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Energy transition in Ecuador, a proposal to improve the growth of renewable energy and storage systems in a developing country

Abstract:

The energy transition towards renewable energies is imminent, and the current economy based on hydrocarbons is becoming less sustainable and harmful to the environment. The availability of free renewable resources has caused researchers to become interested in developing emerging and economically viable technologies from nonconventional sources and energy storage systems. However, worldwide there are different government policies that prevent the growth and progressive development of this type of clean energy, especially in developing countries which includes several Latin American countries. These countries lack clear and concise energy plans that could encourage the regional economy in a sustainable way. Therefore, this chapter offers an overview of energy development strategies in Ecuador, which proposes a possible energy planning for future years based on technical, economic, and environmental indices that improve current energy efficiency. Unlike the European Union, some countries in Latin America lack efficient, robust, and concrete energy planning that promotes the use of renewable energy in different sectors such as power distribution, transmission, industrial, residential, and commercial. In this chapter proposal, the EnergyPlan software is used to determine the optimal configuration of renewable sources and energy storage required in the future, for this, real databases on resource availability and growth in electricity demand will be used. Currently, Ecuador is going through an energy transition phase based mainly on hydropower generation with little penetration of photovoltaic sources, wind energy, among other resources. However, during dry seasons, the cost of energy can increase considerably, and in the worst case, it may require load shedding rationing. In this context, exhaustive simulations offer a solution. Where availability and capacity of several renewable sources are studied, obtaining an optimal result balanced between technical-economic, stability of bulk power system, and resource availability. The results will be an encouragement for future studies where researchers can analyze in detail each proposed case. Even this book chapter could promote the energy transition of Ecuador from the political point of view. What it has shown in several cases is mainstay for sustainable development in certain countries.