 Photovoltaic parks are good allies of the economy and the environment. |
"Generating electricity from solar radiation brings a positive impact, both to the country's economy and to the environment." This well-proven premise is a spring that motivates workers in the electrical sector in Las Tunas, who celebrate their Day on January 14th.
Las Tunas, Cuba.- Manuel Antonio Alomá Magariño, director of the base business unit (UEB) Power Plants with Renewable Energy Sources (CEFRE, in Spanish), reiterates it and speaks with enthusiasm about last year's results, fruits of this practice integrated into the program for the transformation of the energy matrix in Cuba, which projects to meet 37 percent of demand through renewable, clean, and environmentally friendly sources by 2030.
And Alomá Magariño endorses his enthusiasm. "In 2023, we fulfilled the generation plan 101 percent with a delivery that exceeded 17.3 gigawatts; with that contribution, we saved the State budget more than 315 million pesos, equivalent to the consumption of about five thousand tons of fossil fuel.”
So that the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere, the main greenhouse gas that promotes global warming and accelerates climate change, was reduced by more than 15 tons.
The four photovoltaic solar parks in operation managed by the entity contributed to these results, which have a generation capacity of 11 megawatts, says the specialist.
He details that the UEB manages two photovoltaic solar parks in the municipality of Manatí, with an installed power of 2.2 megawatts each; and the other two in Puerto Padre, of 2.2 and 4.4 megawatts, respectively.
This UEB, attached to the Las Tunas Electric Company, is the leader of the electrification project using photovoltaic systems in homes that do not qualify for connection to the National Electric System because they do not meet the standards established by the service traditionally since are isolated and in hard-to-reach places.
At this time, these benefits extend to 701 properties, in which they have installed the system that has autonomy guaranteed by batteries that accumulate charge during the day to illuminate the nights, adds the manager.
Although, there are failures caused mainly by the expiration of the batteries that were subjected to daily use without replacement no longer retain the charge for the planned time, and other difficulties associated with damage to the inverter; a situation that affects 301 families initially benefited by the program, acknowledges Alomá Magariño.
The assembled modules have photovoltaic panels, two batteries, five lamps, and the wires needed by the system. The generated power allows one to watch television and listen to the radio but higher-power household appliances, such as electric stoves, washing machines, and refrigerators cannot be used because can cause irreparable damage.
