technology include tax incentives for individuals purchasing the
panels as well as companies supplying them and programs to distribute the
panels to off grid locations (PRODEEM). In general the Brazilian government is inputting
policies that will reduce carbon emissions and are seeking to invest in
renewable technologies across a broad spectrum of sources. Environmentally
solar panels are advantageous to Brazil since using photovoltaic panels have a
completely clean exhaust and do not output any carbon dioxide when providing
energy. Even though the panels require fossil fuels for production and in
result release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, long term, the amount they save
surpasses the initial amount needed.
Bosch-
Flex Fuel
Bosch is a German based company that
focuses on consumer good, automotive, and industrial industries. They have
several locations in Brazil, mostly focusing on automotive, specifically the
flex engine. The plant we visited in Campinas has an automotive department that
is working on adapting gasoline only engines to be compatible with flex fuel in
order to improve performance and overall efficiency. They are testing several
engines for a variety of vehicle manufacturers. The department in Brazil has
several different facilities, such as cold and hot rooms, which allow the
engineers to create the most ideal engine for the temperature and weather of
Brazil.
On this site visit I learned how the
company tests the flexible fuel engines that they are modifying and what
conditions they must be able to withstand. A few examples are the use of cold
and hot rooms, the testing infrastructure, and the computer driving simulations
which determine climate effects, operator use, and wear and tear on the engine
and its components. I think that the use of flex fuel in Brazil is extremely
effective since the country is a large producer of sugarcane which evident
since over 80% of new vehicles produced since 2009 in Brazil use flex fuel.
Using flex fuel also decreases Brazil’s dependence on foreign nations and
provides them with a profitable industry. In the US, flex fuel is not nearly as
popular and most consumers that own a flex fuel car are not aware of it. The US
uses corn rather than sugar cane due to sugar cane not being widely available,
which is more expensive since more energy is required to extract the glucose from
the corn. Flex fuel could be improved by lowering the cost per gallon.
Currently, using a combination of gasoline and ethanol is more expensive due to
ethanol having a lower energy density per volume than gasoline. In order to
persuade consumers away from gasoline, ethanol must be at a competitive price.
Similarly, if this technology was brought to the US, the means of extracting
the glucose from corn would need to be optimized in order to cut costs. Since
the glucose is contained within the corn, rather than pure as with sugar cane,
this adds another step in the process resulting in a higher cost for production
as well as an increase in energy input.
Brazil has several policies in place
to regulate these technologies. Similarly to the policies focused on promoting
the use of solar panels, the government is offering incentives programs and tax
refunds for the purchase of flex fuel vehicles. The environment substantial reason
for the promotion of the use of flex fuel as the release of carbon dioxide from
the combustion of ethanol is negated by the re-absorption of that carbon
dioxide back into the sugar cane plants. Although the fuel still requires
traditional gasoline, it’s a step towards reducing overall greenhouse gas
emissions. The economics of flex fuel, as I mentioned earlier, are not yet at a
point where using a combination of ethanol and gasoline benefits the consumer.
Flex fuel cars are more expensive as the engines and fuel tanks require more
robust materials and safety measures since ethanol is more corrosive and
conductive than standard gasoline. Also, although the price of ethanol is
significantly lower than gasoline per gallon, ethanol has a lower energy density,
resulting in more fuel needed, thus more expenses.
Enersolar + Brazil
Enersolar + Brazil is an international
fair showcasing innovative photovoltaic and solar technologies and companies.
The assignment for the day was to speak with 25 different companies, each
focusing on developing a unique technology, industry, or application. We looked
into companies working on products ranging from traditional solar thermal water
heaters to more obscure solar powered outdoor projectors for movies.
I was aware of the application of solar
power for standard uses such as water heaters and photovoltaic panels but did
not realize how many other areas solar power can be utilized in. For example, a
good majority of the companies did not actually have a solar powered product
but rather accessories for panels and heaters. It hadn’t occurred to me prior
to the conference how much of an industry solar power has the potential for,
such as in maintenance, cleaning, and security. Another interesting technology
I found interesting at the conference was the use of solar power for an air
conditioning unit. Logistically, the times of the day when an air conditioning
unit would be used would be during the time of day with the most sunlight,
hence the most power inputted to the panels. A major concern with the use of
solar panels is intermittency of sunlight, therefore it not being practical as
a main source of energy for most homes. But with air conditioning, the unit
could completely sustain on solar power, greatly reducing both costs and
emissions of a major energy consumer. Overall, I enjoyed the conference and
walked out significantly more knowledgeable on solar energy. If I could change
one thing, it would be for the conference to have more industries than just
solar, biomass, and wind.
Usina Henry Borden-
Hydroelectric
The last site we visited was a hydroelectric plant Usina Henry
Borden located in Cubatao, Brazil. The plant has been around since the
1920s, successfully using essentially the same technology as it has been for
almost 100 years. The plant pumps water from a river up a mountain in order to
increase the potential energy, then utilizes the kinetic energy as the water
falls down the side of the mountain to generate electricity. The water is
pushed through a nozzle, turns a turbine, and in results generates energy. This
specific plant uses significantly less energy than a traditional hydroelectric
plant since it relies on water pressure, rather than water volume, to rotate
the turbine. When the water has passed through the turbine, it is routed to its
natural destination in order to not negatively affect the environment.
In Brazil, hydroelectric power accounts for over 90% of Brazil’s
energy supply. That being said, the technology must be pretty effective in
Brazil. Hydroelectric power is low carbon emission, cheap, and has no long term
environmental effects as all water used is outputted to its natural origin. It
is also a domestic energy source, and gives Brazil more freedom from fossil
fuel dependence and creates jobs. At this plant, their hydroelectric water
source is from naturally flowing rivers but in the US we created hydro power by
daming off rivers, such as the Hoover dam. Daming rivers has a variety of
negative effects, such as damage to the ecosystem, soil erosion, and increased
water temperature leading to human and animal disease. Therefore, the major
improvement I would bring to the US from visiting the plant would be to find an
alternative, natural way to produce hydro energy. Economically, as mentioned
previously, this specific plant uses less water than a traditional plant, reducing
the cost of their energy production. This translates to not only savings for
the company but also for the consumer.
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