Avaliação energética e alternativas de abastecimento de energia elétrica para o setor residencial rural não eletrificado do Rio Grande do Norte

Abstract

The pourpose of this work is to analyse the energetical matrix, by uses and sources, of poor rural communities, and to present altematives for electrical supplying of non-electrified communities. It is also presented a financial and technological evaluation between the electrical centralized distribution system (conventional), the single wire earth retum system (SWER) and decentralized energetical altematives (biomass, solar and wind energy). The Rio Grande do Norte State has an amount of 701 registrated communities that do not dispose the electricity in their domiciles, which represents 21,925 residences. In order to contribute with changes in this so unfavorable situation for the rural sector, aggravated by social factors, this work intends to assist rural areas development decisions by the choice ofthe electification model. The actual situation ofthe energetical matrix for poor communities and a projection to a future reality were performed by the application of a questionaire to that communities, trying to identiíy their habits of consumption, structure of uses and expectation with possibilities of a future availability of electricity. This investigation allowed the knowledge of the impact of the electricity in the matrix of uses structure and a projection of electrical power demand, taking this as a basis for the design of altemative supply systems. It is also presented an evaluation of Rio Grande do Norte State energetical resources, identiíying those which represent an altemative to the centralized distribuition model, for low demografic density communities. The possibilities with solar, wind and biomass energy uses are investigated. The use of the SWER system, although it preserves the existing centralized distribution structure, is placed in the work as an altemative able to facilitate the introduction of electricity in the communities, because ofthe low cost compared with the conventional system.