Solar plant brings energy 24 hours a day to riverside village in Acre

Around 200 riverside families in Vila Restauração (AC), located in a remote area of the Amazon region in Acre and close to the border with Peru, now have electricity 24 hours a day due to the installation of a solar plant on site with energy storage. energy. 

The plant has a power of 325 kWp and has 580 photovoltaic modules. Before the inauguration of the plant, held last week, residents only had electricity for three hours a day.

Furthermore, the energy supply was precarious, expensive and polluting, as energy was generated by a single diesel generator. According to the government of Acre, the generator consumed 1,700 liters of diesel per month, of which 1,000 liters were supplied by the Marechal Thaumaturgo city hall and the other 700 were shared by the community.

“Having electricity all day seems simple for those who live in the city, but for us here in Vila Restauração it is something that completely changes our lives. Now I will be able to drink cold water, store food without fear of it spoiling and I will be able to watch my Flamengo game whenever I want”, celebrated resident Deison Furtado.

The investment was approximately R$ 20 million. The works were carried out by Alsol, a renewable energy company belonging to the Energisa Group, and are part of Energisa's Research and Development and Energy Efficiency programs, both regulated by ANEEL (National Electric Energy Agency).

“We are bringing sustainable development to those who live in one of the most remote regions of Brazil, within the Amazon Rainforest. Therefore, we decided to execute an innovative project with responsibility and low environmental impact. Providing electricity is more than providing a service. It's allowing access to something so essential for people to realize their dreams. Now, residents will be able to have appliances to store food and medicine, access to the internet and undertake business within the community”, highlighted José Adriano Mendes Silva, CEO of Energisa in Acre, during the inauguration event.

In addition to installing the plant, the company donated efficient consumption equipment. In total, 105 refrigerators, 50 freezers and a thousand light bulbs were replaced. According to Grupo Energisa, for the installation of the solar plant, a socio-environmental study was carried out to identify the community's vulnerabilities to execute the project, considering important aspects of sustainability and logistics during the works. The results of the project in Vila Restauração will serve to create a model to be replicated in other remote areas.

“The advancement of the electricity grid brings benefits locally and across the country. We are working intensely and have made robust investments to offer quality energy to people and promote sustainable development in the Amazon. Our entire strategy is based on 4D energy: decarbonized, decentralized, diversified and digitalized”, adds José Adriano Mendes Silva, CEO of Energisa in Acre.

The company will also monitor the system 24 hours a day remotely to monitor and record all operation. This way, it will be possible to act preventively and quickly if there is any need for maintenance.

Logistics

The riverside community is located within the Alto Juruá Extractive Reserve, 70 km from the center of the municipality of Marechal Thaumaturgo (AC), close to the border with Peru. To reach the location, one of the most remote in Brazil, journeys that take four to ten hours in small boats are necessary, depending on river conditions. 

For this reason, most of the equipment for the construction of the plant, such as solar panels, batteries and converters, went by truck from Uberlândia (MG), Alsol's headquarters, to the city of Cruzeiro do Sul (AC), where there was a transshipment for ferries to complete river transport. Moving each batch sent took, on average, around 13 days – six on the road and another seven on waterways.

Basic sanitation and internet

With the arrival of energy, Vila Restauração will also have initiatives to improve local infrastructure. According to the government of Acre, new basic sanitation connections are being made within technical specifications. 

Furthermore, Energisa signed a partnership with the operator TIM to provide internet to residents and the village was chosen to receive the first 4G antenna in the region.