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Spatial assessment of the potential of renewable energy: The case of Ecuador

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  • Cevallos-Sierra, Jaime
  • Ramos-Martin, Jesús

Abstract

Although renewable energy represents a large share of the electric energy generation sources in Latin America, non-conventional sources such as solar or wind energies have not represented a big share of their electric energy systems. The first step to promote the use of these sources in the region is identifying the potential of each energy source, task that can be estimated with the use of spatial tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS). This study has reviewed a large list of GIS publications to select a methodology to identify suitable areas for the development of non-conventional renewable energy projects (REP), in order to estimate the maximum energy these technologies could contribute to a national electric energy system, and its applied to the Republic of Ecuador. By using GIS, it is sought to identify the sites where potential renewable energy plants could be located, and initially recommends geographic locations for the installation of measuring towers of solar and wind resources, in order to obtain more detailed information on their behavior. As a result, the areas with higher potential for the development of REP have been identified, and classified in spatial layers according its technology and location. These results show that solar PV is the technology with most suitable areas in the country and demonstrate particularly large potential in two regions: the Andes cordillera and Insular region, especially in the provinces of Loja, Pichincha and the Galapagos islands.

Suggested Citation

  • Cevallos-Sierra, Jaime & Ramos-Martin, Jesús, 2018. "Spatial assessment of the potential of renewable energy: The case of Ecuador," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 81(P1), pages 1154-1165.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:81:y:2018:i:p1:p:1154-1165
    DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2017.08.015
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    1. Rios, R. & Duarte, S., 2021. "Selection of ideal sites for the development of large-scale solar photovoltaic projects through Analytical Hierarchical Process – Geographic information systems (AHP-GIS) in Peru," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    2. Xu, Bin & Lin, Boqiang, 2018. "Do we really understand the development of China's new energy industry?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 733-745.
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    4. Juan Jose Cabello Eras & Milen Balbis Morej n & Alexis Sagastume Guti rrez & Aldo Pardo Garc a & Mario Cabello Ulloa & Francisco Javier Rey Mart nez & Juan Gabriel Rueda-Bayona, 2019. "A look to the Electricity Generation from Non-Conventional Renewable Energy Sources in Colombia," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 9(1), pages 15-25.
    5. Christian R. Parra & Angel D. Ramirez & Luis Manuel Navas-Gracia & David Gonzales & Adriana Correa-Guimaraes, 2023. "Prospects for Bioenergy Development Potential from Dedicated Energy Crops in Ecuador: An Agroecological Zoning Study," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-25, January.
    6. Espinoza, Vicente Sebastian & Fontalvo, Javier & Martí-Herrero, Jaime & Miguel, Luis Javier & Mediavilla, Margarita, 2022. "Analysis of energy future pathways for Ecuador facing the prospects of oil availability using a system dynamics model. Is degrowth inevitable?," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 259(C).
    7. Rediske, Graciele & Siluk, Julio Cezar M. & Michels, Leandro & Rigo, Paula D. & Rosa, Carmen B. & Cugler, Gilberto, 2020. "Multi-criteria decision-making model for assessment of large photovoltaic farms in Brazil," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 197(C).
    8. Ramirez, Angel D. & Rivela, Beatriz & Boero, Andrea & Melendres, Ana M., 2019. "Lights and shadows of the environmental impacts of fossil-based electricity generation technologies: A contribution based on the Ecuadorian experience," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 467-477.
    9. Julio Barzola-Monteses & Mónica Mite-León & Mayken Espinoza-Andaluz & Juan Gómez-Romero & Waldo Fajardo, 2019. "Time Series Analysis for Predicting Hydroelectric Power Production: The Ecuador Case," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-19, November.
    10. Pablo Benalcazar & Adam Suski & Jacek Kamiński, 2020. "Optimal Sizing and Scheduling of Hybrid Energy Systems: The Cases of Morona Santiago and the Galapagos Islands," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-20, August.
    11. Tapia, Mariela & Heinemann, Detlev & Ballari, Daniela & Zondervan, Edwin, 2022. "Spatio-temporal characterization of long-term solar resource using spatial functional data analysis: Understanding the variability and complementarity of global horizontal irradiance in Ecuador," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 189(C), pages 1176-1193.
    12. Zhenyu Zhao & Huijia Yang, 2020. "Regional Security Assessment of Integrated Energy Systems with Renewables in China: A Grid-Connected Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-18, December.
    13. Raza, Muhammad Ali & Yousif, Muhammad & Hassan, Muhammad & Numan, Muhammad & Abbas Kazmi, Syed Ali, 2023. "Site suitability for solar and wind energy in developing countries using combination of GIS- AHP; a case study of Pakistan," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 206(C), pages 180-191.
    14. Ramirez, A.D. & Boero, A. & Rivela, B. & Melendres, A.M. & Espinoza, S. & Salas, D.A., 2020. "Life cycle methods to analyze the environmental sustainability of electricity generation in Ecuador: Is decarbonization the right path?," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    15. Andrea A. Eras-Almeida & Miguel A. Egido-Aguilera & Philipp Blechinger & Sarah Berendes & Estefanía Caamaño & Enrique García-Alcalde, 2020. "Decarbonizing the Galapagos Islands: Techno-Economic Perspectives for the Hybrid Renewable Mini-Grid Baltra–Santa Cruz," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-47, March.
    16. Ottonelli, Janaina & Lazaro, Lira Luz Benites & Andrade, José Célio Silveira & Abram, Simone, 2023. "Do solar photovoltaic clean development mechanism projects contribute to sustainable development in Latin America? Prospects for the Paris Agreement," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    17. Pere Ariza-Montobbio & Susana Herrero Olarte, 2021. "Socio-metabolic profiles of electricity consumption along the rural–urban continuum of Ecuador: Whose energy sovereignty?," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(5), pages 7961-7995, May.
    18. Icaza, Daniel & Borge-Diez, David & Galindo, Santiago Pulla, 2022. "Analysis and proposal of energy planning and renewable energy plans in South America: Case study of Ecuador," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 182(C), pages 314-342.
    19. Geovanna Villacreses & Diego Jijón & Juan Francisco Nicolalde & Javier Martínez-Gómez & Franz Betancourt, 2022. "Multicriteria Decision Analysis of Suitable Location for Wind and Photovoltaic Power Plants on the Galápagos Islands," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-23, December.
    20. Delmaria Richards & Helmut Yabar & Takeshi Mizunoya, 2022. "Spatial Mapping of Jamaica’s High-Resolution Wind Atlas: An Environmental-Sociotechnical Account," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-25, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    O13; Q28; R32; Q42; Renewable-energy; GIS; Ecuador; Multi-criteria analysis;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • Q28 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Government Policy
    • R32 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Real Estate Markets, Spatial Production Analysis, and Firm Location - - - Other Spatial Production and Pricing Analysis
    • Q42 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Alternative Energy Sources

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