Congress on Research, Development, and Innovation in Renewable Energies

Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide due to their potential to reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality. However, the widespread adoption of EVs presents significant challenges for the power grid, particularly in managing the increased demand for electricity. Under this need, this chapter proposes a Demand-Side Management (DMS) for EVs in a Santa Elena distribution network using artificial intelligence. The proposed approach incorporates an algorithm that uses K-means for pattern recognition and selects a feeder with a representative demand of the system, which reduces the computational burden. To reduce the peak of the demand, a power flow executed in CYME® and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) programmed in Python is used to implement the DMS. The results reveal that the proposed algorithm contributes to managing the feeder demand, improving the voltage profile and power factor in the charging station node.

In 2020, Ecuador’s residential sector consumed 13 million Barrels of Oil Equivalent (BOE), representing 15.7% of the total energy consumption in urban and rural households in the country. Of this consumption, liquefied petroleum gas accounted for 51.8%, electricity 38.4%, firewood 9.7%, and natural gas 0.1%. The main uses in this sector are home heating (49%), home ventilation (29%), and water heating, cooking, lighting, and household appliances (22%). This research aims to study the long-term energy transition of Ecuador’s residential sector. The methodology applies the geoAI MUSE-RASA framework and is based on a national survey, geospatial analysis of large spatiotemporal datasets applying machine learning techniques, and agent-based modeling. The survey results and the spatial distribution of per capita GDP show that the population can be classified into five agents, characterized by investment objectives, search rules, decision strategies, and a budget for investing in household energy technologies. Additional results include national and agent-specific demand, supply, consumption, and emissions. The sustainable scenario shows that by 2050, the total energy demand in the residential sector will reach 103.2 PJ, distributed among home heating (45 PJ), water heating (19 PJ), space ventilation (0.2 PJ), cooking (12 PJ), lighting (5 PJ), and appliances (22 PJ). In the case of home heating, three technologies will play a significant role in the sector’s sustainable transition: electric boilers, biomass boilers, and heat pumps by 2050. The results of this research can be used for evaluating energy policy when considering the spatial distribution of the population and their socioeconomic and developmental characteristics.

The use of airfoils that describe heave and pitching movements simultaneously to extract energy from oncoming fluid, as a turbine, is one of the promising concepts in renewable energy. In this study, the efficiency to extract the energy from the incoming water flow when using a submerged asymmetric airfoil, NACA 1412, is investigated. This moves through a steady laminar regime, (Re = 1100), with forced Heave and Pitching motion. A mapping of efficiencies is constructed hereon for a range of normalized frequencies f* and Pitching angle Ө₀ aiming to have a “smooth” surface of energy efficiency. In an earlier investigation, the highest attainable efficiency range stood between 15% and 20%. Nevertheless, in this study, the focus shifts to examining the impact of the effective angle of attack, denoted as α, particularly concerning its effect on efficiency and power extracted. Furthermore, the concept of the feathering parameter χ is employed as an essential prerequisite for the power-extraction regime. The study delves into the investigation of heave amplitude variation with the pitching axis held constant at 33% of the chord length. The ensuing results stemming from the manipulation of these parameters are thoroughly examined, with the aim of achieving an efficiency surpassing 15%. Employing Ansys Fluent as the simulation tool, a dedicated C programming code was formulated and implemented to facilitate oscillatory motion on the airfoil.

Grid-connected photovoltaic systems in self-consumption mode are designed to operate in parallel with the electricity grid. These systems are gaining interest in Ecuador due to their enormous potential for economic savings, energy independence, and environmental benefits. In this sense, this chapter presents the results obtained through a simulation tool that allows any user to determine a photovoltaic system’s profitability, energy savings, and level of self-consumption. The tool utilizes databases from various sources to assess the solar potential at a specific location. It uses a simplified version of the Perez model to calculate the diffuse irradiance for tilted surfaces. Characteristics such as PV power, tilt, orientation, and installation costs, among others, as well as household-specific features like electricity consumption and location, are inputted as variables. The tool is programmed to automatically calculate billing costs and determine savings and return on investment based on the photovoltaic self-consumption level. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis is conducted to visually depict the results of hundreds of simulations. This research concludes that installing photovoltaic systems is financially viable (with a return on investment of less than 10 years) for buildings with electricity consumption exceeding 1000 kWh/month. For lower consumption levels, profitability depends on the installed capacity and the desired level of self-consumption. Ultimately, this tool provides reliable results regarding solar potential, electricity consumption, and PV production, as evidenced by the comparison with real photovoltaic systems installed in Ecuador.

Buildings in the urban environment modify the wind speed and cause it to accelerate above and on the sides of them. This fact can be used as an energy resource. The integration of wind turbines in buildings is becoming a new possibility and has begun to be studied in university research centers in wind energy, mainly in Europe. We are currently evaluating, through wind tunnel tests, building shapes that can capture wind within the atmospheric boundary layer, in particular, buildings with curved shapes. For this study, wind turbines should preferably be of the vertical axis type, in particular simple technology with a low power coefficient (Cp). However, when capturing wind at high speed, it raises the wind power with the cube of its speed. So, the study is aimed at how much the intensity of wind speed increases in the environment of buildings with curvature.

In the last 20 years, there have been applications of wind energy in urban buildings (large and small wind turbines) due to the increase in residential electricity demand and the desire for co-generation in buildings to reduce energy consumption from the grid in shared services. Within the small turbines, it has been verified that those with vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) have construction advantages (heavy parts at floor level), installation (they do not require cranes), and environmental impact (they produce less of a visual and auditory presence, given that they look like small antennas and have reduced noise and vibrations) compared to those with a horizontal axis (HAWTs). In particular, this work shows progress in a new airfoil profile for H-Type Darrieus turbines that will allow self-starting and better performance in the extraction of energy from the wind, achieving a power coefficient of 0.26 with a low wind speed of 5 m/s under the environmental conditions of Bogotá and San Andrés. Additionally, this chapter shows how the variation of the shape of the profile by bending at certain angles will allow controlling the power and braking of the wind turbine, projecting future applications of this new aerodynamic profile in hydrokinetic turbines.

Green hydrogen is a promising renewable energy carrier produced through the electrolysis of water using renewable electricity. It offers a carbon-free alternative for various energy-intensive sectors, such as transportation, industry, and power generation. With its potential to decarbonize sectors that are difficult to electrify, green hydrogen plays a vital role in advancing the transition to a sustainable and low-carbon future. Countries that are rich in renewable resources are attracted to supply their industrial hydrogen needs as well as contributing to the environmental target in shifting from fossil fuels to cleaner processes without compromising current industrial development. Although yet inexistent, an emerging international green hydrogen market could attract even more world participants toward the path of sustainable hydrogen production for transport and industry. In this context, Ecuador has been identified as a viable candidate due to its hydrological resources and extensive renewable generation system based on hydroelectric power. This study investigates the feasibility of green hydrogen production in Ecuador, considering water availability in hydroelectric power plants, future demand projections, and the additional electrolysis requirements, with the aim of assessing the viability of introducing such production for local consumption and potential exportation.

Geothermal energy has been widely recognized as a renewable, clean, cost-effective, source of energy that can be an alternative to fossil fuels. Geothermal Heat Pumps (GHPs) are tools that can extract heat from subsoil, surface water bodies, or groundwater. In Colombia, geothermal energy is one of the least developed and known non-conventional renewable energy sources. To reduce the operating costs associated with the cooling at 3 °C of a flower’s preservation room in the municipality of La Ceja, a surface water source heat pump (SWHP) and a horizontal ground-coupled heat pump (GCHP) were evaluated as energy alternatives. The temperatures in a rainwater harvesting pond and soil were monitored to analyze their potential as a heat sink for the proposed geothermal installations. The water temperature varied with outdoor conditions due to the shallowness of the pond. In contrast, the soil temperature was characterized by an almost constant value. Based on the data collected, it is determined that only during a portion of the day of 4 h (9:00–13:00) suggesting the efficiency of a SWSHP system is higher than the traditional refrigeration system currently used. This result indicates that a single SWSHP is not sufficient to provide the required cooling load. Therefore, a horizontal GCHP is suggested as an alternative installation to be used. This work promotes the use of geothermal resources in Colombia and is also a valuable contribution for the entire Caribbean and Latin America region, where GHPs are not commonly used.

The growing demand for electricity, combined with increasing concerns about global warming, has accelerated the search for environmentally friendly power generation technologies. In recent times, hydrokinetic turbines (HKTs) have gained significance in renewable energy generation due to their affordability, reliability, ease of installation, and notably, minimal environmental impact. However, guidelines for evaluating the environmental consequences of these projects are sparse. This study seeks to establish general guidelines for performing an environmental impact assessment for HKT applications in developing nations, focusing on the Colombian scenario. It emphasizes the potential environmental repercussions linked to the construction, operation, and decommissioning of HKT, encompassing both physical and social aspects. This includes considerations like air and water quality, changes to terrestrial habitats, human health, greenhouse gas emissions, other pollutants, impacts on local community land use, and visual disruptions. Moreover, the study offers contingency strategies to address challenges that may arise during the technology’s implementation. Consequently, it underscores the necessity of considering environmental impacts across various stages of energy projects.

Designing a biodigester that allows treating organic waste from cattle to obtain biogas in rural areas is a challenge in biomass management and productivity indices. The design of the biodigester was carried out considering a possible increase in the size of the cattle. The amount of manure available and the amount of biogas expected to be produced were also estimated. In addition, a metal dome was selected to facilitate access to the interior of the biodigester and to be able to carry out its maintenance in a simpler way. Graphs were added that show the minimum values of manure collection that allow its profitability. The most notable conclusion of the project is that for biodigesters in rural areas, biogas represents a minimal fraction of the profit that can be obtained through the project due to its low production, so the commercialization of biol is considered the main source of income.

This project addresses implementing a plant to produce adsorbents via hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) and anaerobic digestion (AD) of the spent liquors made after the HTC process. Since some of the organic compounds in the spent liquors can be transformed into biogas and fertilizer after biological treatment, the latter can also be commercialized. In 2022, Ecuador’s palm oil extraction industry produced 68,000 tons of palm kernel shells (PKSs). In most cases, PKS is disposed of in landfills, or even worse, it is involved in stubble burning, critically affecting air quality. In this context, a circular strategy for PKS valorization is proposed in this work. First, the aim is to evaluate the feasibility of producing a porous/functionalized adsorbent material (i.e., hydrochar) from the HTC process, including an annual production of 1259 tons. This hydrochar-based adsorbent is prepared for dye adsorption for textile wastewater treatment. On the other hand, yearly production values of 6233 and 25,803 tons are proposed for biogas and fertilizer, respectively. After the process design, including mass balance, equipment design and selection, and a simulation for the AD process, the plant was economically evaluated, resulting in a profitable project to be implemented at an industrial scale. Based on these findings, it can be suggested that the biorefinery concept represents a valuable approach for contributing to the circular economy toward agricultural waste valorization, not only in wastewater treatment using hydrochar but for soil amendment for the fertilizer case, and even better for renewable energies in the case of biogas production.