Towards understanding consumption in multi-user solar energy systems: The cases of villages in Argentina and Cuba

Abstract

Research on the electrification of remote villages by means of decentralized renewable energy systems increasingly requires consideration of the characteristics of the user communities. Particularly for communities with multi-user systems (MUS), in order to achieve optimal design and sizing of the system and efficient energy distribution among users, it is important to consider the social characteristics of the community in addition to technical and economic aspects. The solar energy supply is always limited, and distribution of the energy among the users is mainly a matter of coordinating who can use how much at what time, which is influenced by various factors. What we need first of all is knowledge of the actual power needs of each household over a period of time. With the aim of determining typical patterns of energy consumption in households with similar characteristics, the present preliminary research study uncovers the factors that determine energy consumption in five solar power villages in Cuba and Argentina. Correlation and regression analysis of data from surveys and energy consumption measurements showed that type and number of electrical appliances are the most important, but not sufficient, factors for explaining differences in household energy consumption. Demographic factors, occupations, daily routine and other social factors also have an impact on the development of a household's energy consumption. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.