Planning the Installation of Home Electricity

Resources by Utilising the Existing Renewable

Energy Source
(Potosi-Bolivia)
Regina Patricia
XB/17

ABSTRACT
Renewable energy is energy derived from natural sources that are replenished
at a higher rate than they are consumed. Sunlight and wind, for example, are
such sources that are constantly being replenished. Renewable energy sources
are plentiful and all around us. On the other hand, fossil fuels, coal, oil, and
gas are non-renewable resources that take hundreds of millions of years to
form. Fossil fuels, when burned to produce energy, cause harmful greenhouse
gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide. Generating renewable energy creates
far lower emissions than burning fossil fuels. Transitioning from fossil fuels,
which currently account for the lion’s share of emissions, to renewable energy
is key to addressing the climate crisis. Renewable sources are often associated
with green and clean energy, but there are subtle differences between these
three energy types. Where renewable sources are those that are recyclable,
clean energy is those that do not release pollutants like carbon dioxide, and
green energy is that which comes from natural sources. While there is often a
cross-over between these energy types, not all renewable energy types are fully
clean or green. For example, some hydroelectric sources can damage natural
habitats and cause deforestation.

INTRODUCTION nowadays to minimalize the effect it

Energy is divided into two different
types of energy, renewable energy
and non-renewable energy.
Renewable energy is a resource that
can be replenished naturally over
time. Renewable energy is the
alternative energy that is used
has on our earth. Examples of this
are that they differ from fossil fuels
principally in their diversity,
abundance and potential for use
anywhere on the planet, but above
all, in that they produce neither
greenhouse gases which cause
climate change nor polluting
emissions. Their costs are also
falling and at a sustainable rate,
whereas the general cost trend for
fossil fuels is in the opposite
direction despite their present
volatility. Unlike renewable energy,
non-renewable energy cannot
naturally replenish itself which
means that nonrenewable resources
are limited in supply ad cannot be
used sustainably.
UNDERSTANDING
RENEWABLE RESOURCES
Renewable resources are resources
that have an endless supply because
they can be replenished. The sun,
the wind, and geothermal heat are
considered inexhaustible and
therefore are examples of renewable
resources. Water is also considered
a renewable natural resource, as
long as there is precipitation.
Changing climate patterns have
shown the need for conservation
efforts to protect water supplies.
Other natural resources are
considered renewable even though
some time and effort must go into
their renewal. In addition, most
precious metals are considered
renewable because they're reusable.
Since they are not destroyed during
their extraction and use, they can be
recycled.
Unlike renewable resources, once a
non-renewable resource is depleted,
it cannot be recovered. As the
human population continues to grow
and finite resources become
increasingly scarce, the demand for
renewable resources increases.
RENEWABLE RESOURCES
USED FOR ENERGY
Fossil fuels have been used since the
late 1880s to produce the energy we
use. fossil fuels have been our
primary source of energy and this
has to change because fossil fuels
are non-renewable energy.
Renewable resources that can
replace fossil fuels in the production
of energy are a major focus of
nations around the world. The
challenges for successful renewable
energy production include reliability
and expense.
Nations focus on finding renewable
resources that can be the alternative
to fossil fuels that are cheaper and
way more effective than fossil fuels
so that they can decrease air
pollution with heightened CO2
levels, global warming and water
pollution.
As time went by, there are more and
more renewable resources that are
found can be used as alternatives to
non-renewable resources. There are
7 types of renewable energy sources
which includes: Solar, Wind,
Hydroelectric, Geothermal, Ocean,
Hydrogen and Biomass.
SOLAR ENERGY
Solar energy is any type of heat and
radiant light from the Sun that can
be harnessed with technologies such
as solar power which is used to
generate electricity and solar
thermal energy which is used for
applications such as water heating.
There are three primary
technologies by which solar energy
is harnessed: photovoltaics (PV),
which directly convert light to
electricity; concentrating solar
power (CSP), which uses heat from
the sun (thermal energy) to drive
utility-scale, electric turbines; and
solar heating and cooling (SHC)
systems, which collect thermal
energy to provide hot water and air
heating or conditioning.
In the 21st century, solar energy is
expected to become increasingly
attractive as a renewable energy
source because of its inexhaustible
supply and its nonpolluting
character, in stark contrast to the
finite fossil fuels coal, petroleum,
and natural gas.
The Sun is an extremely powerful
energy source, and the sunlight is by
far the largest source of energy
received by Earth, but its intensity at
Earth’s surface is quite low. This is
essential because of the enormous
radial spreading of radiation from
the distant Sun. A relatively minor
additional loss is due to Earth’s
atmosphere and clouds, which
absorb or scatter as much as 54 per
cent of the incoming sunlight. The
sunlight that reaches the ground
consists of nearly 50 per cent visible
light, 45 per cent infrared radiation,
and smaller amounts of ultraviolet
and other forms of electromagnetic
radiation.
There are different ways of
capturing solar radiation and
converting it into usable energy. The
methods use either active solar
energy or passive solar energy.
Active solar technologies use
electrical or mechanical devices to
actively convert solar energy into
another form of energy, most often
heat or electricity. Passive solar
technologies do not use any external
devices. Instead, they take
advantage of the local climate to
heat structures during the winter and
reflect heat during the summer.
The potential for solar energy is
enormous since about 200,000 times
the world’s total daily electric-
generating capacity is received by
Earth every day in the form of solar
energy. Unfortunately, though solar
energy itself is free, the high cost of
its collection, conversion, and
storage still limits its exploitation in
many places. Solar radiation can be
converted either into thermal energy
(heat) or into electrical energy,
though the former is easier to
accomplish.
WIND ENERGY
Wind energy describes the process
by which the wind is used to
generate mechanical power or
electricity. Wind turbines convert
the kinetic energy in the wind into
mechanical power. This mechanical
power can be used for specific tasks
(such as grinding grain or pumping
water) or can be converted into
electricity by a generator.
Wind power has grown rapidly
since 2000, driven by R&D,
supportive policies and falling costs.
Global installed wind generation
capacity – both onshore and
offshore – has increased by a factor
of 98 in the past two decades,
jumping from 7.5 GW in 1997 to
some 733 GW by 2018 according to
IRENA’s data. Onshore wind
capacity grew from 178 GW in 2010
to 699 GW in 2020, while offshore
wind has grown proportionately
more, but from a lower base, from
3.1 GW in 2010 to 34.4 GW in
2020. Production of wind power
increased by a factor of 5.2 between
2009 and 2019 to reach 1412 TWh.
As the technology has improved and
scaled up, costs have fallen and
capacity factors have risen. Between
2010 and 2020, the global weighted
average Levelized cost of electricity
(LCOE) of onshore wind fell by
56%, from USD 0.089/kWh to USD
0.039/kWh. Over the same period,
the LCOE of newly commissioned
offshore wind projects fell by
around half (48%).
Wind turbine capacity has increased
over time. In 1985, typical turbines
had a rated capacity of 0.05 MW
and a rotor diameter of 15 metres.
Today’s new wind power projects
have a turbine capacity in the 3-4
MW range onshore and 8-12 MW
offshore.
The amount of power that can be
harvested from wind depends on the
size of the turbine and the length of
its blades. The output is
proportional to the dimensions of
the rotor and the cube of the wind
speed. Theoretically, when wind
speed doubles, the wind power
potential increases by a factor of
eight.
Wind turbines first emerged more
than a century ago. Following the
invention of the electric generator in
the 1830s, engineers started
attempting to harness wind energy
to produce electricity. Wind power
generation took place in the United
Kingdom and the United States in
1887 and 1888, but modern wind
power is considered to have been
first developed in Denmark, where
horizontal-axis wind turbines were
built in 1891 and a 22.8-metre wind
turbine began operation in 1897.
The modern wind power sector
emerged in the 1980s.
HYDROELECTRIC ENERGY
Hydroelectric energy is a renewable
source of energy that generates
power by using a dam or diversion
structure to alter the natural flow of
a river or other body of water.
People have used this over two
thousand years ago in Greece, using
flowing water to turn the wheel of
their mill to ground their wheat into
flour.
Hydropower relies on the endless,
constantly recharging system of the
water cycle to produce electricity,
using a fuel—water—that is not
reduced or eliminated in the process.
Hydropower utilizes turbines and
generators to convert that kinetic
energy into electricity, which is then
fed into the electrical grid to power
homes, businesses, and industries.
The energy available from the
moving water depends on both the
volume of the water flow and the
change in elevation from one point
to another. The greater the flow and
the higher the head, the more
electricity can be generated.
 elevation to a reservoir located at a
higher elevation. When there is high
electricity demand, water located in
the higher pool is released. As this
water flows back down to the lower
reservoir, it turns a turbine to
generate more electricity.

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
There are three different types of
hydroelectric energy plants, the
most common being an
impoundment facility. In an
impoundment facility, a dam is used
to control the flow of water stored in
a pool or reservoir. When more
energy is needed, water is released
from the dam. Once water is
released, gravity takes over and the
water flows downward through a
turbine. As the blades of the turbine
spin, the power a generator.
Geothermal energy is when the heat
Another type of hydroelectric within the earth is generated into
energy plant is a diversion facility. other energy. This is a renewable
This type of plant is unique because resource that can be harvested for
it does not use a dam. Instead, it human use. the heat from magma
uses a series of canals to channel can be captured and used directly
flowing river water toward the for heat, or their steam can be used
generator-powering turbines. to generate electricity. Geothermal
energy can be used to heat structures
The third type of plant is called a such as buildings, parking lots, and
pumped-storage facility. This plant sidewalks.
collects the energy produced from
solar, wind, and nuclear power and Most of the Earth's geothermal
stores it for future use. The plant energy does not bubble out as
stores energy by pumping water magma, water, or steam. It remains
uphill from a pool at a lower in the mantle, emanating outwards
at a slow pace and collecting as
pockets of high heat. This dry
geothermal heat can be accessed by
drilling, and enhanced by injecting
water to create steam.
conversion (OTEC) plants may be
land-based as well as floating or
grazing.

OCEAN ENERGY

Ocean energy refers to all forms of

renewable energy derived from the
sea. For example, there are three
main types of ocean technology:
wave, tidal and ocean thermal.

Wave energy is generated by

converting the energy within ocean
waves into electricity. Tidal energy
comes in two forms, both of which
generate electricity:
Tidal range technologies harvest the
potential energy created by the
height difference between high and
low tides. Barrages (dams) harvest
tidal energy from different ranges.
Tidal stream (or current)
technologies capture the kinetic
energy of currents flowing in and
out of tidal areas (such as
seashores). Tidal stream devices
operate in arrays, similar to wind
turbines.
HYDROGEN ENERGY
Hydrogen is a versatile energy
carrier (not an energy source).
Hydrogen is an energy carrier that can
be used to store, move, and deliver
energy produced from other sources.
Hydrogen is a clean fuel that, when
consumed in a fuel cell, produces
only water. Hydrogen can be
produced from a variety of domestic
resources, such as natural gas, nuclear
power, biomass, and renewable power
like solar and wind.

Ocean thermal energy is generated

by converting the temperature
difference between the ocean's
surface water and deeper water into These qualities make it an attractive
energy. Ocean thermal energy fuel option for transportation and
electricity generation applications. It
can be used in cars, in houses, for
portable power, and in many more
applications. Today, hydrogen fuel
can be produced through several
methods. The most common methods
today are natural gas reforming (a
thermal process), and electrolysis.
Other methods include solar-driven
and biological processes.
animals. The most common biomass
materials used for energy are plants,
wood and waste. These are called
biomass feedstocks. Biomass energy
can also be a non-renewable energy
source.
Biomass contains energy first
derived from the sun: Plants absorb
the sun's energy through
photosynthesis, and convert carbon
dioxide and water into nutrients
(carbohydrates). The energy from
these organisms can be transformed
into usable energy through direct
and indirect means. Biomass can be
burned to create heat (direct),
converted into electricity (direct), or
processed into biofuel (indirect).

BIOMASS ENERGY

Biomass energy is energy generated

or produced by living or once-living
organisms. The most common
biomass materials used for energy
are plants, such as corn and soy,
above. The energy from these
organisms can be burned to create
heat or converted into electricity.
Biomass is organic, meaning it is
made of materials that come from
living organisms, such as plants and

PRESENT RESEARCH
Potosí, known as Villa Imperial de
Potosí in the colonial period, is the
capital city and a municipality of the
Department of Potosí in Bolivia. It is
one of the highest cities in the world
at a nominal 4,090 m. Potosí is now
known for its well-preserved
colonial architecture and unusual
geographic setting as one of the
highest cities in the world.
THE GEOGRAPHY OF
POTOSI
Potosi is a city in the south of
Bolivia 90 km southwest of Sucre. It
is one of the world’s highest cities
with an elevation of 4,090 m, Potosi
stands on a cold and barren plateau
in the shadow of the fabled Potosí
Mountain which is also called the
“Rich Mountain”, a mountain
popularly conceived of as being
"made of" silver ore that dominates
the city. The Cerro Rico is the
reason for Potosí's historical
importance since it was the major
supply of silver for the Spanish
Empire until Guanajuato in Mexico
surpassed it in the 18th century and
is honeycombed with thousands of
mines. A mountain popularly
conceived of as being made of silver
ore that dominates the city, its peak
is 4,824 m above sea level. Potosí
and its region prospered enormously
following the discovery of the New
World’s biggest silver lodes in the
Cerro de Potosí south of the city.
Legend attributes its name to
potojchi or Potosi, a Quechua word
meaning “deafening noise,” or
“crash.”
In 1545, the city came into existence
after the discovery of silver there
after the discovery of silver Within
three decades its population
surpassed 150,000, making it the
largest city in the New World. The
population declined from a peak of
160,000 in about 1650 as silver
production waned, and a typhus
epidemic in 1719 claimed the lives
of some 22,000 residents. By the
early 19th century, Potosí had fewer
than 20,000 inhabitants, but the
subsequent rise of tin mining again
spurred growth.
Today, Potosí continues to be an
important mining centre and is the
largest urban centre in the
Department of Potosí with a
population of 264,402. A growing
city, Potosí is now famous for its
well-preserved colonial architecture,
and unusual geographic setting as
one of the highest cities in the world.
Because of its altitude, Potosi is cold
throughout most of the year.
Temperatures average a mere 55ºF
(13ºC) during the summer,
December to March and dip to
below freezing during the winter
from June to August. Rain
frequently turns to hail or snow.
Expect average temperatures of
about 40ºF (5ºC) during the
remaining 6 months of the year.
The summer in Potosi lasts for 3
months, from October to December,
with an average daily high
temperature above 63°F. The hottest
month of the year in Potosí is
December, with an average high of
64°F and a low of 38°F. while the
winter in Potosi lasts for 2 months,
from June to August, with an
average daily high temperature
below 57°F. The coldest month of
the year in Potosí is July, with an
average low of 25°F and a high of
56°F.
In Potosí, the average percentage of
the sky covered by clouds
experiences extreme seasonal
variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year in Potosí
begins around April and lasts for 6
months, ending around October. The
clearest month of the year in Potosí
is August, during which on average
the sky is clear, mostly clear, or
partly cloudy 73% of the time. The
cloudier part of the year begins
around October and lasts for 6
months, ending around April. The
cloudiest month of the year in Potosí
is January, during which on average
the sky is overcast or mostly cloudy
75% of the time.

A wet day in Potosi is one with at
least 0.04 inches of liquid or liquid-
equivalent precipitation. The wetter
season lasts for around 3 months,
from December to March, with a
greater than 24% chance of a given
day being a wet day. The month
with the wettest days in Potosí is
January, with an average of 13.4
days with at least 0.04 inches of
precipitation. The drier season lasts
around 8 months, from March to
December. The month with the least
wet days in Potosí is July, with an
average of 0.9 days with at least
0.04 inches of precipitation. Among
wet days, we distinguish between
those that experience rain alone,
snow alone, or a mixture of the two.
Based on this categorization, the
most common form of precipitation
in Potosí changes throughout the
year. The rainy season usually lasts
for 9 months, from August to May.
The month with the rainiest days in
Potosí is January, with an average of
13.4 days. Snow is very common in
Potosi and usually lasts around 3
months, from May to August. The
month with the most days of snow
alone in Potosí is June, with an
average of 0.6 days.
OVERVIEW OF RENEWABLE
SOURCES AT POTOSI
Hydrocarbons, primarily natural gas,
are an important element of Bolivia's
economy and account for 8% of the
country's GDP. Bolivia's
hydrocarbon exports accounted for
54% of total export revenue in 2014.
The recent drop in oil prices caused
Bolivia's energy export revenues to
fall by nearly 1% to $6.57 billion in
2014 and is expected to negatively
impact the amount of investment in
hydrocarbon projects in Bolivia.
Traditional biomass is an important
fuel for heating and cooking,
especially for the 1.2 million
Bolivians who lack access to
electricity, according to the
International Energy Agency's latest
2012 estimates. The electrification
rate of 88% masks the disparity in
urban and rural populations: more
than 99% of city dwellers have
access to electricity, compared to
66% of those living in rural areas.
For those who have access to
electricity, natural gas-fired plants
and hydropower are the dominant
sources of Bolivia's electricity
supply.
Although Latin America has
advanced in renewable energy
generation in recent years, the
storage issue has not moved forward
to the same extent. The conventional
view remains one of building
electric towers and transformation
stations to transmit electricity miles
away from the generation sites, a
very expensive and inefficient
option. Emilio Godoy explains.
Bolivia is taking some first small
steps to develop small storage
energy systems to support the
national grid. The Cobija solar plant
in the northwestern part of Bolivia
was first connected to the grid in
September 2014 and has a 5 MW
capacity. It is an exciting new
project because it has a 2.2 MW
lithium-battery storage system. The
solar plant is owned by Eléctrica
Guaracachi, a subsidiary of the
National Company of Electricity.
The project required a USD 11.3
million investment, from which the
state company invested USD 4.98
million and the international Danish
Corporation for Development in
Bolivia (DANIDA) donated USD 6
million.
The plant supplies a total of 54
thousand inhabitants from five
towns with electricity. It is a good
example of a local energy transition
as it shows how small-medium
towns can benefit from renewable
energy and the expansion of the
national grid to areas that have
historically lacked access to
electricity. The Cobija PV plant has
reduced the annual consumption of
1.9 million litres of subsidized
diesel, saving the Bolivian economy
about USD 1.8 million annually. It
also reduces Bolivia's carbon
emissions by 5000 CO2 tons
annually.
Bolivia is a fossil-fuel-dependent
economy. Rich in natural gas, the
country depends on the exploitation
of natural gas. In 2015, natural gas
generated 57% of the 9Thw total
electricity generation. Hydro plants
were the second largest source of
electricity and accounted for 27% of
that year. Renewables made up 14%
of the country's installed capacity,
derived from biomass, small hydro,
solar and wind.
Bolivia aspires to change its energy
mix significantly by 2025,
expanding its renewable energy
capacities. The country aims to
generate 74% of its electricity from
renewables, including hydro.
Natural gas will generate more than
30%. The plan is to have around 700
MW come from renewables by
2025.
PROCEDURES
 Analysing the topography and
the climate of Potosi, Bolivia
 Describe all of the potential
renewable sources that are
available in Potosi, Bolivia
 Find the best renewable
source technology to provide
your electric resource
 Design the flowchart
installation from each
technology that is suitable for
the topography of Bali
 Complete the design with the
properties that are needed to
conserve the energy until
those energies ready to use
 Complete every step of the
utilities, especially for the
utilities that apply the
conservation energy principals
RESULT
Bolivia is having a hard challenge
finding workable energy to
transition out of fossil fuels energy
to new renewable energy. There are
a lot of different types of renewable
energy, which ones fit Potosi the
most? what will Bolivia do to
advance it? Bolivia’s government
are working to find out the solution
to this problem and what will they
do in the future to advance it so that
the people who live in Bolivia,
Potosi to be specific can live their
lives to the fullest while
participating in less use of non-
renewable energy and uses
renewable energy instead.
COMPARING THE
RENEWABLE RESOURCES
Looking at Potosi’s geographical
condition, solar energy and wind
energies are the best alternative
energy or renewable energy for
Potosi. With Potosi elevation, it
means that Potosi will have more
sun and wind than the rest of
Bolivia. There is more wind in the
mountain because as the moving air
is pushed over a mountain range it is
squeezed between the mountains and
the top of the troposphere, causing
the wind to speed up. Besides the
wind, the sunlight in places with
high elevation is brighter than in any
other place because the sun's rays
have less atmosphere to travel
through.
Besides the fitted geographical
condition, solar energy and wind
energy are a few of the cheapest
renewable energy. Solar and wind
energy have low operating expenses
because there are no associated fuel
costs, unlike fossil fuels. With the
cheap prices, it will be easier to
convince the people who live in
Potosi to alternate to solar and wind
energy instead of fossil fuels. This
will most likely convince the people
who don’t like a cheaper alternative,
they can save money and also live
better for both themselves and the
earth.
CONCLUSION
This project using the renewable
energy of solar and wind will most
definitely work because it has so
many benefits for both the people
and the earth. Solar energy and wind
energy are way cheaper than fossil
fuels because it doesn’t take a lot of
money to make solar and wind
energy, unlike fossil fuels. This will
have a huge impact on Potosi,
Bolivia.
Most people living in Bolivia cannot
afford electricity because it is too
expensive for them and they don’t
have enough money to just spend it
on electricity. So, with the change to
solar and wind power and them
being way cheaper than fossil fuels,
not only they will live better but
they can also help contribute to
saving the earth. Because renewable
energy generates energy that
produces no greenhouse gas
emissions unlike fossil fuels and
reduces air pollution.
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