SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS AFTER IMPLEMENTATION OF A DIRECT CURRENT DISTRIBUTION NANOGRID IN AN ISOLATED COMMUNITY IN THE AMAZON

Abstract

The photovoltaic solar technology has been considered as one of the alternatives for electricity supply in remote communities, characterized by their isolation and distance from the conventional electrical grid. In Brazil, photovoltaic systems used for energy supply in such locations, whether individual systems or microdistribution systems, are implemented almost exclusively for powering alternating current loads through the use of inverters. In this context, the Grupo de Estudos e Desenvolvimento de Alternativas Energéticas at the Universidade Federal do Pará developed and implemented a project for a Direct Current Nanogrid (DCNG) in a riverside community located on Ilha das Onças, in the municipality of Barcarena, state of Pará. This system consists of several distributed generation and storage subunits along the grid, prioritizing the use of direct current loads. This article aims to evaluate the socioeconomic impacts that the project generated in the community served by the DCNG over two years of operation based on quantitative research applied to the head of each household, examining the influence on the economy, well-being, and education, as well as its acceptance by the residents involved. According to the findings, the introduced technology brought about significant changes in the community's quality of life, also providing economic gains from increased accessibility to electrical energy with more extended, resilient, and environmentally friendly supply. It is noteworthy that after the project's implementation, there was the possibility of using refrigerators for food preservation, improved continuity in nighttime lighting, machines for açaí processing, and modems for internet access, all of which have allowed a continuous advancement in the residents' quality of life and education.