An ambitious and coherent global solar energy project; a long-term, durable investment...
In the rural educational field, the putting up of photovoltaic panels of 1 m ² ~ 120 Wp ~ 500 Wh/day corresponding to approximately 1 500 $ would allow the installation of lighting, video and educational television sets in 30 isolated schools on the high plateaux.
In the field of rural health, the installation of solar panels of 1 m ² in 30 health centres would allow the implementation of lighting and a sun refrigerator for the conservation of vaccines and medicines, giving access to a minimum of health.
In the rural economical field, the installation of 12 solar refrigerators for the conservation of fruits and vegetables, of 8 corn mills (2.5 m ² ~ 240 Wp ~ 1 500 Wh / day" ~ 2 200 $) would enhance the creation and durability of small rural shops.
Furthermore, to improve comfort, 750 families could acquire solar installations of 1m ² ~ 120 Wp corresponding to approximately 2 200 $, through loans on work contribution contracted with the local banks they would have created themselves.
Two hydroelectric micropower plants of 25 kW (0.25 m 3 -20 m. of fall - 20 000 $), one in San Juan of Cotzal, the other on Cuchumatanes's plateau would allow the supply of village communities which are not connected with the national electricity network.
A geothermal generator of 50 kW (75 000 $) would also be installed to exploit one of the multiple volcanic resurgences of hot water.
The whole of these installations would allow these communities and villages to acquire a minimum of modern comfort (video, refrigerator, lighting,), reduce wood consumption and would strengthen their preservation in their area of traditional life.
Though the aim of this program is the realization of numerous installations, the main things through their realization are : the placing of an industrial, economical, institutional, technical and financial environment which will facilitate the realization of these installations, and that will ensure durably the electrification of rural areas and their development in wait for a possible extension of more powerful energy networks in these rural areas. More generally, the whole of these initiatives in the existing regional socio-economic environment will strengthen durably the activities related to solar energy and the emergence of new long-lasting activities of industrial production and service of installation and maintenance.
The objective of the initiatives would be to strengthen the capacities of the actors in the field of renewable energies
In the institutional sector, the means and competences of the D.G.F.N.R. would be consolidated by endowments in training and means allowing them to ensure with more efficiency their ministerial mission of training, instigation, elaboration of programs, assistance in rural electrification.
The engineers from the Ministry of energy would be trained to the creation and manipulation of data base, the realization of scenarios of identification of the priority energy necessitating areas.
After these trainings, they would create:
Finally, they would set up the mutualist banking system (grameen bank) of assistance to the purchase of solar systems with the local actors (political authorities, economical actors, engineers, concerned rural population).
The competences of the engineers of the Ministry of energy detached in rural areas would be strengthened.
In the private sector, knowledge, competences and the experience of most national engineers would be strengthened. For that purpose, the UNIDO will integrate in the program :
These seminars and trainings will respectively turn on the following subjects : sun regulators, autonomous or connected inverters and hydroelectric micropower plants, cyclable batteries for solar installations. Each of these subjects and trainings will deal with the use, industrial production, and starting-up of these technologies.
In addition of these trainings, the UNIDO would organize in the field of information and incitement four seminars of exchanges concerning micro - hydro electricity, photovoltaic applications and geothermal science. These seminars would gather regional technical and economical actors of Central America. They would take stock of the locally available technologies, regional possibilities, weaknesses and brakes. They would elaborate strategies and projects as well as technical, social and financial recommendations which will be proposed to institutions (Chambers of Commerce, Ministries, bodies of ratification, electricity companies, companies, etc.)
The purchase of this knowledge and these competences would be put into practice throughout the achievement of the previously mentioned installations. The whole of this knowledge and these experiences would regionally and durably strengthen the activities related to solar energy and the emergence of new long-lasting activities of industrial production, installation and maintenance services, and in a longer term the creation of a regional centre of development of this knowledge and these technologies, CASE (Centre of Application of Solar Energy), according to the strategy elaborated by the UNIDO in this field.
The main beneficiaries of this project would be the DGFNR at first, Guatemalan institutions, Guatemalan private entrepreneurs, the actors who operate in the field of new and renewable energy and then the rural populations who use and consume energy.