The town of Atalaya switches to clean and safe energy

26/06/2020 / Peru

The town of Atalaya is one of the many isolated towns in Peru that are not connected to the main Peruvian electricity grid. The potential for solar energy in this region is enormous and so a 500 kWp solar power plant was commissioned in October 2020, providing clean energy to more than 12,000 inhabitants and enabling a stable and secure energy supply. The solar power plant will be coupled with an existing thermal power plant as well as a hydropower plant, making it the first intelligent PV-Genset solution installed in Peru.

Reducing the town’s energy costs

Since Atalaya is not connected to Peru’s public power grid, its electricity was previously generated by a thermal power plant and a hydroelectric plant. The rising prices for fossil fuels as well as the transport costs to Atalaya, which is usually by air, was having a huge impact on the town’s energy costs. For a while, the town even had the highest energy costs in all of Peru.

For these reasons, the decision was made to turn increasingly to solar energy for the town’s energy supply. The goal was clear: to supply residents with clean and renewable energy, to significantly reduce the town’s energy costs and to reduce the noise pollution caused by the thermal power plant in the town centre.

» Solar energy is a viable solution in Peru, and it is everyone’s responsibility to use this technology to close the large energy gaps we have «

Sustainable energy supply thanks to intelligent PV-Genset solution

The solar power plant was built jointly by local energy supplier Electro Ucayali and long-time Fronius System Partner Novum Solar, with the aim of permanently and reliably improving the town’s energy supply.

The new PV system will generate approximately 650,000 kWh of energy every year. It is estimated that this will save 193.5 metric tonnes of CO2 annually and 4,837.5 metric tonnes of CO2 over its lifetime. The town is thus making a major contribution to sustainable energy production and combating climate change.

» Energy is the same as water: it is life. For Ucayali, this means kick-starting development and powering culture, industry and all the projects we can generate «

Francisco Antonio Pezo Torres, Regional Governor of the Ucayali Region

How it works

Atalaya is becoming a pioneer in power generation with the smart PV-Genset. The solar power plant is connected to the existing hydropower plant and thermal power plant, ensuring a reliable and cost-effective power supply. Thanks to an intelligent control system, the use of solar energy is prioritised in the PV-Genset system.

The PV system consists of 14 Fronius Eco inverters and 1,260 solar modules, all managed by a control system from Elum. This controls the entire system and ensures that all energy flows between the generators and the loads are coordinated.

System Data:
Size of installation	500 kWp
System type	Open air system
Fronius components	14 x Fronius Eco
Loads	12.000 inhabitants of Peru
Annual yield	Approx. 650.000 kWh
CO₂ saved / Jahr	Approx. 193,5 tonnes

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SOLAR ENERGY

The town of Atalaya switches to clean and safe energy

Reducing the town’s energy costs

Sustainable energy supply thanks to intelligent PV-Genset solution

How it works

System Data: