DISTRIBUTED GENERATION FOR IMPROVEMENT OF POWER QUALITY IN RURAL AREAS
03 - Bioenergy: Economy, Market and Policy
1 BRUNO MEDEIROS COELHO, 2 PROF. DR. DIONÍZIO PASQUARELI JÚNIOR, 1 LUIZ OTAVIO MANHANI MACHADO, 3 LEANDRO ARTHUR PINTO
1 UNESP/FEIS - CAMPUS DE ILHA SOLTEIRA
2 UNESP/FEIS - CAMPUS DE ILHA SOLTEIRA, DEPARTAMENTO DE ENGENHARIA ELÉTRICA
3 UNESP/FEIS - CAMPUS DE ILHA SOLTEIRA / ELEKTRO
In the last fifteen years, programs for universal access to electricity, implemented by the Brazilian government, have improved the rural participation in the electrical energy demand (http://www.aneel.gov.br/universalizacao, in Portuguese). However, electrical energy availability most of times does represent the main goal of such programs. Power quality, efficiency and reliability are leaved to a secondary plan, especially when power quality indicators are compared to those found in urban areas. As electric devices and appliances used in rural residences are very much the same as those used in urban areas, it is very reasonable to expect the same power quality level for both areas. When rural properties are connected to the main grid, usually this is done using a single feeder. In this case, the energy provided faces voltage drop and high losses due to long length feeder. Also, if this feeder is disconnected due to faults, electric discharges or any outage reason, the consumers remain without energy, most of times, for several hours. Based on these problems, this paper evaluates the use of distributed generation of electricity from biogas (generated from animal and vegetable waste) to improve the power quality indicators, such as interruptions and voltage level indexes. A rural settlement named Estrela da Ilha, placed in Ilha Solteira city in the extreme Northeast of São Paulo State, is used as a study case. The settlement electric power grid is modelled. Data obtained from the local distribution utility and from the settlement cooperative and associations are used to estimate the effect of the distributed generation from biogas in voltage oscillation (sag and swell) and in the electricity shortages. Studies indicate a great improvement in quality indicators using distributed generation strategy.
Keywords: distributed generation; bioenergy; power quality.
Acknowledgments: This work acknowledges all residents of the settlement Estrela da Ilha at Ilha Solteira (SP) City answered the form and allowed to install the meter at your homes.
