Schneider and Stäubli modernize PV project for riverside communities

10 years ago, the riverside communities of Tumbira and Santa Helena do Inglés they only had power for 11 hours a day, but that is a thing of the past. This is because the Schneider Electric, in partnership with Stäubli, modernized the project Smart Villa implemented in the locality.

With the companies' actions, the two communities began to have clean energy 24 hours a day through a off-grid photovoltaic system. Modernization took place through the Energy Access Program which carries out actions to ensure collective and individual rural electrification.

To modernize the system, the Stäubli donated the MC4 connectors. Second Bruno Caumo, Communications and Marketing coordinator at Stäubli, the partnership for Villa Smart is the beginning of new projects that will emerge in the region in conjunction with FAS (Fundação Amazônia Sustentável). “We are studying new partnerships that will be announced in the future, Villa Smart is a great reference for us to continue bringing energy to the region”, he explains.

The partnership made with Sustainable Amazon Foundation allows advances for residents of the region, promoting autonomy, benefits for the education of entrepreneurs in the local bioeconomy.

Bioeconomic impacts

Before the project reached the communities, in addition to residents having their hours counted for essential services, such as health centers and schools, the average family cost was R$ 104.40. The emission of polluting gases was also greater and amounted to two tons, the monthly average of fossil fuels was 1.2 thousand liters of diesel per day. With Villa Smart the family cost fell to R$ 55.68. Furthermore, diesel consumption fell by 50% and the technical training of riverside residents expanded to 19 communities.

Smart Technology

A Villa Smart uses solar panels and energy storage in batteries. To achieve this, renewable energy is used to replace diesel generators, reducing the rate of CO2 emissions. In addition to installing the photovoltaic system, Schneider committed to qualifying residents in handling the technology, conservation and maintenance of the product.

Currently, the energy model offered by the Brazilian system has barriers that prevent small villages from having access to electricity, as is the case of around 4,000 located in the State of Amazonas.