Incentive pertaining to energy the generation distributed in Ecuador

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Jorge Patricio Muñoz-Vizhñay http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1293-5017
Marco Vinicio Rojas-Moncayo http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1338-0095
Carlos Raúl Barreto-Calle http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4886-2887

Abstract

Reducing solar infrastructure costs is one of the main reasons for its global growth. In Ecuador adjustments to the legal framework have to be made to encourage the installation of small photovoltaic solar structures for electricity customers connected to low voltage distribution networks for their personal consumption, and any surplus energy be injected into the grid. Three business models pertaining to the distributed microgeneration of PV have been considered, which consider two applicable measurement systems: the first one is called "net metering" where the net value of the energy (the difference between the one injected into the network and the one consumed) is determined, and the second known as "Feed-in Tariff" - FIT is where the energy injected into the grid is set at a special incentive price. The cost of energy produced by a photovoltaic system in Ecuador is USD / kWh 0.1342 with a discount rate 7\%, CF (capacity factor) at 15\%, while a discount rate 10\%, CF at 20\% the cost reduces to USD / kWh 0.1229. These values however, do not take into account the bank of batteries or the land, these values are increasingly more competitive in relation to non-conventional renewable sources.