Assessment of the Potential Implementation of Solar Energy Generation in State Schools in Curitiba/PR

Abstract

Solar energy as a form of electric power generation is gaining ground in Brazil, being the subject of worldwide discussions on sustainability. The electric energy, a right of all citizens, represents a consumption of natural resources on a large scale. State schools in Paraná invested more than R$ 46 million to guarantee electricity and thus provide essential running conditions to the system in 2016. Through open data, 15 schools from "Regional Administrativa do Cajuru", in Curitiba/PR, were evaluated in consumption and expenses of electric energy from January to May of 2017 and a solar photovoltaic system was dimensioned to supply the demand of each school. From that, it was estimated the total saving from the electricity that would no longer be spent on electricity which could be directed to other educational programs and projects of interest to the community towards sustainability within the school. The savings estimated totalized more than R$ 435 thousand annually.

Recent innovations in solar energy education and research towards sustainable energy development

“…Brazil's public schools invested large amounts of money in guaranteeing electricity through solar photovoltaic installations, as Brazil enjoys plentiful sunlight [51]. By scaling up solar power systems, a successful roadmap to sustainability was laid by the selected 15 schools.…”